Attorney Ross Weiss represented Oliver, Tyrone, Pulver for the Marriot Hotel and Office building subdivision plan at a special meeting of the Coatesville City Council on Monday, August 30, The Coatesville City Council unanimously passed the subdivision plan and traffic light plan. Mr. Marking was the only City Councilperson absent.
Parts of the meeting are transcribed below. The entire recording is at the bottom of this post:
The subdivision plan is to separate the two structures into separate lots. Investors have noted that they may not want to invest in both the hotel and office buildings. One investor group may only want to invest in hotel and another in just the office buildings. That is the reason for the subdivision.
Mr. Eggleston, “Where does the Marriott stand on this?
Mr. Weiss, “The Marriot is in this project, they participate in our group work sessions that we have on a weekly basis. We’ll be on the phone at one o’clock tomorrow and the Marriott is in the deal.”
Mr. Eggleston, “On a scale of one to ten, ten being the greatest; what would you say the chances are that the Marriott may decide they want to back out of this deal?”
Mr. Don Pulver, “About zero, we have a franchise agreement with them. They won’t be backing out."
Mr. Eggleston, “Zero is good!”…
There was a discussion involving the location of the easement to open space land that the City intends to use as recreational space. The open space is across the West Branch of the Brandywine and a bridge would be needed for access. Coatesville City Council President Ed Simpson had questions concerning the location of the easement across the property into the open space land. Mr. Simpson believes that the bridge as presented would be more costly to the City than the original location.
Mr. Weiss, “In the land development approval from April of this year, there’s a condition… on the second page that says that Don, the developer will grant a fifty foot wide access easement. And that access easement is on the plan. And when the plan was approved there was a condition that we had to enter into a written easement document. We’ve submitted the document and John (Carnes) has raised some issues as has Ted (Reed) as to what is now on paper. And we all have heard the expression, ‘the devils in the details’. Well now we’re up to the details part.
We submitted a document and John and Ted have commented on it. They’ve raised some issues which I think are valid. But again, nothing we can’t work out. So we have to resolve that easement problem. But you will have a fifty foot wide easement at a certain location and I know that as important as that easement is for you to be able to get access to the Brandywine Creek; If and when you are able to build the bridge over the creek to get to the open space and the wetland on the other side. You’re also going to want to see the rest of the property developed. So that was the reason for there being language in that condition that it could be relocated.”
Mr. Simpson, “My concern is where you are proposing it now, it’s very cost prohibitive to build a bridge where you guys have it now. The further north you go it’s a little bit easier.”
Mr. Ross, “But the further north you go it interferes with building more buildings… I’m trying to focus on getting something built and that’s the hotel but from Don’s perspective a developer and his vision, which he has implemented so many times. He knows what he can see happening there going forward so that we have to have a balance. I believe we can work out the language so that you’ll be comfortable so that you will have access.
Mr. Simpson, “Granted, we might have access but is it cost prohibitive for us to build a bridge where we have access. My biggest concern is where the access is right now, the difference in the grades from one side to the other is significant.”
Mr. Ross, “But I’m sure you would recognize the importance of getting the hotel and not jeopardizing it. Because one thing that’s important to the hotel and the office building investors; the value of their property is not determined by just what they build on their property but also what’s built on the rest of the property.
What Don’s worried about is that he doesn’t create a problem with the investors and the ultimate occupants of those buildings because we didn’t think several steps ahead. You’re thinking several steps ahead with access to the creek. We’re taking several steps ahead with how to develop the balance of the property.
But Don has made that easement available, it hasn’t been compensated in any way and again I can’t see that we won’t be able to work this out. But we agreed in April where that easement would be and there’s language that you and Don agreed to as how it could be relocated and we have to get that language into that easement agreement. I don’t want to make excuses but the person who wrote the easement agreement who works with us was not as aware of what we agreed to in the resolution. So we have to have to go back and fix it"…
Mr. Eggleston, “How soon can we make them aware and get that fixed?”
Mr. Weiss, “We’re going to meet with John tomorrow…We’re doing the best we can to get this hotel and office building built when nothing is being built anywhere. Coatesville is going to have a hotel. We just have to try to do everything we can to make it happen.”
Mr. Eggleston, “You said nothing is being built anywhere. I’m sure you’re referring to this general area, right?”
Mr. Weiss, “I’m a municipal solicitor just like John (Carnes) and I represent townships. I represent a couple of townships in Montgomery County. And I looked in my little book where I keep all my matters listed. And three years ago I had twenty and two years ago I had fifteen and this year I have one project. One project and I’m in August and there’s only one project in the whole municipality! I’m doing two projects here for you; the Walgreen’s which is, it’s going to be in the ground in December and this project.
People say to me what are you going to Coatesville for? Because Coatesville getting things done. Something is happening. Unlike some of these municipalities that I work in, nothing’s happening, nothing.”
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