Proposed Paris Mountain Hotel Facing Opposition

(Artist’s rendering of proposed inn. Credit: Divine Group)

The proposed 153-room hotel on Paris Mountain was recently dealt a double blow — a member of U.S. Congress came out in opposition to the development, and the city of Travelers Rest Planning Commission voted overwhelmingly to deny an annexation and rezoning request critical to the project.

The Inn at Altamont would be a 150,000-square-foot Marriott- anded property on Paris Mountain that in addition to its guest rooms would also feature a ballroom, event lawn, bars and restaurants, a pool and spa, and a rooftop with a 360-degree view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, according to Divine Group, the project’s developer. The hotel’s anticipated opening would be in 2030.

But the development has met with resistance from the very beginning, largely from a group called Save Paris Mountain, whose members have voiced concerns over potential traffic and environmental impacts and packed local meetings related to the project. An online petition against the hotel has garnered over 13,000 signatures. And on Thursday, the development was hit with dual setbacks, beginning with U.S. Rep William Timmons (R-Greenville) voicing his opposition to the proposed hotel in an opinion piece.

“My family has proudly resided at the foot of this iconic landmark for over 60 years, and I never imagined that we would be facing a situation where the integrity of Paris Mountain could be compromised,” Timmons wrote in a column published The Post and Courier and available on his official website.

Also Thursday, the Travelers Rest Planning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend that the city deny Divine Group’s plans to have the property annexed and rezoned. The property is currently in Greenville County, with half of it zoned as an Environmental Sensitive District designed to thwart large-scale commercial development. Divine Group’s hopes are to have Travelers Rest annex the land and change the zoning, allowing the development to proceed.

The Inn at Altamont issue is scheduled to be given first reading by city council on May 15, according to the city of Travelers Rest.

“If the city were to approve this hotel development, we would open the floodgates to further urban encroachment on Paris Mountain, jeopardizing its natural beauty and environmental integrity,” Timmons wrote in his editorial. “We should not allow urban sprawl to tarnish the character of our region — Paris Mountain deserves better.”

Traffic and safety

Timmons decried the project for reasons related to traffic and safety, given that two-lane Altamont Road is the lone route up Paris Mountain. He also criticized the developers for trying to build on land considered environmentally sensitive. “Allowing commercial development in such an area is simply inappropriate and conflicts with the principles of good governance and responsible development we hold dear,” Timmons wrote.

For members of the group Save Paris Mountain, those are familiar critiques. “The annexation request isn’t just about a boutique inn — it’s about opening the door to more intense development,” said Jessica Elliott of Save Paris Mountain. “Once the city annexes this rural property, it sets a precedent. Developers will see that Paris Mountain is up for grabs, and one zoning change can become many. This would erode the protections that keep the mountain’s ecosystem, rural charm, and safety intact.”

Divine Group has tried to assuage those fears by making its traffic impact study, protected species report and jurisdictional waters assessment all publicly available. The traffic impact study, performed by Access Engineering, examined peak morning and evening traffic periods among four nearby intersections. The hotel would generate 69 vehicle trips in the morning period and 85 in the evening, and “access on Altamont Road should function with minimal delays,” the report read.

Elliott has her doubts. “The traffic study was limited in scope and didn’t reflect real-world conditions, especially during peak tourist seasons or in inclement weather,” she said. “Narrow, winding roads like Altamont and Old Buncombe weren’t built for commercial traffic, and adding hotel guests, service vehicles, and event traffic raises legitimate safety concerns that the study downplayed.”

The project’s protected species report, performed by S&ME, determined that there are no known bald eagle nests within one mile of the site, and that the development would have no effect on other threatened species such as the northern long-eared bat or bog turtle. The jurisdictional waters report, also performed by S&ME, identified two streams on the site totaling 325 linear feet, and found “no wetlands or aquatic features.”

‘Minimal experience’

But Timmons took aim at more than just matters of traffic and environmental sensitivity — he also questioned the qualifications of the developers themselves, Divine Group, whom he characterized as having “minimal experience” in such large-scale projects.

“Their budget for this project is 40 percent less than what was required to construct the Grand Bohemian Hotel in downtown Greenville, and their experience primarily consists of developing gas stations and laundromats, not complex hotels in challenging environmentally sensitive locations,” Timmons wrote. “Entrusting our beloved landscape to developers without significant experience in similar projects is irresponsible.”

Other projects undertaken by Divine Group include Ken’s Crossing, a 49-unit residential development in Duncan; Abner Creek, a 136-unit residential development in Greer; several VGo gas station locations; and the Outlet Pointe strip center in Columbia, according to the company’s website. Krut Patel, CEO of Divine Group, has not responded to several recent requests for comment on both the state of the hotel project overall and Timmons’ critiques in particular.

Patel did hold an in-person information session in Fe uary in which he met with many of the development’s critics. And he told Greenville Business Magazine prior to that event that the Inn at Altamont project is saving the property from a larger development — half of the tract is currently zoned for 800 multifamily units, he added, while parts of the 40-acre hotel development would be set aside for a park and conserved green space.

“When the property came to the market, we saw the disastrous impact someone could make on our cherished landscape,” Patel said at the time. “We decided to step in, acquire the land, and design a development that is more thoughtful for the natural space on site as well as the local economy.”

Elliott said Save Paris Mountain would continue its opposition to the program, mobilizing community members to attend city of Travelers Rest meetings on the development and contact city leaders directly. Thursday’s Travelers Rest Planning Commission meeting was packed opponents wearing red “Save Paris Mountain” shirts and speaking out against the development.

“Our ultimate goal is to stop the annexation and prevent commercial development on this protected stretch of Paris Mountain,” Elliott added. “We’re confident, because the community is unified and passionate. This isn’t just about one hotel — it’s about defending a way of life and protecting natural resources that once lost, can’t be reclaimed.”

- August Spencer contributed to this report.