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Farcroft residents press council to block hotel-and-conference proposal for 5 Chimneys property
Summary
At the meeting residents from Farcroft urged the council to preserve the historic 5 Chimneys house and oppose Ox Hill's concept for a 96-room hotel and 20,000 sq ft convention center, citing tree loss, resource protection area impacts, noise, traffic, property values and developer transparency; staff advised the applicant that a comp-plan amendment, rezoning and environmental and historic studies would be required.
Several dozen residents from the Farcroft neighborhood used the city's public-comment periods and a later work-session pre-application briefing to press council and staff to reject or substantially reshape a concept plan that would redevelop the 9.3-acre 5 Chimneys property at 10230 Main Street.
What residents said: Speakers described the site as a quieter, single-family neighborhood that would be harmed by rezoning to commercial for a proposed 96-room, three-story hotel with a convention center and pool. Stacy Langton, speaking as a Farcroft resident, urged the council to deny rezoning and noted concerns about developer transparency: she said Ox Hill's promotional video used a "local business owner" who turned out to be the project's real-estate agent. Other speakers detailed anticipated problems: traffic, nighttime noise from events, loss of mature trees and encroachment on the resource protection area (RPA), impacts on home privacy and property values, and ongoing litigation and contractor claims involving the developer.
Staff and planning commission feedback at the work session: City planners said the concept proposal would require a comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning, a River and Resource Protection Area (RPA) and water-quality impact assessment, structural and archeological studies of the house, and an evaluation for the National Register of Historic Places. Planning staff and the Planning Commission also suggested alternative uses (single-family attached/townhomes), urged preserving the historic house and minimizing impacts to the RPA and tree canopy, and recommended the applicant examine alternatives such as moving the hotel footprint to reduce impacts on adjacent homes.
Council and community context: Council members asked for economic-analysis input to understand whether the market can support another hotel/conference venue in the city given existing and proposed hotel projects. Several council members expressed openness to hearing more but emphasized the need for rigorous studies, water-quality and stormwater analysis, and clear designs that preserve tree canopy and address neighbors' concerns. No rezoning or binding decision was made at the Feb. 25 meeting; the pre-application briefing was informational and staff outlined studies that would be required if a formal application is submitted.
