Readers sound off on proposed boutique hotel

Someone once observed that the whole Bible can be summarized in one sentence: That which is distasteful to you, do not do to your neighbor.

I am reminded of that concept after I read the January article on the commercial hotel that Philadelphia developer Margot Stern proposes to inflict on the Fiddlers Creek residential neighborhood. Hopefully this developer’s idea as to what’s good for Hopewell Township will go the way of other failed projects, such as the PennEast Pipeline and the CVS at Al’s Sunoco, similarly promoted by a developer who likewise transformed their own greed and selfishness into a claimed benefit for Hopewell.

Developer Margot Stern buys a property in an established residential area on Fiddlers Creek Road, which is an undivided two-lane roadway that is not wide enough for any shoulder, but boasts a drainage ditch on each side, with hopes to convince the zoning board to allow multiple zoning variances within that neighborhood for, among other delights, 95 parking spaces.

When someone buys a home in Hopewell Township in an area zoned for residential use, and, therefore, expects that their home will be forever surrounded by other homes, is it too much to ask of our government officials to protect that reasonable expectation?

Those who would be taken in by Stern’s public relations campaign need to ask themselves a simple question: how would you like a hotel in your neighborhood? I wouldn’t either.

Harvey Lester, Titusville

We are writing in response to: “Proposed boutique hotel would breathe new life into historic site.” The article describes a request for a zoning change to the Hollystone Manor property on Fiddler’s Creek Road. We strongly urge the Hopewell Township Zoning Board not to make an exception for “The Hopewell.”

Our family recently moved to Titusville for the community and the proximity to nature, including both Fiddler’s Creek Preserve and Bald Pate Mountain. We have settled in and enjoy hearing the owls at night, seeing deer, fox, and yes, even a bear wander our property. Our dogs love being in the midst of all the trees and trails.

The current zoning for Hollystone

Manor is residential and agricultural for a reason — to protect this beautiful natural area. A change would set a bad precedent and open the door for future development along Route 29 and Fiddler’s Creek Road. Also, further development at Hollystone Manor would now be easier.

As stated in the article, the number of parking spaces for the property will increase from 27 to 95. Thus, traffic will more than triple, bringing these “jaded urbanites” to the community. We do not think it is best for the long-term health of the community to have people “recharging their batteries” at an exclusive hotel. Visitors are welcome at all of Hopewell’s existing parks and preserves. A fancy hotel is not needed to provide these opportunities.

Members of the zoning board need to remember that a vote against a change to a commercial designation for this property will be a vote in support of the environment that we love.

Bruce Anderson and Carrie Vinch Titusville

Having read the piece published in the January issue about Margot Stern’s application to the Hopewell Township Zoning Board requesting a variance from residential to commercial to develop a boutique hotel, I want to provide the voice of the 400-plus voters and young adults who oppose the project. Stern described a project that purports to provide a significant benefit to the township, when in fact it does the opposite.

The application before the board is extremely conceptual. Most people have told me that they don’t understand how the zoning board would even need to think twice. As a close neighbor on Fiddlers Creek Road, I can state that the project presents many risks for the simple reason that Fiddlers Creek is a residential neighborhood that has no need for a hotel of any kind. The township’s 2002 master plan spells out that the Baldpate and Fiddlers Preserve region is within the Mountain Resource Conservation zone, which was designed to prevent just such commercial development.

The zoning board’s charge, as well as the environmental commission, is to protect the open space that many citizens have worked for decades to preserve.

Marie Verna, Titusville