An application to build a boutique hotel in Fort 91原创 has been officially withdrawn by builder Eric Woodward.
Woodward sent a letter to the Township of 91原创 on Jan. 10. advising he will not be proceeding with the application to build the hotel as part of a three-storey mix of residential and business space on a 1.39 acre site at Glover Road and Mary Avenue.
It has been almost two years since the proposal was first unveiled, and about a year-and-a-half since the application was filed.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 get the development to council,鈥� Woodward said.
Township planning and transportation staff are insisting on a lane that would run through the middle of the planned courtyard plaza and performance space and force its removal, Woodward said.
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The decision comes after Woodward formally withdrew applications for two other projects in Fort 91原创, one for a small building, writing the Township in November to advise it would not be proceeding, and one for a larger project on the other side of Glover Road, where the formal letter was sent in December.
In both cases, Woodward said unreasonable demands for modifications were being made by Township staff.
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In an announcing the withdrawal, Wood said the combined value of the three projects was $65 million.
He said some of the buildings on the sites will have to be boarded up because they 鈥渁re already well past their reasonable lives (and) without any prospect of eventual replacement, there is now little basis left to continue subsidizing most of these older buildings on Glover Road that require new roofs, new mechanical, new electrical, new plumbing, and have numerous structural and drainage problems.鈥�
Some buildings 鈥渨ill remain open, and we will maintain them as best we can, for as long as possible,鈥� he said.
Last year, Woodward had a house on the Mary Avenue site painted bright pink to bring attention to his standoff with the Township of 91原创 over its demolition.
The Township, he said, was refusing to issue a permit for the demolition of the house and several other soon-to-be vacated buildings on the 1.39 acre site at Glover Road and Mary Avenue unless he met several conditions that he considered unreasonable.
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Reached for comment, Township mayor Jack Froese said withdrawing the development proposals was a 鈥渂usiness decision鈥� by Woodward.
鈥淗opefully, at some point he wants to develop it and work with the Township and we鈥檙e happy to work with him,鈥� Froese said.
Woodward told the Times he has no plans to sell the properties and expects it will be 鈥渁t least five to 10 years鈥� before he tries again to develop them.
鈥淯ntil the climate is significantly different, there鈥檚 no basis to proceed,鈥� Woodward said.
The current council, he said, could intervene with staff to resolve the impasse, but hasn鈥檛.
鈥淭hey (council) all know about and it they do nothing,鈥� Woodward said.
鈥淭hey endorse it with their silence.鈥�
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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