Planning Commission approves 122‑room Hyatt Studios at Plaza Venezia

The Venice Planning Commission approved a site and development plan for Hyatt Studios Venice, a 122‑room hotel proposed for an outparcel in the Plaza Venezia development.

Planning staff presented the petition as a quasi‑judicial request to develop a 4‑story, 122‑room Hyatt Studios on a roughly 2.34‑acre parcel at East Pine Brook Road in the Laurel Road neighborhood. Senior planner Nicole Tremblay told the commission the site’s future land use is mixed‑use corridor and that the applicant proposes roughly a 0.6 floor‑area ratio, well under the corridor maximum of 1. Tremblay said the city’s technical review committee identified no compliance issues, and the city’s transportation consultant confirmed the project’s transportation impact assessment and an estimated 62 peak‑hour trips as compliant.

The applicant’s agent, Brian Walker, and architect Jacob Henley described the hotel as a Hyatt Studios (a longer‑stay brand) with one building surrounded by surface parking. Walker said the plan provides 123 parking spaces, including six ADA and six EV spaces, pedestrian connections to the plaza and Pine Brook Road, bicycle racks and stormwater runoff routed to an existing pond built for the plaza outparcels. Architect Jacob Henley said the brand emphasizes a “warm” interior and a compact exterior footprint and explained facade elements intended to reduce the sense of massing.

Why it matters: the site sits in an active mixed‑use corridor in proximity to medical and commercial uses; the commission must find the development consistent with the comprehensive plan and compliant with the city’s land development code before the project proceeds to permitting.

Commission discussion focused on site access and architectural character. Commissioner Pam asked whether the parcel’s lot line that extends into an internal access drive would affect maintenance or require changes; Tremblay said the access is private under the Plaza Venezia plat and will remain in place. One commissioner expressed disappointment in the building’s architectural character compared with existing preferred Venice design elements, but noted the design meets code requirements.

Action: Following staff presentation and public hearing (no members of the public spoke on this item), Commissioner Pam moved to approve site and development plan petition 24‑38SP "based on review of the application materials, the staff report and testimony provided during the public hearing," and a second was offered. The commission voted 7–0 to approve the site and development plan.

Next steps: The approval allows the applicant to proceed to the site permit and building plan review stages; future permitting and construction timelines were not specified during the hearing.