By Oli Herrera

MOTEL PETITION

More than 1,600 signatures for petition to shut down Old Frankfurt motel; owners say they need more time to fix problems

May 7, 2021 | 6:18 PM

PRINCE GEORGE–As of Friday, more than 1,600 signatures have been made for a petition to shut down the Old Frankfurt Motel in the hart area.

The creator of the petition and many of those who signed it say the motel is a concern for crime. Some claimed the motel mostly ‘houses individuals who commit crimes on a daily basis’, and that the place is ‘full of thieves and stolen property.’ One person even calling the owners ‘slum lords.’

The creator of the petition says that she just wants the motel to be properly maintained.

“I know it’s not the building itself, it’s just how it’s being ran.”

Lacey, who didn’t want to use her last name, says that the Frankfurt motel is a concern for families that live nearby.

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“People passed out in yards, or wandering around in people’s properties. it’s scary, you know? It’s in the middle of the day, it’s all times of the day. This is a family neighborhood.” said Lacey.

But the owners of the Old Frankfurt–now called 1618 Inn—say, they want a chance to fix the problems.

They even left a comment on the petition to try and explain their side of the story.

The owners of 1618 Inn said they only purchased the property last July and that this is their first time running a business like this.

They added if that they’ve been working with the RCMP on ways to fix up the motel.

Since January, police responded to 65 calls. They say that’s not an abnormal number of visits. Many of those for were minor issues.

“A quick scan of the call revealed it to be mostly suspicious vehicles or person calls. Calls for assistance, wellness checks, some 9-1-1 emergency calls.” said Constable Jennifer Cooper.

There is also a by-law in the city of Prince George that charges landlords if police make too many trips for nuisance calls. But the owners said they haven’t broken that by-law this year.

Police are aware of everyone’s concerns and they say there are improvements being made.

“We’ve been working with the new owners on ways to improve the overall operation of the motel from a policing standpoint.”

For now, Lacey says all she wants is for the hart community to be safer again.T

The owners of the 1618 Inn say they need a little time and patience from the community.