July 21–PALMER TOWNSHIP — A four-story hotel could be coming to the Chrin Commerce Centre.

The hotel would be the first non-distribution center or office space development in the area.

The Palmer Township Zoning Board is scheduled to meet Aug 2. to hear a bid for a zoning request to allow the building's height to exceed 2.5 stories or 35 feet.

The owner, Charles Chrin Real Estate Trust, is also seeking to extend the setback from the right-of-way beyond the allowed 15 feet maximum.

The hotel would be built at the intersection of Main Street and Trolley Line Drive and is part of a project on more than 13 acres that also calls for a bank, retail space and medical office building.

He said the hotel is the only part of the project that required a zoning hearing, and all four buildings would go to the southwest of the intersection. An engineer working on the project spoke about the plans at a board meeting in April.

Colver said the such development was always envisioned with the opening of the Route 33 interchange with distribution centers kicking off the growth. He expects the full project to go before the board of supervisors in the fall.

"You can't go in and put in a hotel, convenience store, dry cleaners and bank when there's all cornfields around it, there's nobody there to use it," he said. "As everybody quickly learned they build from the outside in."

The Chrin Commerce Centre encompasses about 800 acres around the interchange. A representative from the Centre did not respond to a request for comment.

Township zoning officer Jim Raudenbush said this is the first new hotel development he's seen in the township in his 14 years.