Hillsborough’s town board and planning board will hold a public hearing to discuss the rezoning application for the Colonial Inn property, which was purchased in January of this year.

The inn, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, has fallen into disrepair in recent years. The town began eminent domain proceedings on the property in 2016, but the town and ownership eventually agreed to a settlement dropping the proceedings and allowing the owner to find an interested purchaser.

Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens calls the hearing a “much-anticipated event”.

“The decision that the town board and the planning board members make can only be based on information that’s been presented at the public hearing,” says Stevens. “It also means that we’re not taking testimony, or lobbying or even really having conversations on the content of the application that the Colonial Inn folks would have outside of that public hearing.”

Stevens stresses that public input needs to be limited to factual information, and not opinion, and remains hopeful that the hearing will be successful.

“At a first pass, I certainly can’t say whether the town board is going to approve, disapprove or what kind of conditions, but I believe we’re all going into this seeing how we can make it happen,” says Stevens.

The rezoning request would allow the applicant to operate a “restaurant, bar, event, meeting, and hotel services at the site.” The applicant is asking for waivers on parking and other issues. The building will need to undergo significant renovations before it can be used.

A public hearing such as this is a standard procedure in the changing of hands of a property such as the Colonial Inn.

“We have to go through a due diligence process,” says Stevens. “Whether it’s lighting or parking or noise, what will be the impact on the neighborhood?”

The hearing will take place Thursday, July 19, at 7 p.m. in the Town Annex Board Meeting Room at 105 East Corbin Street.

Further information about the project is available here.

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