Citing Room for Improvement

Cockroaches. Soiled carpeting. Walls with holes and marks, needing paint. Ripped mattresses. Dripping faucets and exposed wiring. Sliding glass doors cemented shut. Inoperable smoke detectors.

That’s a sample of state health and safety code violations officials say they discovered in room after room during a surprise inspection Tuesday morning at the Arena Inn & Suites.

“There are a lot of violations of the Uniform Housing Code for substandard maintenance,” said Robert L. Gilbertson, an Orange County health inspector. “The problem is: It’s not being run like a motel, but like apartments.”

Gilbertson, along with a dozen police and city code enforcement officers, knocked on doors to examine the 113 rooms at the motel at Katella Avenue and Haster Street. Motel officials said that of the 110 rented rooms, 82 had occupants who have stayed more than 30 days.

Police also checked for criminal activity and suspects, arresting a 50-year-old woman on a warrant for narcotics possession. At least five other motel guests, who were not in their rooms, have outstanding warrants, police said.

The inspection was part of the city’s aggressive effort to get motel owners to comply with health and safety codes and to discourage crime.

Health and safety code violations, drug use and prostitution are growing problems at some motels, said John Poole, city code enforcement manager. “By far, most of the motels are well-maintained. We just have these few [owners] who choose not to keep up their properties,” he said.

Motels targeted for inspection line commercial corridors on Beach Boulevard and West Lincoln Avenue, along with a few on the fringes of the resort area near Disneyland. There are about 28 motels in the west end, where crime and long-term stays of guests have drawn complaints by area residents and businesses. Last year, a new code enforcement officer was added to tackle motel problems and other nuisances in west Anaheim.

About a dozen motels have been inspected for possible code violations in the past year, Poole said. Violations were found at each property and motel owners were given orders to make repairs.

In the strongest action taken so far, the City Council last week unanimously denied the owner of the Pacific Inn a new conditional-use permit to operate the 23-unit motel because of continued calls for police service and alleged failure to correct code violations.

“It’s the first motel that I ever recall that the city has shut down,” Poole said.

The Arena Inn has racked up several hundred calls for service the past few months, including a stabbing last week, an attempted suicide, drug use and prostitution, police said.

“We’re spending a large amount of our patrol time here, and it all boils down to the condition of the motel,” said Officer Peter Wann, who patrols the area. “If we can force the motel owner to upgrade the conditions, they’re going to attract a better clientele.”

The Police Department wants officers to be more active in cracking down on problem motels.

“Hopefully this will put other motel owners on notice that we have an assertive policy where officers are trying to rectify problems to make life better for the people who rent on a weekly basis,” Wann said.

Ron Ganjifard, the Arena Inn’s general manager, said he will correct any code violations and that the motel is not responsible for alleged illicit activities by guests.

He said the motel is kept up by two full-time maintenance workers and that he plans to make exterior improvements and renovate rooms.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Inn has had a history of problems since 1995, including about 500 calls a year to police to respond disturbances, fights, public drinking, prostitution and drug use and sales, according to police. Since 1992, the city has received 83 complaints and recorded 308 code violations, according to code enforcement officials.

“There’s been no real dedicated effort to turn that property around,” Poole said. “They’ll improve it and make it better, then it slides back down with criminal activity, the rooms aren’t kept up and long-term tenants stay there.”

The new manager, Rick Patel, said the city has not given him an opportunity to fix the problems since he took it over from his father this month. Patel said he has already taken steps to evict long-term guests and remove microwaves and refrigerators from rooms.

His attorney, Barbara E. Lichman, says there is no evidence to support the city’s decision to deny the use permit and she will ask the council for a rehearing.

Contributing to the health and safety problems at some motels, the small rooms have been turned into living quarters where patrons are more like long-term residents than overnight guests, officials said.

There are microwave ovens, toasters, electric fryers, hot plates and crock pots to cook meals in the rooms. Refrigerators and ice chests keep perishable foods. Canned goods and food items are stored on top dressers and closet shelves. Personal items from computers to stereos, VCRs, even pets, are moved in.

Thomas Miller said he and his family lived in a room at Arena Inn that was infested with cockroaches and rodents.

“We managed with the mousetraps and three or four cans of Raid,” said Miller, 30, who recently moved to a smaller room the same motel with his wife, newborn son, 3-year-old stepson and 70-year-old mother-in-law.

“For now we’re going to stay here in a crummy place like this,” said Miller, who receives disability benefits and pays $140-a-week rent.

His mother-in-law, Joyce Davis, added: “This room is awful, but it’s hard to find an apartment and it costs a lot of money. If I found an apartment it would be wonderful.”