Beacon Free Press Features Roger Greenwald’s Work on Front Page
An architect turned developer is proposing to build a 10-room boutique hotel on Main Street in Beacon.
The four-story building would be constructed on an empty lot at 151 Main St, according to city Building Inspector Timothy Dexter. Roger Greenwald was expected to present the project to the Planning Board at its Tuesday meeting.
A boutique hotel is generally considered an intimate, non-chain hotel with a unique personality.
“The hotel will be small and, I hope and intend, personal,” Greenwald said via e-mail. “It will have a solarium and roof garden for guests with views of the mountains and the valley. It will be walkable to Dia (the modern art museum), the river paths and to the shops and restaurants of Main Street.”
Besides the 10 hotel rooms, the plan for the building calls for Greenwald to house his office on the second floor and a retail business, probably a sweet shop, on the ground floor.
Greenwald has already received the required variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals, according to the building inspector. Variances were needed for the height of the structure and also because Greenwald contended the hotel will require no extra parking spaces.
He said that as part of his marketing plan to bring tourist up from New York City, he will provide shuttle transportation to and from the train station.
“The rationale for this particular project was quite simple: the west side of Main Street lacks a hotel,” Greenwald said. “The city’s far-sighted vision of a dense green and walkable urban environment conduces to a small project with a quiet roof garden. The views from the roof garden will be breathtaking.”
“I came across this remarkable little site in this remarkable town while searching for an opportunity in the Hudson Valley within range of NYC,” Greenwald said. “Two of my three kids have decided to establish their careers in the arts in New York, and I’ve been coming here for 30 years to hike the trails in the region, so Beacon was a natural choice for me for semi-retirement. The natural beauty of the region is inspirational, as we all know.”
Current zoning allows for a maximum height of three stories at the proposed building site, although, Dexter pointed out, if the lot was 500 to 1,000 feet to the east, it would be in a zone that allowed four stories.
Dexter said there appeared to be “widespread support” for the project at a recent Zoning Board hearing. He said representatives of several local businesses, including Hudson Beach Glass and Dia:Beacon, spoke in favor of the hotel.
Besides expressing gratitude to city officials for their help, Greenwald said, “I’m also deeply grateful to the folks at Hudson Beach Glass, the Towne Crier and numerous other Main Street enterprises and citizens for their active support. I’m particularly grateful for the fine letter of support written by Susan Batton of Dia.”
If the Planning Board gives its OK, the next step for the project is to come before the City Council for the special use permit, since hotels are not a permitted use in that area of Main Street.
