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Neighbors urge Lafayette council to reject Echo Suites extended‑stay hotel near Silo community
Summary
Multiple Silo neighborhood residents told the council an extended‑stay hotel proposed near Lucerne and a school bus stop would harm safety, traffic and property values and asked the council to seek alternative locations or deny variances that would allow the project to proceed.
Several residents of Lafayette’s Silo neighborhood urged the City Council on Sept. 2 to oppose a proposed Echo Suites extended‑stay lodging planned north of Coals off Lucerne, citing safety, traffic and compatibility concerns.
Amanda Ludwig, who said she and her wife live at 873 Lariat Lane, said the proposed design focuses on extended stays and ‘‘such facilities often require increased city services and may present unique challenges for integration into residential neighborhoods like ours.’’ She told council the site is near a bus stop used by neighborhood children and urged the council to ‘‘reconsider alternative locations for the Echo Suites and to prioritize projects that strengthen community bonds.’’
Allison Vecchio displayed photos of panhandling and tents near Diamond Circle and U.S. 287 and said the hotel ‘‘is going to further damage this community’’ by bringing increased traffic and conflict with the family‑oriented character of the area. Vecchio said the proposed 124‑room extended‑stay use would be ‘‘incompatible with the residential character’’ and predicted long‑term effects on property values and neighborhood cohesion.
Damon Coates reiterated similar concerns and said the developer is seeking a height variance for the site; he said neighbors ‘‘don’t want to be back here five years from now voicing some of the issues that are happening around that hotel.’’
Councilor Samson reminded speakers that planning commission is the appropriate venue for code variances and encouraged residents to bring concerns there on Sept. 10. The council did not take immediate action on the development during the Sept. 2 meeting.
Next steps: Planning staff and the developer will proceed through the city’s formal land‑use and variance processes; residents were directed to the planning commission meeting calendar for the next stage of review.
