Community Corner

Portland P&Z Commission Approves St. Clements Inn Plan

The St. Clements Foundation was granted a special permit modification by the Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday.

The Portland Planning and Zoning Commission gave the green light Thursday to the backers of a proposal to build an 80-room hotel on the property of St. Clements Castle.    

The commission approved a request to modify a special permit granted to the St. Clements Foundation years ago allowing for the group to begin its construction of a separate hotel structure at 1931 Portland-Cobalt Road, also a section of Route 66 near the town line with East Hampton.

The foundation had already possessed a permit to build the hotel, however it changed its plans from building an attached St. Clements structure to a standalone building.

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This approval means the foundation can now proceed with construction plans.

But the discussion surrounding the proposal wasn’t quick. The commissioners discussed the matter for roughly an hour with all of the involved parties.

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Two commissioners, Pedar A. Samuelson and Carl E. Fitzgibbons voiced many concerns with the plan, particularly with regard to the water pumps, terrain impacts and playhouse structure that was demolished some years ago. Samuelson said St. Clements had said it would rebuild the playhouse, although that has yet to happen.

Sal Sensak, a St. Clements official, said it would take at least two years before the plan was finalized on where the playhouse would be constructed because the foundation needed to look at its options under a master plan.


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