Franchise hotel emerges from backstage efforts

Flagship to be named at Texas Twp. Planning meeting on October 18

By TOM KANE

INDIAN ORCHARD, PA — For the last two and one-half years, a group of Honesdale business people have been working quietly to bring a franchise, flagship hotel to the Honesdale area.

Back in 2003, efforts by Stephen Mackle, former owner of Tri-State Sports Center, prepared the ground for the foundation of a proposed hotel.

“Since then, this group has been working behind the scenes to make a hotel happen,” said Paul Sprague, Texas Township supervisor. “I have received word privately that this group of local business people will soon announce the name of the flagship franchise that will run the proposed hotel,” he said.

The hotel would be located on the hill next to Home Depot, across from the Route 6 Mall. The property is owned by the family that owns BGM Fasteners in Honesdale.

Sprague expects the group or its representative to appear before the Texas Township Planning Board at its next meeting on October 18 with more of its plans. He said that they were awaiting the confirmation by the franchise company.

Sprague would not identify the group or the developer.

“We’ll just have to wait and see what they have in mind,” Sprague said.

He was told by the developer that the hotel would have about 70 rooms, conference meeting rooms and a pool. “That’s all I know. A restaurant will be a part of the building, but that would be built later by another developer, not this one,” Sprague said.

He said the proposed site is zoned for a hotel and has access to municipal a water and sewer facility. The developers will need to apply for permits from the Texas Township Planning Board, Sprague said. “Then they must return to the township board to apply for final approval,” he said.

Some local business people who were contacted said this type of hotel is very much needed.

“When we have business people from out of the area visit the bank for a meeting, they have to stay in Scranton since we don’t have a franchise hotel where their companies want them to stay,” said Honesdale National Bank Vice President Mark Graziadio.

But it’s not just banks that want to see the hotel come.

Like other Honesdale business people, Graziadio is happy about the plans since a hotel would encourage economic development in the area.

“When visitors come here, there are no accommodations,” said Tom Fasshauer, owner of Arts for Him, a men’s store on Main Street in Honesdale. “This hotel will certainly fill a big need in the area and that’s going to help business.”

Fasshauer, however, questioned whether the 70 rooms planned would be hard to fill.

“In the summer there will be no problem filling so many rooms, but during the winter, it may be another matter,” he said. “I guess the investors have reasons to believe that this size hotel can succeed here; otherwise they wouldn’t be putting in so much money.”

On the issue of local traffic, Sprague said that local roads can bear the increase in automobiles visiting the site, which also has a Wal-Mart store on the next hill. Right now, the intersection handles about 1,800 cars a day, as many as pass at a single point on Route 84, he said.

“Home Depot is computerizing the traffic lists so that traffic will move smoothly,” Sprague said. “There’s a strong chance that PennDOT will widen Route 6 to four lanes each way at the intersection.”

Concerning the failed attempt by Mackle to finish the first hotel, Mackle said, “I lay the blame for that squarely on the Wayne County Conservation District that had so many regulations and objections that I got tired of the project.”

Dave Mitchell of the Conservation District would not comment on Mackle’s charge.