H Street is one step closer to gaining a Hilton, as the Lompoc Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a development plan for the hotel at 1201 North H St., on the lot formerly occupied by the Ford dealership.

The approved plans call for a 108,000 square-foot, four-floor Hilton Garden Inn, including 155 guest rooms, a dining area, indoor swimming pool, and meeting rooms to accommodate conventions and special events.

Planning Commission members spoke complimentarily about the development plans, and a visiting City Councilman Will Schuyler, asked eagerly about the meeting room space.

Atul Patel, one of the business partners developing the land, said the hotel meeting space would accommodate 150 to 200 people, and would be available for rent by hotel patrons and the community.

“I've got to congratulate you for just putting together a project in record time,” Planning commission Chairman Jack Rodenhi told Patel before voting to approve. Patel owns Holiday Inn Express on North H.

The Hilton project approval included accepting a mitigated negative declaration for its environmental impacts. The initial study found that future traffic at the North H Street and Barton Avenue intersection would drop below city standards, partially due to hotel traffic.

Fees would be charged on the project to help pay for future improvements to the H Street and Barton Avenue intersection according to city staff.

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The Planning Commission was more concerned with the parking situation at the hotel, though city staff and Patel both said they felt the planned number of parking spaces would suffice, and were within zoning guidelines.

Patel said he had initially hoped to incorporate an Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar into the project, but that the restaurant had turned down the offer. He said negotiations are continuing for the vacant lot to the north of his project, as another potential restaurant site.

Patel had previously stated that the hotel would cost around $20 million to build - a figure that project builder Bill Ludwig with Alan Roinestad Construction said was still accurate.

“The 1st of October to break ground is our intent,” Ludwig said in a telephone interview Thursday.

Ludwig said he estimated the hotel construction to take 16 to 18 months, placing the opening sometime in 2010.

Glenn Wallace can be reached at 737-1059 or gwallace@santamariatimes.com

July 11, 2008