A hotel that has yet to be built continues to haunt discussions about waterfront development in Astoria .

On Monday night, city councilors heard a a slew of amendments to the Riverfront Vision Plan, rules and standards that lay out how development occurs along the river. Most of the changes are relatively minor — housekeeping measures, city planners said — intended to clarify and update what the city requires.

The City Council will consider amendments to standards for building size and height at a future meeting. The Planning Commission is still discussing a variety of new limits on building height and size in the Bridge Vista section, which runs from Portway Street to Second Street.

A four-story Marriott-brand hotel — the Fairfield Inn and Suites — at the base of Second Street was the first test of the Riverfront Vision Plan’s codes for Bridge Vista.

During public hearings on the hotel, the city identified gaps or confusion in the codes. The developer, Hollander Hospitality, also asked for direction and clarification from the city. The project weathered multiple denials by city boards and was appealed to the City Council, where it was approved last year.

“The City Council approved the appeals but noted that portions of the code were not clear on what was intended for various design aspects,” Rosemary Johnson, a city planning consultant, noted in a memo to the City Council.

On Monday, City Councilor Joan Herman still had concerns and wanted to clarify how developers used adjacent properties to justify certain design characteristics in new construction. The Fairfield Inn developer used the Astoria Warehousing building, a collection of large and low buildings to the west, as part of their justification for the hotel’s size, Herman said.

City staff clarified this requirement in the code changes, Johnson replied. Developers must look to all buildings visible within three blocks and cannot zero in on only one building.

Concerns about the size of the hotel — planned at the former Ship Inn restaurant — as well as its initial boxy design stalled the project early on and ignited vocal protests from some in the community.

Despite winning the appeal in December, Hollander Hospitality has yet to build the new hotel. City staff say the developer has not submitted any permits to begin construction and the property remains vacant.

Representatives of Hollander Hospitality could not be reached for comment on when hotel construction will begin. Nor was information available about the developer’s long-term plans for adjacent property, also owned by Hollander, that includes the former Stephanie’s Cabin restaurant.

Meanwhile, an old complaint has resurfaced.

Sarah Jane Bardy, who serves on the Design Review Committee and voted against the hotel, and others in the community criticized Hollander last year for not taking care of the properties and allowing tall weeds to grow. The complaints prompted City Manager Brett Estes to contact the developer about the unkempt landscaping.

The developer addressed the grounds, but weeds and grasses are once again flourishing around The Ship Inn and Stephanie’s Cabin.

“Too bad that somebody has to be reminded, but I think it makes a statement on our community, particularly in our busy season,” Herman said.