RUMFORD — The Planning Board has unanimously approved a site plan for the Best Western Plus Rumford Falls hotel at 50 Prospect Ave.

Tony Carter, president of Pennacook Falls Investments, said, “The project continues to move forward. We’re hoping to close on the land on Nov. 29. Financing and everything is, I wouldn’t say 100 percent, but 90 percent in place.”

Brian M. O’Donnell of Building Solutions of Oxford, who showed renderings of the hotel, said, “This is their (Best Western) smallest version.” It has 60 rooms, while most all the others are at least 30 or 40 percent larger, he said.

O’Donnell said that working with Best Western guidelines, they want to incorporate photos and history of Rumford in the interior common areas, the lobbies, the reception area, the business area and the breakfast area.

The Planning Board expressed concern about the flat roof.

Member James Thibodeau said, “One of the things that Rumford is remiss in doing years ago was coming up with a zoning plan. If you don’t have zoning, aesthetically speaking, we have no control over that building, and I’m OK with it. If we had zoning, we’d be whistling another tune. Apparently, you people are making a concerted effort to make this look presentable.”

Carter said, “Our goal is revitalization of downtown Rumford. We think, if you look at some of our previous renderings, you come down Falls Hill, we have made a difference with this building, as it is today.”

Thibodeau quipped, “All I can say, you could pitch a pup tent over there and it wouldn’t offend what’s there.”

Carter said, “We’re all local people and we know what the history of Rumford is, and we know exactly what we want to put there. That design is not 100 percent of what we would have liked, but we have to follow guidelines. We spent $50,000 just to fly their flag. And we got approval, based on these drawings.”

When the project was first presented in June, Carter estimated the cost of the hotel to be between $5 and $7 million. He estimated an opening by Columbus Day of 2017, “but everything has to go right.”

He said the hotel would create 25 to 35 permanent jobs.

Carter said they’re working with the Casalinova Development Group of Oxford and Building Solutions.

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