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Hotel memo confuses proposal issue
At its public hearing Aug. 12, the Herndon Town Council voted unanimously to defer a decision on the Diamond Properties proposal to build a five-story Element hotel in the downtown area.
Presentations by the applicant and staff, along with testimony by 19 individuals and letters read on the behalf of others, lasted for more than three hours. The public hearing as a whole did not end until 12:43 a.m. Wednesday.
Despite Vice Mayor Connie Hutchinson's comments that the proposal was in need of "a lot of review" and that a deferral was "absolutely necessary," Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide issued a press release on Tuesday, stating that the "Element Herndon" hotel will open in the downtown "in the spring of 2010."
“Herndon’s thriving business community and close proximity to our nation’s capital make it the perfect home for the Element brand,” said Brian McGuiness, vice president, Element & Aloft Hotels, in the release.
Representatives of Starwood were unavailable for comment, but the Town says no agreement has yet been made.
"The Town has not made any decision or entered into any agreement concerning the status of this plan, and any such decision would be made publicly following a public hearing," said Herndon Town Clerk Vicki Wellershaus.
"The proposal is still in the zoning process," added Town Manager Art Anselene.
"My understanding of Starwood's intent in putting out that release is that they had a deal with Diamond, and not that there was already approval in place to build the hotel. That is still ongoing," said attorney Mark Looney of Cooley Godward Kronish, representing Diamond Properties.
The hotel proposal will be the subject of a public hearing by the Herndon Town Council on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
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