Visitors wanting to spend some extra time in New Haven may soon have a new temporary place to call home. At a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting held at 200 Orange St. Tuesday night, Courtyard Marriott owner Douglas Cohen of Newport Hotel Group, along with members of his design team and attorney James Perito, presented a plan to build a six-story residence inn adjacent to the hotel’s current 30 Whalley Ave. location. Perito asked the board for permission for a floor-to-area ratio (FAR) increase from 2.0 to 2.4, meaning his team could build 20 percent more building than normally allowed on the space. He also requested a special exception to allow 216 parking spaces for both the hotel and residence inn, where 267 spaces are typically required. Of those spaces, 85 are off-site valet spots at 67 Whalley Ave. where a Midas Muffler shop used to be. The hotel would provide shuttle services to this area. The board voted to send the request to the City Plan Commission for review. Perito said Yale University has praised Courtyard Marriott for wanting to further benefit the city and nearby businesses. Click here to view entire article.