The Guam Hybrid Land Use Commission approved a Tumon resort project that had previously been opposed by neighbors.
The resort, with two towers accommodating 824 guest rooms and a CHamoru-themed water park, will be built on the site of the former Royal Palm hotel, which was destroyed in the 1993 earthquake.
A few years ago, developer Honhui (Hon-way )Guam had plans for the resort, but because of community feedback, the project never made it as far as the Hybrid Land Use Commission.
Project representative Dan Swavely explained that the early design had problems. The towers were too close to the beach, too tall and too dense. The water park was on the residential side of the resort rather than the business side. There was no accommodation for local traffic.
“Version 2.0 changed all that,” Swavely told the commission.
The towers were moved back an additional 75 feet from the beach. Instead of 37 and 31 stories, the height is now 32 and 31 stories. The density was reduced from 943 rooms to 824 rooms.
The water park was moved to a more appropriate location.
The developer has agreed to a traffic merge plan, and now, most neighbors support the project, Swavely said. The municipal council supports it as well.
The developer is also addressing the impact to local infrastructure, Swavely said.
The hotel design has 800 parking spots, but the developer has agreed to purchase an off-site parking area for employees and provide a 24/7 shuttle.
“That's a big deal,” Swavely said. “Plus, we hope that by implementing this precedent, we can encourage other hotels to start thinking about that technique.”
The hotel has also agreed to make other changes to upgrade water, wastewater and power systems.
“These are unprecedented improvements,” he said.
The developers are still working with one of the neighbors, the Cushing Zoo, to reduce the impact of construction noise and vibration, which was also a recommendation made by Land Management staff.
In addition to the tentative plan, the commission approved variances for height, density and setbacks.
