A new plan to rebuild the Best Western Inn in Corte Madera is in the works three years after a proposal was rejected by the Planning Commission for environmental reasons.
“This is a new project, completely different than the project we proposed a few years ago,” said Garrett Grialou, president of Reneson Hotel, the local business that owns the property. “We have wiped the slate clean and we are starting over.”
At an online community meeting on Oct. 7, Grialou said the proposed plan is still in early development. Reneson Hotel hired San Francisco-based Axis GFA, an architecture and design firm, to carry out the redesign, which includes protecting the pond and providing public access.
In 2017, the plan to redevelop the hotel, a 5.47-acre property at 57 Madera Blvd. near Highway 101, stirred controversy among residents for plans to pave over the half-acre pond on the site and deny public access to amenities.
New preliminary plans call for a 150-room “upper midscale” or “upscale” hotel with a 4,000 square foot conference room. It will not have a restaurant.
Reneson Hotel rebranded the hotel to Best Western in the 1970s, Grialou said, adding that it’s performed well over the years, but the 110-room hotel is old.
“Certainly the facility is aging,” he said. “Most of the facility was built over 60 years ago. It’s getting old. It’s falling apart. And it’s really just reached the end of its economic useful life.”
Consultants have suggested the hotel be rebranded as a “Residence Inn by Marriott” because of its “powerful” loyalty program, Grialou said.
Plans are expected to be presented to the Planning Commission in about eight to 10 weeks.
“This is the first of several forums that will be held over the coming months,” said Cory Creath, founding principal of Axis GFA, an architecture and design firm. “And we’re excited to get your feedback.”
Planning Director Adam Wolff said the next step in the public process is a study session. No date has been set.
“It’s too preliminary for the town to take a stance, but personally, I think it’s exciting,” Mayor Eli Beckman said. “Corte Madera deserves a top-tier hotel and I think a lot of residents were disappointed when their last pass fell through. There were environmental concerns with certain aspects of the project.”
Unlike the last proposal, residents are optimistic about the plan because it preserves the half-acre pond.
Marin Audubon Society President Barbara Salzman said the project seems to be on the right track.
“Needless to say, we’re thrilled that you’re keeping the pond,” Salzman said during the meeting. “And I’m also thrilled that there’s so much support from the comments so far … and we’d like to make sure that in addition to public access and enjoyment, that the values that attract the black-crowned night herons to roost there remain.”
Cheryl Longinotti lives across the street from the hotel. She said she is pleased to hear the proposed plan is taking the frontage views into consideration this time, however, she is concerned that the lack of a restaurant will result in people jaywalking across Madera Boulevard to the Town Center.
“Right now, they’re taking their lives into their hands, even if they come down to the intersection,” Longinotti said “In terms of the overall project I think you need to consider the traffic pattern both for vehicles and pedestrians.”
Planners said they will consider working with the town to urge guests to use the crosswalk at the intersection, which is also slated for an upgrade.
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October 16, 2020 at 07:13AM
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Corte Madera hotel renovation resurfaces with new proposal - Marin Independent Journal
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