Hotel/Motel Ordinance Sparks Awareness of the City’s Need to Address Housing Issues

HOTEL/MOTEL ORDINANCE ENFORCEMENT: Attorney Harold Buckley of Alston & Bird representing Extended Stay America reminded the council that , located in the city, is aware that it is operating as a legally non-conforming use. As such, Buckley said Extended Stay should not be subject to the 45 day hotel/motel stay restriction. He said the hotel was operating before the city adopted the Hotel/Motel Ordinance.

“If you look at the ordinance it does not stop (people from moving to a different hotel every 45 days) that from happening,” said Buckley, “all it does is take a group of people and turns them through different hotel facilities. You could argue that you are making the situation worse. Because you are taking a population that the city views as being transient and make them even more transient.”

Buckley said he spoke with Extended Stay’s corporate to come up with some additional assurances to increase the city’s comfort level. To alleviate school bus pick up, Buckley proposed partnering with the city in approaching Gwinnett County School system to make this request. He said the school system would take the request more seriously if it came from the city and Extended Stay.

Second action, in the hotel’s two room suites Extended Stay proposed changing the occupancy from five to four people. And the third action to address the city’s safety concerns would be increasing the number of days that a uniform off-duty officer is on-site from four to seven days a week.

“We need to have a level of compassion in our equation as well,” said Councilwoman Katie Hart Smith. “Many of these children are with single women or are in a family suffering hardships. The children are going through things that were put upon them. They are in families that cannot afford a mortgage payment and that are doing their best to avoid being homeless.”

When questioned by Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson about corporate guests at Extended Stay, Buckley agreed to provide business records that document corporate account visits. He stipulated that the length of stay would be redacted from these records to avoid weakening their position.

Councilwoman Marie Beiser said the city needs to come up with a program to help those in need, instead of just dumping them onto the streets. She proposed the council sitting down with the Housing Authority to determine what can be done.

Councilman Tony Powell said this issue will be put on the August 1st City Council meeting agenda to begin the discussion in a formal manner. He said the city has received requests to help fund the Hope Clinic that helps the indigent. Also proposed was taking a look at Family Promise, a program that houses families in different churches, with the possibility of changing the city’s codes to allow this type of emergency housing.  The codes would be looked at to permit emergency housing, extended housing and long term housing.   

“Let’s open up the doors and have a public discussion. I think that is a great thing to do,” said Powell.

Mayor Johnson will make the arrangements for a meeting that will include inviting the Housing Authority, apartment owners of Knollwood and Greenwood. Mr. Buckley will also attend.

REVISION OF SIGN ORDINANCE:  Due to revisions not being done, this item was postponed for discussion. Dennis Billow, Director of Planning and Zoning is working on language for A-Frame signage use. City Attorney Lee Thompson said after the Sign Ordinance has been revised it will go through the normal course for passage beginning with a 1st Read.

EMC (Electronic Message Center/Board) SPECIAL USE PERMITS APPLICATION: The application has been created and and reviewed by City Attorney Thompson. It was distributed to council for review. City Council needs to approve this application before it can be used.