No Room For The Inn

     If you take a ride to this famous seaport city of Gloucester, Massachusetts, you will see a beautiful coast line and harbor.  Once known for its busy and profiting fishing industry, many federal restrictions have caused this industry to suffer.  Gloucester is in need of jobs.  That is why you would think the citizens and town officials would sit with happy faces on when a hotel comes to town to supply those jobs.  It seems that the sewer system is just too small to handle this hotel, number one hurdle.
   In the past, many projects have been stuck with the price of road or sewer repairs as part of the condition to build in the town or city.  But even if the hotel agreed to the blackmail terms, hurdle two, three, and maybe four still need to be addressed.  In the end, win or lose, it will take months or years to even get a permit.  Are there any Hampton Inns in China???

The proposed Essex Avenue Hampton Inn is facing another legal challenge before it can get off the drawing board.

Already held up by a challenge over the city Conservation Commission's "conditions" for the site and concern about the roadway's sewer line as outlined by a city-commissioned study, the project now faces a formal challenge by a 10-member intervenor group to the special permit granted by the City Council.

The 10 residents — represented by Attorney Mark Nestor and led by Essex Avenue resident Susan Taormina — allege that the project, granted the special permit by the City Council, does not meet six conditions such a permit requires.

The appeal, formally filed by Nestor last week, claims each member of the City Council, and the company Gloucester Hotel LLC, as defendants, and requests the court to annul the special permit.

Massachusetts Land Court will hear the formal appeal, but the challenge process could take up to a year, officials have said.

Ralph Pino, attorney for Gloucester Hotel LLC and the developer, Maryland-based David Hill, said he believes the Council did a thorough review before granting the permit.

"I think we were careful when we presented it," he said.

City Solicitor Suzanne Egan also said the city will defend the issuance of the permit in court.

                      more if you got nothing better to do