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Walton County board conditionally approves Holiday Inn Express; staff to verify paint colors, signage deferred
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Summary
The Walton County Development Review Board recommended approval of a 104-room Holiday Inn Express conditional on staff verification of Munsell/Sherwin Williams color matches and with monument and directional signage excluded from tonight’s approval. Board members raised lighting and mechanical-screening visibility concerns.
The Walton County Development Review Board recommended approval of a major development application for a 104-room Holiday Inn Express on about 2.57 acres in District 5, with conditions requiring staff verification of the building’s Munsell/Sherwin Williams color matches and deferral of monument and directional signage. The decision moves the project forward to the Planning Commission and, later, a special magistrate and the Board of County Commissioners.
Curtis Smith, a civil engineer representing the project team, told the board the applicant has time under state rules but warned of a new state requirement: “there’s 180 day time frame when these projects go to public meetings…there’s penalties for the counties for not getting these things done in a timely manner.” Smith said the project’s internal deadline is March 15 and urged the board and staff to be mindful of processing timeframes.
Staff had entered the DRB staff report into the record and flagged signage, lighting and tree spacing as topics to watch. Board members pressed the applicant on a large signage insert in the packet and whether the full sign package was being requested for approval; the applicant clarified that building-mounted signs were the subject of tonight’s review and that monument and other directional signs would be submitted as separate permits.
Architect Joseph Gogreel said rooftop equipment screening will be metal louvers and that exterior materials (EIFS or stucco) and louvers would be coordinated to blend with the facade. Board members expressed a particular concern about a saturated blue in the renderings and asked staff to verify color matches from the Munsell and Sherwin Williams palettes before final approval.
Members also questioned parking-lot lighting. One board member noted that 14-foot pole-mounted fixtures produced bright hot spots “right under the light” and suggested either taller poles or redistribution; the applicant said staff would examine photometrics to better align pole locations with planned trees so light poles and landscaping do not conflict.
Speaker 12 moved to approve the Holiday Inn Express application conditioned on staff approval of Munsell color matches for the Sherwin Williams palette and with removal of monument, directional and monumental signs from tonight’s approval; the motion was seconded and carried.
Next steps: the applicant will proceed to the Planning Commission and special magistrate, and monument/directional signage must be submitted as separate sign-permit applications for subsequent board or staff review.
