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Victory Lane gets P&Z approval
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
A new hotel with a racetrack to go along with it is one step away from being a reality in Southlake.
Thursday, the Southlake Planning and Zoning Commission voted, 5-0, to recommend a zoning change and a site plan for Victory Lane, a 15.5-acre project set to be located at the northwest intersection of State Highway 114 and Kimball Avenue.
Jeff Medici of C.H.O.C., LLC presented to the commission plans for the project, which will feature three main components: a hotel, a ballroom/conference center and an indoor electric kart racing track.
Medici said the primary customer will be the corporate traveler, though he said the restaurant will be used by the traveler and local residents who want a nice evening out for dinner.
Hours of operation for the bar service/private functions would be 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays. The live music concludes at midnight, and the outdoor speakers are turned off at 2 a.m.
“This is primarily for our larger functions, such as weddings, where people want to keep the party going until a little later,” Medici said.
The ballroom is expected to include a 23,000-square-foot conference center, a formal reception area, an exhibition area, three boardrooms, three divisible team rooms and a business center.
The 48,000-square-foot track area is proposed to include two indoor multi-level racetracks for electric karts, though they may be combined into one track for special events.
It would also feature two team-building rooms with a garage for team-building exercises, a pit crew challenge and a function area for parties and events.
The project also calls for a 10,000-square-foot restaurant on the property. Though the tenant hasn’t been determined, Medici said it would be a high-end restaurant.
Medici said there were several reasons why Southlake was chosen for this project, such as proximity to the airport and Texas Motor Speedway. He said the facility would appeal to the Southlake demographic. And he said the city is in need of a hotel.
“At the end of the day, there really isn’t a lot of space available for events like weddings and meetings,” Medici said.
Commissioners agreed that this project will benefit the city.
“I think it would be an asset to the city,” said Commissioner Laird Fairchild. “We have the Hilton Hotel that is the second-most profitable hotel in the Hilton chain. And that speaks volumes for the potential demand for rooms here. There are several nights a year where you can’t get into that hotel.”
Commissioners were also excited that the project is expected to revitalize the corner of SH 114 and Kimball, which many described as an eyesore where a vacant industrial building had sat at the location for years.
Fairchild and other commissioners were concerned, however, with the western elevation of the hotel and the view of the plain-looking back of the buildings drivers will see as they enter the city.
Medici said his team will prepare an alternative set of plans to address that concern. Having balconies on the back of the building was discussed.
Resident John Reynal, who owns a duplex that borders the north side of the project, was concerned about how the elevation of the hotel would allow guests to see into the duplexes.
Medici said a thick buffer of trees should remedy those concerns.
Reynal also opposed the project of the possible noise coming from the hotel, fearing duplex residents would hear it at night.
“I can tell you that where I live, I back up to commercial,” Reynal said. “When they’re there, I’m not, and when I’m there, they’re not. It’s a great deal. But this isn’t a great deal for me, and it’s not a great deal for Southlake.”
Medici said the proposed site is the best place for the hotel.
“We pushed the hotel as far up as we could,” Medici said, adding that all of the surrounding commercial owners support the project. “It’s adjacent to the commercial areas. And we did that for a reason. We didn’t want it next to the rental properties.”
He added that the city has noise ordinances in place that the hotel will have to adhere to.
Reynal wasn’t convinced.
“If [Medici] doesn’t [resolve the issues], and if we have problems, at what point can I keep renting my place,” Reynal said. “Nobody is going to want to rent a place that’s backed up to a bar.”?
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