An East End hotel has received approval in principle for its plans to build 78 additional rooms and a 30 berth marina.

The good news for Hamilton Parish's Grotto Bay Hotel came yesterday from the Development Applications Board.

Grotto Bay Properties Limited had applied for in principle approval to build the extra rooms, a marina, additional parking, conference facilities and to extend its main building.

The hotel originally applied for planning permission to build an extra 96 rooms but the National Trust voiced concerns over some very old olivewood trees on the site. Last night, Grotto Bay general manager J.P. Martens told The Royal Gazette that the number of rooms was changed because of these environmental concerns.

And he explained the hotel's reasoning behind why it wished to build a marina.

"Being so close to St. George's, we have had quite a few people anchor right here in the bay. This is not convenient for them to do when their friends and relatives are staying with us.

"We are trying to work out something for these visitors.'' He noted that the hotel's renovation project was already under way and a large portion of it had been concluded.

In May, the hotel opened with newly refurbished rooms, a new pool bar and extended deck covering the lunch area and a new hot tub. The hotel's exercise and games room were also moved nearer the beach. Now it was time to begin work on the exterior of the hotel buildings and to redesign and enlarge the hotel's main building so it could handle additional rooms.

Mr. Martens noted that the hotel wanted to know how many extra rooms it would get approval for before it made a final application to develop the main building. This way, he continued, it could build a main building that was appropriate for the size of the property.

He added that the earliest possible start date for the next stage of development would be in the winter of 1998.

The DAB said it approved the application, subject to three conditions.

Firstly, the Board reserved its final approval for all details relating to the design and external appearance of the buildings, the design and method of construction of the marina, landscaping of the site, parking and access to the road. It also asked Grotto Bay to provide details in its final application relating to the upgrading of its sewage treatment plant facilities, including the connection of the staff dormitory, and the on-shore facilities for marina patrons and the portable pump out system for boat sewage.

And the DAB called for a comprehensive survey of all existing mature specimen trees and vegetation located in the proposed parking areas identifying those which are to be retained, felled or relocated.

In its minutes, the DAB also advised that Grotto Bay should consider the traffic to be generated by the conference facilities and the marina when making its final application and also suggested that the piers forming the marina be made of concrete and be faced with wood.

In other planning news, Elbow Beach Hotel had its application to develop its Paget site on South Shore deferred.

The hotel's multi-million dollar master plan is to construct 66 additional suites, a conference centre, a tennis facility, parking, a sewage treatment centre, a new service road and a residential development area. The Board said it deferred the application to allow technical officers time to notify all persons concerned of additional information received.