Dec. 4--D'IBERVILLE -- The Royal D'Iberville Casino isn't quite ready for Planning Commission review, but a Courtyard by Marriott has been approved.
Mark Seymour, developer of the Royal D'Iberville Casino, asked the commission to table his application for the fourth time. An application for a senior housing project was pulled off the agenda until next month, board chairman Paul Klobe said at last week's meeting.
The board did approve a conditional use for a five-story, 125-room Courtyard by Marriott on Cinema Drive, just east of the Grand Theater. The approval included permission to sell liquor at the limited-service hotel. Applicant Dwayne Rash said there is room in the area for a stand-alone restaurant so hotel guests will have a combination of restaurants, retail and theater in the vicinity.
Rash asked for a parking variance and said, "We do have enough parking spaces." The 157 spaces is 17 more than a one-to-one ratio, and he said both Hilton and Marriott corporations require only one parking space per room. The city previously gave a variance for Wingate Hotel and Rash said, "In 10 years of operation, we've had very little if any complaints."
