Design review board approves Hampton Inn's landscape plan

Hampton Inn Construction Supervisor and Project Manager Chet Patel gave an update on construction to the City Design Review Board meeting on Wednesday. The board also discussed signage for Simply Elegant Bridal and Formal Wear and the reuse of Centennial Park’s old benches and received several other items as information.

Patel presented the landscape design as well as the stucco and brick color choices for the board to review. The Hampton Inn will sit at the corner of Fourth Street and Carolina Avenue and contains a restaurant space that will be available for rent.

“We’ve added natural screen around the pool at the board’s suggestion,” Patel said. He noted that the security fence is still planned.

All curb work is complete, but no pavement has been poured. The roof will be a standard coated copper roof. All three of the stucco colors are earthy tones. The tumbled brick façade will run the first eight feet and in the columns that go up the building.

“We ran into some site issues, but we’ll be back on track in mid-January.” Patel said. He added that there were some surprises: concrete in the ground, old foundations and walls in the stormwater path that had to be removed and a small DHEC issue.

Construction won’t resume until after the holidays. Patel said he expects to be open in nine to 10 months.

The only bone of contention in the landscape plan was one long row of parking spaces that exceeded the city’s one-in-ten rule that requires one shade tree be placed to break up long rows of parking. A border of wax myrtles blocks the view of the parking from the adjacent Osteen’s property, but the board noted that wax myrtles are classified as ornamentals for the purposes of the one-in-ten rule. Board member Robert L. Goodson suggested that through the accumulation of other trees on the property the board should approve the plan.

The board unanimously approved the landscape plan and stucco and brick choices and requested that Patel return with Progress Energy to review the lighting plan as well as to return for signage and any decorative lighting.

Simply Elegant Bridal and Formal Wear, beside Ashcraft Studio on West Carolina Avenue, submitted its first proposed sign. The projecting sign would be two-sided.

The board didn’t have a problem with the color choice or design but suggested the sign be two-foot by three-foot. The ordinance allows signs in downtown to be up to 10 square feet.

“If you make it too small it might get lost,” Goodson said.

The board also requested a sample of the bracket with which the sign would be mounted. The board suggested something black, something wrought iron and something that would not swing in the wind.

Jesse Avant Smith, board member of the Hartsville Downtown Development Association, submitted photos of benches salvaged from Centennial Park and proposed reusing them downtown. The repairs were made using aged wood. She only has four refurbished benches but still has the cast iron ends for up to a total of 12 benches.

“I don’t think there’s any problem creating a place to sit down,” Goodson said. “These were expensive when we bought them for Centennial Park … they have been repaired in the past.”

Smith said she wanted to put one on each side across from Kimbrell’s Furniture and each side of the theater and Burry’s Bookstore.

“I’m going by where I see people sitting anyway,” Smith said.

The board approved the motion unanimously.

The board also received several items as information.

Hartsville Drug submitted color samples since it needs to repaint the trim around the awning, everything above it, the lettering and the emblem. The paint is the same color as it was originally painted, and none of the brick work would be touched.

Lee’s Café will freshen its paint on the side of the building facing the parking lot and Coker College as well as the back because it’s so faded. Hazel Sox submitted the color sample, also the same as the building originally was painted.

Executive Director of HDDA Judi Elvington noted one incomplete item: a public parking sign for the Sixth Street parking lot. She said she couldn’t determine a place to put the sign because the space is so small and there is a fire hydrant and a light pole nearby. She added that to place the sign a planter may have to be relocated.

The board has sent a letter requesting information on the Bank of America clock but has gotten no response yet.