(4/6) The on-again, off again "hostel/inn/liquor store" - a twenty room hotel above a new liquor store next to the Dunkin’ Donuts in Silo Hill - proposed by Pradeep Saini, owner of Village Liquors - appears to be off again.

Back in June of 2022, Saini requested that the town code be changed to allow ‘Hostels’ within town limits. Hostels are defined as establishments that provide temporary (less than one year) lodging, for a specific group of people such as students, workers, or travelers. It is lower priced temporary accommodation that offers fully furnished basic rooms with linen service. Typically, a hostel may feature a large room with separate beds and a shared bathroom and kitchen. A commercial kitchen may also be located within the establishment to provide guest food services, Town Planner Zachary Gulden said.

At the time, Council President Tim O’Donnell raised concerns of students overtaking the building and turning it into a fraternity. Unlike hotels, guests in hostels don’t have their own rooms; instead they live in dorm-style, meaning that there is one bathroom on each floor, just like in a college dorm. The party vibes (and the drinking and drug taking that goes with it) of hostels is seen as another drawback to the plan. Additionally the fact that the proposed hostel would be built above a liquor store could be problematic, as it would make access to alcohol for parties much easier.

Unlike hotels, which are staffed 24 hours a day, hostels are not always staffed around the clock, so addressing drunk or noisy guests could challenge the quality of life for nearby Silo Hill Residents.

Saini told the Town Council at the June meeting that an employee would be available at the downstairs liquor store when it is open, and on call at other hours. However Saini was mum on how responsive the liquor store staff would be while customers were in the store or how long it would take to respond to noise complaints at night.

At its March 27th meeting however, the Planning Commission was notified that the plans for the building have been changed, again, and that it now will only be a single story building used for retail purposes (presumably a liquor store) and will not be built to accommodate ‘hotel/hostel’ operations.

The Planning Commission never did modify the town code to allow hostels in town as Saini withdrew his request last year following the concerns raised by the town council to the idea. Plans for the property have remained dormant since then.