Hotel restaurants may face 100% housing mitigation in Jackson

Hotel restaurants, bars, spas and salons would have to mitigate 100% of the workforce housing demand they create if town planners turn the Planning Commission's direction into the next Land Development Regulation proposal. The Aug. 19 packet says a majority supported full mitigation for those hotel amenities regardless of whom they serve, but would exclude small breakfast or grab-and-go services treated as ancillary to the hotel Aug. 19 packet.

The housing test is whether the use needs workers, not whether the hotel says the public can enter. Staff's earlier workshop materials said stand-alone restaurants and spas already require parking and housing mitigation, while hotels are currently mitigated only by rooms, even though guest amenities still require employees Aug. 5 workshop packet. The full text amendment is scheduled to come back Sept. 2, so housing advocates should watch whether the draft keeps the 100% standard or carves out more hotel space than the Commission intended.