SALISBURY — The Planning and Zoning Commission has approved a nine-month moratorium on new hotel applications in residential zones, temporarily halting new proposals while the town reviews its zoning regulations.
The moratorium, approved Oct. 5 and scheduled to take effect Nov. 2, follows controversy surrounding plans to redevelop the Wake Robin Inn property on Sharon Road.
The temporary restriction is intended to give the commission time to examine how hotels are regulated in residential areas and whether changes to existing zoning provisions are necessary.
The commission began considering the moratorium during its Sept. 21 meeting. Jeremy DeCarli, a land-use consultant working with the town, said the nine-month period would give commissioners time to reassess the language governing hotels in residential zones.
The review centers on a 2024 zoning amendment that allowed hotel development by special permit in the Rural Residential 1 zone, known as RR-1. That change provided the regulatory basis for New York City-based developer Aradev LLC’s proposal to expand the historic Wake Robin Inn in Lakeville.
The redevelopment calls for additional guest rooms, a restaurant, event space and other amenities. The proposal drew opposition from neighbors concerned about the scale of development and its potential impact on the surrounding residential area.
The newly approved moratorium will not affect the Wake Robin project, which already holds a valid development approval. The moratorium includes an exemption for existing hotel approvals that remain valid.
As of the commission’s September discussion, no hotel applications were pending.
