New Fairfield Inn Approved for West Santa Cruz

On Tuesday night, the Santa Cruz City Council voted unanimously to allow the construction of a new 86-room Fairfield Inn off of Highway 1, on the Mission Street Extension. The vote was a rejection of the Planning Commission’s claims that the hotel followed a cookie-cutter model, and was not the type of structure the city wanted to greet visitors. Paresh Patel of Lotus Management, who has yet to break ground on another Marriott in the Beach Flats neighborhood that he had approved last year, said the hotel would bring significant tax revenue to the city as well as provide much needed accommodations for Westside visitors. Vice Mayor Mike Rotkin explained his “yay” vote, saying: “this is zoned industrial so we can’t be too picky on how it looks. I would be concerned if this were right off the highway and very visible, but it’s spaced significantly back and is blocked by trees, so I don’t see it as a problem.”
The meeting was also attended by a group of about 15 other hoteliers who voiced their opposition to the plans, saying the inn would drain business from their scarcely occupied rooms. Pravin Patel of the Pacific Inn called it a “bog box store,” hinting that it would have the same effect on local businesses that Walmart has when it opens a new store.
Others like neighbors Ted Goldstein and Jessica Bernhardt said the hotel would bring an influx of traffic to their neighborhood.
“A few hotels go up and next thing you know we’ll be another Ocean Street,” said Bernhardt.
The council, however, was unmoved. And though none praised the building’s drab cream plaster and stone façade, or its sparse landscaping, they concluded that the area was meant for such construction. After the meeting, Patel said he was not surprised by the council’s decision.
“It’s not a cookie cutter hotel,” he said. “I think the council did their job and I’m happy with the decision.”