SAN CLEMENTE : Hotel Conversion to Senior Homes Urged

Advocates for senior citizens are urging city officials to allow them to convert the city’s bankrupt Ramada Inn into low-income housing for seniors, but the need for tax revenue may thwart their efforts.

City Manager Michael W. Parness said Wednesday that although the hotel is bankrupt it continues to generate $75,000 to $115,000 in hotel bed taxes each year, making it the financially strapped city’s largest bed tax contributor.

“There’s a need for more senior housing, but there’s also a need for a stronger local economy,” Parness said. “We need to look at the long-term picture and decide what’s really the best land-use for that area.”

For the 110-room hotel to be converted to senior housing, the city would have to approve a zoning change to allow residential housing in the area, Parness said.

Marilyn Ditty, executive director of South County Senior Services, which runs 15 senior centers throughout South County, said her organization has had its sights set on the hotel for more than three years.

Ditty said that Casa de Seniors, a 72-room low-income senior housing facility that opened in 1985, has more than 500 people on its waiting list but that there usually are only four to six openings each year.

“Our business is to try and achieve some kind of low-cost housing for seniors, and we feel this is a window of opportunity,” Ditty said.

The hotel, largest in the city, is near the Avenida Pico exit from Interstate 5.

“It’s in a very good location for senior housing,” Ditty said. “The nearby medical facilities, banks and shopping centers (make it) a good location for senior citizens. You can’t put senior citizens out in ranch land where there is no transportation. They need to be in the heart of the community, and this is a very safe, secure location.”

Hotel owner Larry Gold has said he would like the hotel to be converted into senior housing and approached Ditty with a proposal last year. Ditty said the hotel’s previous owner made a similar proposal three years ago.

“We view this as a win-win situation,” Ditty said. “We’re hoping that the city will look at it the same way.”

Ditty is scheduled to meet with city officials next month to discuss the proposal further.

“We’re not saying yes and we’re not saying no at this point,” Parness said. “We’d like to get a better feel for exactly what their proposal is and we’d like to take a look at what’s the highest and best use for the property. There’s a lot of things to consider.”