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Boardman motel hears complaints, plans renovations
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Wagon Wheel Motel
BOARDMAN
A motel on Market Street is getting a makeover after frustrated residents and township officials mobilized.
The Wagon Wheel Motel, 7015 Market St. near the U.S. Route 224 intersection, is a “mess,” said Tom Wanamaker, who lives on Woodview Avenue near the motel.
“There are young teens gathering, cars coming in and out and people crawling on the walls,” Wanamaker said. “It’s a nuisance.”
Wanamaker brought his concerns to trustees at their regular meeting last week. The next day, a zoning field inspector was sent to the property.
“We found some violations as far as property maintenance was concerned and have sent a letter,” said zoning inspector Anna Mamone. The owners have 20 days to comply by fixing problems such as broken windows.
Manager Dianne Banks of Akron, who began working at the Wagon Wheel on Aug. 1, said the motel will be closed for a month for renovations.
“I was overwhelmed when I first got here,” she said. “In a way, these violations are good because they are forcing many repairs at once.”
Mattresses, bedding, carpet and tile are being replaced, and new smoke detectors installed, Banks said.
“I don’t want johns and prostitutes here. I want families to stay,” she said, adding that she instituted a policy against renting rooms by the hour when she took over management.
The motel’s owners could not be reached for comment. The owner, according to the Mahoning County Auditor’s web site, is Akm M. and Nasrin Rahman. The two also are the listed owners for the Travelers Inn, which is farther north on Market Street.
Wanamaker also told trustees he fears the motel has been a haven for crime.
In 2009, officers responded to 29 calls relating to the motel — down from a high of 55 in 2007, according to police records. So far in 2010, 25 calls have been recorded.
About five years ago, the police department worked a lengthy case that yielded narcotics and other drugs at the motel, said Chief Jack Nichols.
“We went in and boarded it up with plywood, but it was not deemed a criminal nuisance and reopened,” Nichols said.
He said the criteria for depriving a person of property is strict and that part of it depends on the number of criminal arrests made at a location. For example, he said, the department could get a call about a suspicious car in the motel’s parking lot, but not stop it until the intersection of Shields Road and Market Street — and a subsequent arrest would not count toward the motel’s location.
“The officers are familiar with it, and we watch it,” Nichols said.
Administrator Jason Loree said the township will continue to do everything in its power to ensure the motel meets standards.
“Unfortunately, that hotel and others like it on Market Street have had issues similar to what we’re experiencing now,” Loree said.
“It’s something the township is trying to deal with. “
Banks said she will be a careful steward of the motel.
“I want it to be a good place. It’s not a flop house,” she said.