During a brief caucus meeting, the Florence city council received a presentation provided by Todd Morgan of Boone County Planning and Zoning regarding a new hotel named Livsmart by Hilton, which is set to be constructed in Florence on Merchant Street.
The hotel will span 62,000 square feet, rise to a height of 56 feet, contain 99 guest rooms, and feature an indoor pool.
The application seeks to modify the zoning for the area to Office 2 (O-2) Planned Development Houston Donaldson Study from Commercial 2 (C-2) Planned Development Houston Donaldson Study. The current C-2 zoning states that the current limit for square footage on new buildings is 15,000, and a maximum height of 50 feet. The O-2 zoning allows that new buildings can cover up to 30,000 square feet and reach as high as 70 feet. At this stage of a project is common for project managers to illustrate the project using graphic design.
Council member Angie Cable inquired whether additional measures could be taken to shield the hotel from nearby residents. This would be a temporary installation to give the trees planned for planting enough time to grow and reach a sufficient height for effective screening. Morgan stated that the residents living behind the proposed hotel have been informed and they comprehend that the hotel is expected to reach more than four stories up.
