The request came from Pradeep Saini, owner of Village Liquors, who has expressed interest in building a twenty room hotel above a new liquor store next to the Dunkin’ Donuts in Silo Hill.

Hostels are defined as establishments that provide temporary (less than one year) lodging, for a specific group of people such as students, workers, or travelers. It is lower priced temporary accommodation that offers fully furnished basic rooms with linen service. Typically, a hostel may feature a large room with separate beds and a shared bathroom and kitchen. A commercial kitchen may also be located within the establishment to provide guest food services, Town Planner Zachary Gulden said.

The particular change to add a hostel/inn designation to the town code, has been requested, according to Saini, by the financial institution funding the project purely for taxation purposes as well as the security of the bank lending the project’s funding.

The hotel/hostel will be open to the public for extended stay and also allow for student housing. "Essentially it is a hotel, but we cannot stop students from renting … if they conform to the lifestyle of a hotel, we are open to renting it to them," Saini said.

Council President Tim O’Donnell raised concerns of students overtaking the building and turning it into a fraternity.

Unlike hotels, guests in hostels don’t have their own rooms; instead they live in dorm-style, meaning that there is one bathroom on each floor, just like in a college dorm. The party vibes (and the drinking and drug taking that goes with it) of hostels is seen as another drawback to the plan. In addition to the fact that the proposed hostel would be built above a liquor store could be problematic, as it would make access to alcohol for parties much easier.

Unlike hotels, which are staffed 24 hours a day, hostels are not always staffed around the clock, so addressing drunk or noisy guests could challenge the quality of life for nearby Silo Hill Residents.

Saini told the town council that an employee will be available at the downstairs liquor store when it is open, and on call at other hours. However Saini was mum on how responsive the liquor store staff would be while customers were in the store or how long it would take to respond to noise complaints at night.

The Council approved forwarding a proposed text amendment change to the Planning Commission for consideration. If approved, hostel/inn would be added as a permitted use in the General Commercial (B-2) Zoning District ordinance.

The Council also approved a sewer and water connection fee payment plan waiver for the planned Village Liquors Hotel.

The proposed hotel will have 273 total fixtures (water faucets and toilets) which equals 18.2 Equivalent Residential Units.