Falls Church Mayor Nader Baroukh, Vice Mayor Dave Snyder and Councilman Ira Kaylin were all on hand Tuesday night for the first meeting between the prospective new developers of a Hilton Garden Inn in the 700 block of W. Broad Street and neighbors to the site.
Tysons Corner-based developers Barry Gosnell and Rich Palmer ran into the same principal opponents to the project as when it was first approved by the F.C. City Council in the spring of 2008, repeating the same arguments including allegations of endangerment to students at the neighboring St. James School from pedophiles who could check into the hotel. While as a family men, themselves, they are sensitive to the concern, Gosnell and Palmer said, “That matter was resolved in 2008,” noting that the approvals from 2008 still apply and that new special exception and rezoning requests submitted this month to the City pertain only to changes in the proffers to the City and the addition of a three-story, 6,600 square foot office building feature facing onto Park Ave.
Among the most vocal opponents to the earlier Council approval of the Hilton who were present Tuesday were Pier-Alysia Maloy Coyne, Niger Yates and John Melnick.
