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The Sunnyside City Council revoked the Townhouse Motel’s business license Monday due to living conditions and safety concerns.
City staff recommended that the permit be revoked. At its meeting earlier this month, the council Reviewed code violations and substandard classroom conditions found in 2019. A follow-up inspection on September 16 found improvements, with some work to do. The council also considered public comments from local business owners who said motel residents were involved in criminal activity, including theft and drug dealing.
The hotel’s owners, Helen and Fred Kim, said they would be closing by the end of the month by renovating rooms, beefing up security and evicting some longtime tenants.
Their long-term goal is to be more family-friendly and reduce police calls, he said.
The Sunnyside City Council voted 5-2 to revoke the Townhouse Motel’s business license. Mayor Dean Broersma, Vice Mayor Jim Restucci and council members Martin Biller, Vicki Ripley and Mike Farmer voted to revoke the business license. Council members Julia Hart and Craig Hicks opposed the repeal.
The members of the council They expressed concern about the condition of the rooms when they were first inspected in 2019. Broersma praised the business owners for their work in renovating the units, but questioned why they were damaged in the first place.
“The fact that it took the city to come in and say it needs to be fixed concerns me,” Broersma said of the mold problems in the 2019 inspection. “This is an unhealthy living environment.”
The owners said they can reapply for a license after making changes.
The inspection of the city on September 16 In 2019, he pointed out that non-standard units are now doing well, but recently released units have been hit hard. City staff cited several issues with the visitation area under the Townhouse Motel, which they said could be resolved shortly.
Hicks urged the City Council to keep their business license while the Kims implement changes.
“Here’s a story that needs to be broken,” Hicks said.
Broersma was also concerned about the alleged drug sales at the hotel. noAt the first hearing about the business license revocation on Sept. 12, Sunnyside Police Chief Al Escalera said “serious criminal activity” had occurred at the motel.
Criminal activity by some members of the community is a big issue in Sunnyside, so it’s an issue that deserves attention.
“It happens to be a very popular part of town for people who do those[criminal activities],” Fred Kim said. “That’s the problem we have right now in Sunnyside itself.”
At a preliminary hearing on the Townhouse Motel’s business license on Sept. 12, Fred Kim said criminals were more responsible for the crime than the people living in the motel. Helen Kim said they were installing fences to increase security and stop trespassing.
“We tried our best. We can’t just sit there and let it happen. We will fight for it,” said Helen Kim. “I try my best to follow the rules.”
Elizabeth Gates, a Sunnyside resident and mother of a motel resident, said she was disappointed with the council. She said Sunnyside is facing a housing and crime crisis and revoking the Townhouse Motel’s business license is not the answer.
“The city doesn’t have enough low-income housing,” Gates said. “My daughter is mentally ill, not a trouble maker. We couldn’t find anywhere else in Sunnyside and tried for years.
In his closing remarks, Broersma said he didn’t take the cancellation lightly and said the Kims could reapply for a business license if they make repairs in the near future and prove tenants aren’t violating the law.
“This is not forever. It’s not like we’re trying to run you out of town on a train,” Broersma said. “We’re not doing this to be mean. This is painful for us. We don’t want to see someone lose their livelihood.”
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