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Council approves contested hotel variance for Live Smart by Hilton, 5–4
Summary
After extended questioning and debate about newly adopted hotel standards, the council approved a zoning variance allowing a 130-room Live Smart by Hilton project on a roughly 2-acre lot; the motion passed 5–4 amid concerns about variances from parking, setback and meeting-space standards.
The Irving City Council narrowly approved a zoning variance on Sept. 18 to allow a 130-room Live Smart by Hilton hotel on a constrained ~2-acre infill parcel, a decision that passed 5–4 after several council members raised concerns about deviations from recently adopted hotel standards.
Applicant Ronald Keith Smith presented a redesigned plan and said the ownership group secured the Hilton franchise for the Live Smart line and that staff had worked through setbacks, utilities and fire-department concerns. Smith described the project as a tailored solution for the irregular lot and argued the product would improve the neighborhood’s older hotel stock and bring jobs and economic stimulus.
Opposition in the council focused on the number and scale of variances requested. One council member noted the adopted hotel standards were developed after extensive research and argued the variances—front-yard setback, lot coverage, reduced meeting-space size and reduced freeway setback—were significant deviations from those standards and should not be routinely granted. Supporters said the lot’s constraints limited options and staff had vetted the technical solutions.
After questions from several councilmembers and discussion of parking and amenity trade-offs, a motion to approve the zoning request and associated variances was called and passed by a 5–4 margin. Council members who opposed the motion cited the number and scale of the variances as grounds for dissent.
The applicant said he looked forward to a long-term relationship with the city and to moving forward quickly if the variance were approved. The council did not specify additional conditions or a timeline for final building permits during the meeting record.
Because the action alters site-specific zoning and allowed encroachments, any implementation steps (building permits, inspections, or additional public-notice requirements) will be handled through the city’s development-review process.
