Chain Hopes To Build Its First Bay Area Hotel

Tampa Tribune:

University Area Value Place wants to build a 4-story, 124-room hotel at the northeast corner of Fletcher Avenue and 12th Street, which would be the first for the extended-stay chain in the Tampa Bay area.

Liberty VP Fletcher LLC, a franchisee for Value Place, is seeking rezoning of the 2.92-acre site and the approval of a variance in the setback requirements, said the land-use attorney representing the Maitland-based franchisee.

Heather Himes of the law firm Akerman Senterfitt said the zoning needs to be designated ‘planned development’ for the hotel to be built. It also needs a variance so its business sign can be erected 15 feet from the street. The sign would be 30 feet high.

A zoning hearing master will hear the variance request May 9; the Hillsborough County commissioners will hear the rezoning request May 13.

‘The combined height and setback provisions governing monument signs are too restrictive for the specific site layout of this site,’ the variance application reads.