The Berkshire Eagle reports now that the soon-to-be-open Tourists hotel on State Road has amassed more than 50 acres along the Hoosic River, its developers are asking the city to zone the area commercially.

With much of the area currently zoned as residential, the owners of Tourists are asking that the existing commercial (CC-1) zone be expanded to encompass a large swath of their properties.

The petition was referred this week to the city's Planning Board by the City Council for a joint public hearing.

Since purchasing the former Redwood Motel in 2015, the project has expanded from a simple motel renovation to a 48-room boutique hotel. Simultaneously, its footprint has expanded to include an adjacent former farmhouse, the city's former sewage treatment plant property, the Blackinton Mill and more.

The developers and investors own property along the Hoosic River and surrounding neighborhood under a variety of limited liability companies, including The Beyond Place LLC, Blackinton Backwoods LLC, Blackinton Mill LLC and 1288 Mass Ave LLC.

The flagship properties of the developers are the former Redwood Motel, now Tourists, on State Road and the Blackinton Mill on Massachusetts Avenue.

Much of the land in question is a residential (R-2) zone, limiting its potential use.

Councilor Eric Buddington noted that the proposal includes parcels beyond the footprint of the hotel and that the petition did not indicate why the developers are seeking the zoning change.

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