TRAVELERS REST — The proposal to build a luxury hotel on a ridge at Paris Mountain appears to have unraveled after losing a crucial committee vote.
The city's Planning and Development Committee voted 4-1 against advancing The Divine Group's annexation and rezoning request and accompanying development agreement for a 40-acre property on Altamont Road to the full City Council.
Committee members cited concerns, among others, that the Inn at Altamont would change the character of the lush mountain, which sits just between Greenville and Travelers Rest.
The Divine Group said in a statement after the May 5 meeting it was disappointed with the committee's decision, but it doubled down on a commitment to build on the site.
CEO Krut Patel previously said the group would consider building apartments — which is allowed under the existing zoning — if the hotel proposal were to be rejected.
"We remain fully committed to developing our property and look forward to detailing our next steps soon," the statement said.
The committee's decision came after months of fierce backlash to the project, with conservatives against growth, environmental advocates and Altamont Road residents blasting the project.
Opponents have expressed fears that annexation would set a precedent that would allow future developers to evade the county’s environmentally sensitive zoning designation that covers properties along Altamont Road.
For more than an hour, committee members and the other council members — who are all present for the committee meetings, even if they’re not voting — asked Patel and the city administrator questions about the proposal and offered their perspectives.
The Divine Group sought to build a 150-room hotel, restaurant, rooftop bar, ballroom, event lawn and spa to be built on Altamont Road. Half of the 40-acre property would be donated to the city as a public park, and trails, restrooms, a driveway and parking would be built there, all funded by the hotel guests.
Under the existing zoning for the site, a hotel isn’t allowed on that property.
The Divine Group requested the property be annexed and rezoned as a flexible review district in Travelers Rest, which city administration said allows for more control over development on the property. A design review board of architectural experts would have weighed in on the appearance and materials of the hotel, according to the development proposal.
Patel pitched the project as an economic development opportunity that would boost the tax revenue for Travelers Rest. Opponents have raised concerns over the feasibility of sewer and water access, fire risk, and traffic safety on Altamont Road.
During the committee meeting, some council members gave qualified perspectives of the project, saying they supported certain aspects of it and what they saw as the developer’s willingness to make changes, but maintaining that they had serious concerns in other areas.
“This decision is not simple,” City Council member Shaniece Criss said. “It involves tradeoffs, long-term impact and our vision for the future,"
The committee members who voted against advancing the measure were Kelly Byers, Criss, Sherry Marrah and Brantly Vest. Grant Bumgarner voted in favor.
Vest praised the development proposal that had been brought to council. But he said he struggled to see how the proposal matched the current uses of the surrounding land, which is a hilly, forested ridge that leads up to the “Furman Face” of Paris Mountain.
Byers said she believed there were compelling pieces to the project.
“We are all on the same team,” Byers said. “We all want a safe, vibrant community to live in and to call home.”
But she said the community had valid concerns with the condition of Altamont Road, which is a narrow and windy two-lane street. She urged the opponents of the project who were present to talk with their state and county representatives to address those concerns.
“I hope you all continue talking to your neighbors and engaging with one another, and that you all get home and put your land in conservation easements,” Byers said.
Bumgarner, who was the sole vote in favor of the measure, said the existing environmentally sensitive zoning that covers half the site doesn’t address the ecosystem — it simply caps residential density along Altamont Road, he said.
“Annexation does nothing to increase the salary of any council person or boost the mayor’s wage,” Bumgarner said. “Annexation is a way for a city to grow its tax base.”
Those benefits were also referenced by Criss, who said the hotel would generate economic activity, create jobs, and attract more visitors to the city.
While she said she supports a hotel of similar scale coming to Travelers Rest, she did not support building the hotel at the mountain.
She referenced the repeated concerns over traffic safety, stormwater runoff, potential for erosion, and light and noise pollution that “could change the mountain’s character.”
She urged people to ask bigger questions.
“Should we stop building on Paris Mountain altogether, including residential?” Criss said, later asking, “Could our neighbors, nonprofits and public partners come together to purchase more land on Paris Mountain for permanent green space and public use?”
The committee’s decision came less than two weeks after the city’s Planning Commission voted 5-1 against recommending the annexation and rezoning be approved by City Council.
During the commission meeting, Patel said they had worked on the site for two years and first considered building apartments.
A market study, however, revealed that such a development wouldn’t be the most profitable and efficient use for the site and could strain emergency responder capabilities, he said. A hotel, on the other hand, would have a positive economic impact and have little effect on first responders.
After the committee meeting, The Divine Group said in a statement that it was proud of the vision it had put forward.
“This project followed the harder path — pursuing annexation and public engagement — because we believed it represented the highest and best use of our property: one that would preserve green space, protect viewsheds, create jobs, and deliver lasting value to the community,” the statement said. “That path has now closed. But our work continues.”