By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
AHSWAUBENON – A change in the village’s site plan and design review ordinance is under consideration in response to the use of Exterior Insulation Finish System (EIFS) material planned for the construction of a Cambria Hotel along Mike McCarthy Way.
A 100-unit, four-story hotel has been proposed on a newly-created 1.5-acre lot where an existing concrete building would be demolished east of The Bar.
Amenities would include a fitness room, pool, hot tub and combination breakfast/lounge/bar area for guests.
However, the village code presently doesn’t permit more than 15 percent EIFS per elevation as has been planned for the project.
After surveying what other communities have been doing with EIFS, as well as finding out what the hotel developer would agree to for the project, Community Development Director Aaron Schuette said he determined a “good benchmark” to use would be having EFIS not exceed 30 percent of a building’s cumulative wall surface area.
Along with that language being included to amend the village code, Schuette also noted in no instance would any one wall surface elevation be able to exceed 40 percent EIFS.
In addition, the amendment would not permit EIFS near any loading area or within 10 feet of the finished grade elevation of any multi-story building, while any single-story building would have to include a minimum of 3-foot masonry wainscoting from the finished grade elevation with approved material before EIFS is permitted.
To allow the Cambria Hotel to be built as planned, Schuette said the amendment would be going before the Plan Commission for consideration Feb. 5, before the village board could give the change final approval at its Feb. 26 meeting.
A site plan for the project must also be approved before it could proceed.