After years of criminal activity in and around five Aurora Ave motels, the city has had enough. According to a release from the Mayor’s Office on Tuesday, there were more than 460 calls for police help in 2008 alone. Confiscating significant amounts of drugs and drug paraphernalia have become routine for officers, and public safety is a major concern.
Last week, the City Attorney’s Office filed 152 criminal charges for tax violations against the operators of the motels, all run by Dean and Jill Inman. They are also behind in utility payments. Notices were sent out earlier this week that electricity service would be cut off to the motels if payment wasn’t made. The city has also initiated action to revoke the business licenses of the motels if they fail to pay up their taxes.
The five properties include the Wallingford Inn, Fremont Inn, Isabella Motel, Italia Motel, and Seattle Motor Inn.
You can read more about the city’s actions here.