Madison's Urban Design Committee voted Wednesday to delay approval of plans for a hotel on West Washington Avenue until more design details were provided.
The Hyatt Place hotel, which will be located at 333 W. Washington Ave., has been seeking approval since July 2007.
The committee voted to again refer final approval to a later meeting, citing a lack of ground level details and concerns over the designs on the front of the hotel.
Committee member Jay Ferm said he wanted to approve the design but thought the design could be siginificantly better.""
""I have no interest in delaying this project,"" Ferm said, ""but I believe the project team can do a better job.,"" Ferm said. ""We're going to see this building [in Madison] for 50 years or more.""
Committee chair Lou Host-Jablonski said the project had come a long way since the initial designs but still need to present the committee with visuals of the hotel's front faà §ade and entry-way.
Meeting attendee and longtime Madison resident Rosemary Lee spoke in favor of the hotel. She said the Hyatt architects had followed many of the committee's previous suggestions and final approval of the design should not be delayed any longer.
""[Madison] needs this hotel. We're loosing business downtown and this is going to really help vitalize the economy downtown,"" she said.
Although the Hyatt design team did not receive final approval from the Design Committee, representatives will meet with the city's Plan Commission April 7 to create a development plan for the hotel.
