June 05--DELAWARE, Ohio -- The courts might decide whether Lewis Center will become home to a "romantic boutique" hotel.

John Kranjec, the developer of Belamere Suites, a for-lovers-only hotel in northwestern Ohio, is suing the company that owns the proposed site off Gooding Boulevard for the right to buy the land.

Kranjec and property owner North Orange Development signed a contract on the property in September, and Kranjec began filing plans for a Lewis Center hotel with the Orange Township zoning department.

On May 3, after a public uproar over the proposed hotel, North Orange Development sent Kranjec a letter saying that the deal was off.

George Bennett, a lawyer representing North Orange Development, said Kranjec had taken too long to close on the sale, and said that North Orange was no longer certain that a Belamere hotel was a good fit for the property.

"We clearly feel like we had the right to do what we did," Bennett said yesterday. "We made our decision based on what we felt was appropriate both under the terms of the contract and in terms of the overall development of the project."

Kranjec signed several extensions with North Orange Development, according to his lawsuit, including one that could have pushed the closing date into late June.Kranjec could not be reached yesterday; his lawyer did not return a request for comment.

Belamere's plans for Lewis Center include 24 hotel rooms just to the north of North Orange Park and the community swimming pool and near two day-care centers. Orange Township residents protested the hotel, saying it puts risque adult behavior too close to areas where families bring children to play.

Belamere Suites' hotel in Perrysburg, near Toledo, is marketed toward couples looking for a romantic getaway, where they can retreat to rooms with showers for two and romantic massages.

Orange Township has not approved zoning changes for the new hotel. Tom Farahay, the township's zoning inspector, told township officials on Monday that the township has stopped its review of Belamere's plans because North Orange ended the contract with Kranjec.

"Their plan has not been approved, nor has it been denied," Farahay said. "The review has simply been stopped."

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