YOUNGSTOWN Terrace Motel faces possible closure

The issue will go to court Nov. 14.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Police say the Terrace Motel on Market Street went far beyond the usual motel offerings of toothpaste, mouthwash and shaving cream -- adding crack cocaine to the list of offered amenities.
Now officials are hoping to close the motel permanently by way of a court order. Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains has filed a complaint in common pleas court asking that the business be declared a nuisance.
The complaint asks, among other things, that the premises be padlocked and boarded up against use for any purpose for a period of one year from the date of the issuance of the injunction.
According to the complaint, township police officers and firefighters have been called to the business 45 times since January. Calls for service have included complaints of theft, fights, domestic violence, armed robbery and drug investigations.
The complaint says police made at least eight undercover drug buys at the motel during July and August.
In September officers raided the motel and arrested five people staying at the motel and the motel manager on a list of charges, including drug trafficking. The complaint says three controlled drug buys were made from the motel manager. Suspected drugs and drug paraphernalia were also found during the raid, which was the result of a three-month investigation.
In March township police, acting on a warrant, arrested a Cuyahoga Falls woman and a Warren man on charges of drug abuse and possession of drug paraphernalia and drug abuse instruments.
Home rule violations
Drugs are not the only problem officials have with the business. Township zoning officials listed several home rule violations at the business. The county building inspector listed several violations, and the township fire department reported code violations.
The violations included unsanitary mattresses, needed roof and ceiling repair, unsealed openings with air/heating units, and general junk and debris stored in the basement.
In 2000, fire inspectors said several fire violations were found at the motel. Inspectors said most of the violations were for inoperable smoke detectors and wiring concerns. The motel had similar violations in 1999.
The motel remains open for business.
Chris Rupert, the new motel manager, said he and his wife have been managing the facility for about three weeks and are hoping to erase the bad image of the motel, making it an asset to the community. He said they are in the process of correcting the code violations.
Closure goal
Patterson said even though the motel is open, officers routinely monitoring the business have seen very few cars parked in the lot. He said no action will be taken until the matter goes before the court Nov. 14, but the township, he said, definitely wants the business closed.
"As part of our Street Crimes Initiative, we identified the Terrace as a nuisance location," he said. "A lot of calls for service come from there, and the building is in deplorable condition."
Patterson would not say if the township would be willing to allow the business to continue operation if the problems were corrected. He did say that it cannot continue to operate the way it has in the past and that it is doubtful that any owner can turn it around.
jgoodwin@vindy.com