FORSYTH - A new Holiday Inn is not coming to Forsyth, but it might check in on Decatur's north end.

A majority of Forsyth village board members Tuesday said they're not interested in reviewing a new proposal to build a 120-room Holiday Inn at the corner of Weaver Road and U.S. 51, citing concerns over the height of the structure.

But the hotel developer has expressed an interest in building a similar Holiday Inn next to a Holiday Inn Express at 5170 Wingate Drive just off U.S. 51 in Decatur, said John Cardwell, a Decatur developer and broker for the Forsyth project.

The developer also owns the Holiday Inn Express.

"He wants to go in there and build this, but he needs a couple of variances," Cardwell said.

Cardwell said he's excited about developing the site at the corner of Weaver Road and U.S. 51 in Forsyth for retail, restaurant and office uses.

A pharmacy, a bank, several small restaurants, an office and a hair salon all are interested in the Forsyth site, Cardwell said.

Publicity created by talk of a Holiday Inn has increased interest in the site, Cardwell said.

"I've got out-of-town people calling me; I've got brokers calling me," Cardwell said. "I can't buy this kind of publicity. I've had people in from St. Louis and Chicago this week waiting for the verdict, saying, 'If (the hotel) didn't work, can you fit us in?' "

Cardwell said he's eager to work with the village to meet guidelines for height, parking and green space.

"We're going to try to make that corner the landmark they wanted to make it," Cardwell said.

Revised plans for a Holiday Inn would have dropped the height of the hotel from 75 feet to 57 feet, but that was still too tall for a majority of board members, Mayor Harold "Hap" Gilbert said.

Board members voted Tuesday whether they would consider a revised plan for a 57-foot hotel, if it was supported by the village's plan commission.

Marilyn Johnson and Larry Read said they would, but board members Bob Rasho, Don Van Lyssel and Jeff Allsup said they would not.

Board member Jeff Horve, whose father is developing a Homewood Suites hotel behind Hickory Point Mall, abstained.

The mayor votes only to break ties.

Gilbert backed the Holiday Inn project.

"I'm really at a loss to come up with words to adequately express the frustration," Gilbert said. "The developer came back with several meaningful changes, but because of the height of the building, they weren't really pursued."

Original plans called for a peaked roof with a cupola on top of it, Gilbert said.

"It was in the neighborhood of 75 feet," Gilbert said. "Recognizing that was well above the standard, they volunteered a flat roof of 57 feet."

The proposal was supported by the village's plan commission, Gilbert said.

"But last night, at least three members of the board made it perfectly clear: At that location, they would not accept a 57-foot-tall building," Gilbert said. "I'm not saying they wouldn't at some other location in town, but at that location, they would not."

Mike Frazier can be reached at mfrazier@herald-review.com or 421-7985.