The pink plastic flamingoes at the corner of Capital of Texas Highway and Bee Cave Road, which have become a local landmark, may become a thing of the past if a local developer has his way.

Rip Miller, developer of the nearby the Hospital at Westlake Medical Center, is eyeing the parcel currently owned and occupied by Pots and Plants Garden Center for a hotel.

Miller approached the West Lake Hills City Council last week to gauge interest in adding hotels as an approved use in certain zoning areas before he moved forward with negotiations for the parcel. Miller presented the concept for the project, a $25 million, approximately 70-room hotel and conference facility that would blend well his nearby medical center development.

The sale of the parcel, which is a little over an acre, is by no means a done deal, said owner Pat Swanson. He’s entertaining offers on the parcel, but there are no contracts on the table. Pots and Plants has been located there for 24 years, he said.

Miller told the council that he originally wanted the parcel for an expansion of the medical facility, but the recently passed federal healthcare legislation limits the expansion of certain medical facilities and that option was eliminated for Miller.

“We’ve always wanted to pull that corner into Westlake Medical, but we didn’t know how. We’ve been looking for the highest and best use for the property and a hotel seemed to make sense, given the lack of hotels in the area,” Miller said.

Aside from Barton Creek Resort and Spa, the nearest hotels are near Burger Center to the south and the Arboretum to the north. Most of his businesses visitors stay in downtown Austin, Miller said.

“In this economy, whatever we put there has to make a whole lot of sense,” Miller said, adding that he had considered putting a parking structure on the property for overflow from the medical center, “but, to me, that just didn’t make sense for the property.”

Some West Lake Hills City Council members didn’t seem to think the project made sense.

“I’m reluctant to support this. I don’t see the benefit,” Councilman Stan Graham said. “You’re talking 75 rooms and major traffic at that intersection.”

Councilman Spencer Stevens said he didn’t think the project fit the city’s master plan.

“It’s too high, too many rooms,” he said of the proposed 60-foot structure.

Councilmen Jean Goehring and Andrew Schwartz seemed lukewarm to the idea.

“I’d want to look at some things really hard,” Goehring said. “This is a gateway project,” he said, adding that certain hotel chains, like Executive Suites, would not be appropriate.

Miller said he has not locked in a potential operator for the hotel yet, but was merely testing the waters with council.

“I don’t have a first-glance problem with this,” Schwartz said, adding that he was concerned about height and traffic issues.

Mayor Dave Claunch had a more enthusiastic view of the project.

“I think this is an exciting project and it’s intriguing,” Claunch said.

If a hotel can’t move forward on the property, Miller said he’s not sure what could be done with it.

“The building footprint on that piece of property is going to preclude almost any type of development, given the setbacks,” said Miller, who has developed several successful commercial, retail and residential developments in the Austin area, including the Westlake Medical Center.

Miller said he would be willing to consider changing the size and scope of the project if it would bring reluctant council members on board.

“After developing in Westlake for 17 years, I’ve found it’s easier to develop with the will of the council,” he said. “We can possibly reduce the folks and see if a smaller facility would work.”

As for the flamingoes, they won’t be gone completely, Miller said. He plans to add bronze versions to the ponds that will be built in front of the hotel.