The City Council on Tuesday voted to deny rezoning to allow the owner of the Motel 6 at 5505 Brainerd Road to convert the motel to apartments.
Robert Schreane, a community leader, said the apartments would be the same 300 square feet as the motel units and under the same ownership. He said the community does not feel like the situation would be any better.
He said there had been 367 police calls to the Motel 6 in less than a year.
Mr. Schreane said the owner declined to take down any walls and provide apartment suites. He said it was "inhumane" to have such small units.
Owner Harry Patel said there is a nationwide trend of converting motels to apartments. He said under that setup there can be background checks and control over who stays there. With a motel, he said, "Anyone with a $50 deposit can come in."
He said it was planned to rent the 100 units at from $1,000 to $1,200 per month. Residents would have to prove they had a job and that their pay was more than twice enough to cover the rent. He said the renovation would cost over $1 million.
Mr. Patel said he bought the Chatt Inn on E. 23rd Street six months ago with similar plans. He said the rezoning is already in place for the 155 units there. He said he is doing the same strategy at the Cloud Springs Motel in Ringgold and at two motels in Rome, Ga.
Mr. Patel said since COVID began that motel clientele "has gotten worse and worse. It's hard to control."
He said if the rezoning was denied that "things will remain the same" at the Motel 6.
Councilwoman Carol Berz said that "almost sounded like a threat."
Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod said the same location was formerly the Economy Inn that "Neal Pinkston shut down after getting over 700 police calls." She said there may need to be a call made to current DA Coty Wamp to shut down the Motel 6.
Calls to Motel 6 have ranged from rape to fentanyl overdoses to DOA, it was stated. Mr. Patel said Motel 6 does not have strict standards like a Hilton-type brand. He said, "They've still got their brand up out there."