Plans for a Hilton Garden Inn and Residence Inn at the northwest corner of Lilley and Ford roads in Canton Township have been rejected by members of the planning commission.
The two hotels were proposed for a site behind a shopping center near at the intersection and would have provided 220 rooms between them. Members of the commission questioned the accuracy of the traffic studies and other information provided which was prepared using data prior to the shutdown last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioners commented that the studies and data were out of date and needed to be re-evaluated.
Several neighboring residents appeared at the meeting with objections to the plan. Several criticized the lack of information about the proposed hotel plan and said they only learned of the proposal through social media. Residents said that the influx of traffic with guests using the hotels would negatively impact their quality of life in the nearby subdivision.
Chris Abbo, one of the petitioners who appeared before the commission during the June 7 meeting, said that travel is increasing and “we are seeing demand (for hotel rooms) picking up.” He and the other petitioners told the commission that they had spoken with hotel company managers who told them that the Canton Township site is a desirable location for the hotel development. He said the developers would start construction in 2022 and open the hotels in 2024, if approved. Bryan Amann, also speaking for the petitioners, said that the project has been under discussion since 2018 but was delayed due to the pandemic.
One resident said that there were already too many hotels in the area and that the proposed new buildings would alter the residential character of the neighborhood.
Commissioners unanimously voted to deny the proposed plan which could now go before the members of the township board of trustees for consideration.
