New hotels, homes seek Orange OK

Orange could be getting nearly 200 new hotel rooms and up to 150 new homes.

Those were among the items on the agenda for Tuesday night's Planning and Zoning Commission to consider.

ISHA Investments LLC is seeking a rezoning request so that it may build two or more hotels and a restaurant south of the Pilot Travel Center on Texas Route 62.

The owner, who also owns the Quality Inn and Suites in Bridge City, has told the city he already has a commitment from Marriott to build a Marriott Townplace Suites on the Route 62 site and is negotiating to also build a Hilton Home Suites property on the 8.5-acre tract.

That location is south of the intersection of 62 and Interstate 10, on the opposite side of Route 62 from the proposed Medical Center.

The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended City Council approve the land's rezoning and Council passed an ordinance doing just that on first reading.

"This is just more of an example of the growth the City of Orange is experiencing and I think it'll be a great addition for the city," Orange Planning Director Kelvin Knauf said.

Also Tuesday night, the P&Z considered a plat for J. Breaux Enterprises LLC to build Orange Gardens subdivision on 14.5 acres just west of the intersection of Route 62 and FM 105.

P&Z recommended to deny the preliminary plat because it did not meet the requirements for a new subdivision, several of which have to do with the architectural drawing, others include lots being 50 feet wide instead of the required 60 feet.

It is not uncommon for preliminary plats to be rejected.

As proposed, Phase 1 of that subdivision would include 75 homes, with 75 more homes to be built in Phase 2.

The subdivision would mostly lie in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Orange while some is in the city limits. It all must be annexed into the city.

As proposed, it would initially contract with Orangefield Water Supply Corporation for water and sewer systems but would transition to City of Orange services when they are extended to that area.

The city currently has plans to bring water and sewer lines to the Chevron property at Texas 87 and 105, west of the Orange Gardens location – if Chevron Phillips Chemical decides to construct a plant on the land between the county airport and Chemical Row.

The Orange City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission held a joint meeting Tuesday night.

Among other business to be considered was an ordinance that would restrict recreational vehicle parks, as well as campgrounds, within city limits to property located on Highway 62.

Much of the growth plans are because of anticipated projects by Chevron Phillips Chemical and Entergy Texas that could bring as many as 17,000 temporary workers to the area. The workers, however, would not all be in the area at the same time.

Some of the workers will look to live close to the jobsites. Others will choose to commute.

"People have vacant lots in the heart of the city and want to put up an RV park. That's not allowed," Knauf said.

"We're also expecting someone will put up worker camps. We're trying to anticipate future growth."

Paperwork turned in to the city with the rezoning request by ISHA Investment LLC include a map of the property with as many as three hotel sites noted. Each could be as tall as five stories.

One of the sites is listed for 110 keys (rooms), the other two for 80 keys (rooms) each.

There is not one but two 8,750-square feet structures marked "Restaurant/Commercial."

Information included calls for "Total Planned Buildout" of 169,000 square feet.

The Orange Gardens development plat shows mostly lots of 50 feet by 120 feet, with notes estimating each home to be valued at $200,000.

Multiply that by 75 homes and the estimated tax base for Phase One is $15 million.