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Stanton residents won’t have to worry about any new motels coming to town – which routinely become crime hotspots in the city.
Last month, city council members voted to extend the existing ban by 10 more months as they consider changing zoning ordinances to curb motels.
The suspension stops any new motels from opening and current ones from expanding in order to preserve public safety and welfare of the communities the motels surround.
Originally instituted in December last year for 15 days as an emergency ordinance, it was expanded in January this year for just over 10 months. City council voted to start another moratorium to continue their efforts in rezoning during an Oct. 22 meeting.
[Read: Stanton Issues Moratorium on New Motels Over Prostitution, Drugs and Crime]
Mayor David Shawver said there’s a lot of work to be done behind the scenes that residents don’t always see – like overhauling zoning and building permits.
“We’re completely revamping,” Shawver said in a phone interview last month. There’s so much more to it than meets the public eye.”
The current zoning code for public lodging was last updated in 2014.
He said their main priority right now is to talk to their police department and firefighters on how to curb crime plaguing the current motels.
According to a staff report, recurring crimes like prostitution, drugs, robbery and assaults amounts to about 630 hours of police response to the motels and surrounding neighborhoods.
Funding for public safety – OC Sheriff deputies and OC Fire Authority – makes up 58% of general fund spending at $20 million.
Three former motels, Tahiti Motel, Riviera Motel and Stanton Inn and Suites, were all converted to housing via funds from Project Homekey.
[Read: Orange County Homeless Population Continues Growing]
Homekey is a statewide initiative that seeks to address housing for homeless or those on the verge of homelessness. The goal is to turn existing buildings into permanent or interim housing.
“For people that are there weekly or daily, we want to make sure everything’s up to code,” Shawver said.
In a phone interview, Councilman Donald Torres said there’s been issues with the motels for years.
“I think we owe it to our residents to choose the landscape for our city.”
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