Big Beach Hotels Now OK ?
The times, they are a-changin!
It was just a few years ago today, Mayor Naugle and his crew vote nay...
The big hotels were out of style, they guaranteed they're gone awhile...
But it's introduced to them and they say, a big new hotel, we say YEA!...
We're Mayor Naugle's Big Giant Hotel Band !!! .........
.........................................
But all goofiness aside, the days of raucous Public Hearings about proposed new Beach hotels might be over.
Here are a few of the comments from the three vote anti-redevelopment majority a few years back;
Teel: "another example of another building on too small a lot ...10 lb.s of sugar in a 5 lb. can .....
and, "I think were are going to regret jamming on these buildings along the waterfront.....
Rodstrom: If you're a developer, I'm not your candidate.....
and "I'll fight the greedy developer"......
Naugle: I heard a clear message during the campaign, I can't support going forward...
But this week all five members of the City Commission voted in favor of a new beach mega-hotel, the Ocean Wave. The Wave needed special votes to approve it, because it's length (325 ft.) and height (245 ft.) exceeded beach development rules.
artist's rendering of Ocean Wave
Here are the comments from the Commission before their affirmative vote this week on the Ocean Wave;
NO COMMENTS ! ...... looks like the times, they are a-changin........
It was just a few years ago today, Mayor Naugle and his crew vote nay...
The big hotels were out of style, they guaranteed they're gone awhile...
But it's introduced to them and they say, a big new hotel, we say YEA!...
We're Mayor Naugle's Big Giant Hotel Band !!! .........
.........................................
But all goofiness aside, the days of raucous Public Hearings about proposed new Beach hotels might be over.
Here are a few of the comments from the three vote anti-redevelopment majority a few years back;
Teel: "another example of another building on too small a lot ...10 lb.s of sugar in a 5 lb. can .....
and, "I think were are going to regret jamming on these buildings along the waterfront.....
Rodstrom: If you're a developer, I'm not your candidate.....
and "I'll fight the greedy developer"......
Naugle: I heard a clear message during the campaign, I can't support going forward...
But this week all five members of the City Commission voted in favor of a new beach mega-hotel, the Ocean Wave. The Wave needed special votes to approve it, because it's length (325 ft.) and height (245 ft.) exceeded beach development rules.
artist's rendering of Ocean Wave
Here are the comments from the Commission before their affirmative vote this week on the Ocean Wave;
NO COMMENTS ! ...... looks like the times, they are a-changin........
I wonder why not a word - there must be more to this.
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I am all for beachfront development,if we are to be the Venice of American and to continually attract tourists from far and wide..and we are a tourist economy..then we need to have a modern, future looking beachfront...not seedy run down motels, that the owners did nothing with for years...welcome to the 21st century, and I say bring it on!
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isn't it odd how quickly "they" forget----
I say-
great design! will fit in with the W and others well----
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Either all 5 affirmative votes were indicative of stupidity,ignorance or indifferance to what the constituants have been bellowing about,or perhaps they all got a stipend!!!!!! Nice reference to the Beatles and Dylan in this piece Tim!!!!!! And the lonely hearts club band plays on.............
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Nice looking hotel actually, but do we really need it?
My honest opinion is that the city ruined our lovely beach years ago.
Our elected officials do not remember what they voted against or voted for for our beach. They (commission really needs to go) The sooner the Better!
Before the "beach" is no longer there!
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The hotel looks like a giant bow of a ship trying to make it to sea. Just a few more feet and the USS SHIP BOW HOTEL makes it to water!!
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The artist's rendering of the Ocean Wave was presented to us at a CBA meeting, accompanied by a very in depth presentatation by the Motwani brothers. The meeting was packed and the presentation was brilliant and followed by a myriad of questions and answers. Unlike many of the other new hotels on the beach that cater only to their registered guests, this hotel will be local beach goer friendly as well, offering a large covered patio that is open to the public with a shopping area, restrooms, and food. Even the die hard critics and the condo commandos, who generally are opposed to anything that blocks their ocean view were enamored of this project. One of the final things said in the discussion before we voted was by someone who had come out to oppose the project and asked enough questions for an inquisition said in the end stated that we all know that eventually something will be built on that property and he didn't think that if they turned this project down, that any forthcoming project would be more beautiful than this one. In the end, the vote was almost unanimously in favor of this presentation. Hopefully now the City will find that the time is right to finally develop all of the vacant land they have owned for over the last fifteen years, that they have done nothing with, since they acquired it, sitting on the beach between Alhambra and Seville and going west to Birch. This is prime property to offer a place where local people and families can spend a day at the beach, by having a decent parking garage, a food court, which would offer most of the fast food chains, enabling a family wanting to enjoy a day at the beach to buy lunch for their children, without having to take out a second mortgage to feed them at the St. Regis, and most of all, adequate public rest room facilities, and not some moronic single toilet structure that will eject a person through the door in three minutes or cost a half a million dollars for a commode.
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