If all goes well for the owners of a Main Road, Southold property, the town may have a new hotel and restaurant complex in its future.
A Smithtown-based LLC purchased the property at 56655 Main Road in September, 2016 for $1.4 million and has submitted a proposal to Southold Town to construct “The Enclaves,” a 22-unit hotel with an outdoor pool and parking lot. They plan to convert the existing house into a 74 seat restaurant.
The property formerly housed The Hedges B&B and was, according to a 1997 New York Times article, built by a sea captain circa 1730 and used during the Revolutionary War as temporary housing for British officers.
The plan submitted for the 6.75 acre property states that the hotel, pool and parking area will be located at the rear of the property so as to minimize its visibility from Main Road. Lighting will be focused inward and designed consistent with the character of the community, the proposal said.
Although the restaurant is a permitted use in the hamlet business district where the site is located, the hotel is allowed only by special exception of the Zoning Board of Appeals. On Jan. 26, 56655 Main St. LLC of Smithtown filed for a special exception from the ZBA.
The proposed project has, according to a site plan submitted to the town in January, “been designed to enhance community character, preserve open space, make efficient use of infrastructure and minimize the potential adverse effects of development. ”
The allowable lot coverage is 40 percent; the proposed coverage is 15 percent and will preserve as many significant trees as possible. The plan also includes significant screen planting to protect the property from neighboring lots.
The ZBA has asked the planning board for comments, which they will discuss at this afternoon’s work session.
