Despite worries that Scarborough residents may lose access to the cliff walk around Prouts Neck, the town has approved a plan to renovate the historic hotel.

On Monday night, the Planning Board voted unanimously to allow BPI Partners to reduce the size of the inn and create 13 house lots on the surrounding land. Though some rooms will be removed, the owners said they plan on keeping the main areas, such as the bar, the sunroom, the covered porches, the living room and dining rooms as they are today.

The inn was built in 1878 and was named one of Maine’s historical hotels in 1998. BPI Partners, a group of investors that own property on Prouts Neck, bought the hotel last year with plans to continue running the inn.

“We believe that we have a vision for the land that will make the inn viable once again,” said Og Hunnewell, an owner who represented BPI Partners. Hunnewell also told the Board the owners would donate $10,000 to the town’s open space fund.

The Planning Board’s initial concern was that the project would block one access point to the cliff walk that is maintained by the Prouts Neck Association.

The cliff walk actually crosses over multiple areas of private property, and though it can be accessed from public areas such as Scarborough Beach, anyone who is not a guest of the inn or a member of the association is technically trespassing.

According to Chairwoman Susan Auglis, the board often asks developers to create or maintain easy access to public open space.

“But this is private open space,” said Auglis. “Nothing is changing. What now exists will continue to exist.”

“The public access was important on day one, and it’s important now,” said board member Michael Wood. “But we can’t ask an applicant to change something they have little control over. We can’t ask an applicant to allow people to trespass.”

In other news, a six building shopping center proposed for Route 1, just past Ward Road, was unanimously approved.

Though the anchor tenant for “Scarborough Village Square” has not been announced, it is expected to be a grocery store. Though large tractor trailers are prohibited after 10 p.m., some board members were concerned that near by residences would be disturbed by other late night deliveries.

According to Auglis, as long as the tenants and owners agree to continue working with the residents should problems arise, she doesn’t see any further need to restrict deliveries.

“This has always been a commercial area abutting a residential area,” said Auglis. “We didn’t change the zoning. It’s just been a very quiet commercial area.”