INTRODUCING: THE NELSON

Written By Alison Marsal

We are Alison and Michael Marsal, members of the Millbrook community and owners of the Cottonwood Motel and its adjacent property on Fowler Road. Millbrook is where we have spent most of our lives, and Millbrook is where we are proud to be raising our two young boys, Maximus (4) and Liam (2).

We believe that there is a pressing need for respectfully planned hospitality – that empowers the local economy, and honors the existing landscape, character, and charm of our community. It is our mission to bring that vision to life here, on Fowler Road.

We have been thoughtful and intentional in our planning efforts; having briefly hit ‘pause’ back in 2021 to engage more fully with our community, as we collectively considered the appropriate applications of hospitality in our town. We are grateful to the town board and the CPRC, who have done an amazing job of drawing our focus to the most pressing questions at hand:

  • What forms of thoughtful hospitality solutions will truly satisfy the needs of our town (inclusive of its residents, visitors, and small business owners)? And

  • How do we support these efforts, both in code and practice, in such a way that does not leave the door wide open for inappropriately scaled and/or located developments that threaten the rural character, resources, and traditions that collectively make Millbrook, Millbrook?

We have participated in this conversation on hospitality as residents, heard your pleas and priorities as local business owners, and are proud to announce our intentions to move forward in our mission to breathe new life into the former Cottonwood Motel.

These Cottonwood properties are steeped in tradition, nostalgia, and utility, and we feel an obligation to honor this legacy, while simultaneously ushering it into a more contemporary expression of the tasteful, classic, and inviting hospitality experience.

As we embark on this new chapter, we find it fitting to do so under a fresh monicker – honoring the name of George Washington’s horse, Nelson. Legend has it that George Washington and his troops set up camp on this land during the Revolutionary War. By re-naming this hotel, The Nelson, we pay homage to Millbrook’s history and deep equestrian culture, while breathing stylish new life into the project.

We look forward to sharing more with you all as we continue to move forward in this process.

-Alison & Michael Marsal

 
Alison Marsal