Extension request denied for America’s Best Value Inn

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America’s Best Value Inn and Suites will be closing its doors for good on July 31, despite its owners’ efforts to extend the deadline by a year. At its July 28 meeting, the Homewood City Council unanimously denied the hotel’s request to cease operation on July 31, 2015.

“The [2014] deadline was mutually agreed upon by both parties,” Council President Bruce Limbaugh said. “The Patel family [is] the ones that came back and wanted to renegotiate that.”

The City Council voted not to renew the hotel’s business license in March 2014 after a police department report of high crime levels at the property, located at 260 Oxmoor Road. The Patel family, which owns the America’s Best Value Inn and Suites, filed a lawsuit against the city and later sent the extension request to the council as an exchange for dropping the lawsuit. A settlement agreement had already been reached before tonight’s discussion.

Limbaugh said that discussions of the extension seemed to include a “veiled threat” to board up the hotel if the extension was not approved. This did not sway the council members from denying the request. Members of the Patel family were at the council meeting but were not given time to present their case to the members.

“We don’t want any building in the Homewood area to be run down under these circumstances, but that’s a valuable piece of property,” Limbaugh said. “If it’s a hotel, then money needs to be spent there. If it’s not a hotel, there’s lots of things that can be done there.”

The council meeting also included public hearings for a sign ordinance variation at 1830 29th Avenue South, the future site of PT’s of SoHo, and declaration of five properties as public nuisances due to excessive growth. The sign ordinance variance was approved, allowing the owners to paint two additional logos on existing awnings.

Only one property, located at 1106 Irving Road, was declared a public nuisance because the owner did not respond to repeated attempts at contact. The council dropped the public nuisance declarations for the properties at 1425 Ardsley Place and 3406 Avalon Road because the owners made the necessary cleaning efforts. The owner of the properties at 2831 and 2827 16th Place South was given extra time because she has made significant, but not complete, progress in cleaning up the excessive growth. The council will reconsider these two properties at its Aug. 25 meeting.

The council also:

  • Set Aug. 6 and 7 as tentative interview dates for the 11 applicants for Ward 4 Representative recently vacated by Jenifer Champ Wallis.
  • Authorized the mayor to enter an agreement with CM Foodservice for management and event services at Rosewood Hall.
  • Approved appropriation and contract for services with ClasTran, a nonprofit transportation company. ClasTran will receive $15,000 contingent on a surplus at the end of the 2013-2014 fiscal year.
  • Authorized the mayor to enter an agreement with Walter Schoel Engineering Company to provide consulting and design engineering for storm sewer culvert repair at 1717 27th Court South. Limbaugh said the funds will come from the small infrastructure capital fund and that it is obvious the culvert has “significant” need for repair.
  • Listened to a report from Ward 2 representative Britt Thames about speeding concerns on Valley Avenue. This item was referred to the finance committee.
  • Heard the mayor’s request to create parking spaces using city right-of-way on short Saulter Road to alleviate congestion on Broadway Street and Carr Avenue. This was referred to the finance committee.
  • Referred a request to make improvements to an alley behind Creative Montessori School to the finance committee.
  • Referred a request to vacate an alley off Kensington Road to the public works committee.
  • Referred consideration of a Valley Avenue and West Valley Avenue traffic study and its recommendations from Skipper Engineering to the public safety committee. The traffic study is required for the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP) grant resurfacing project on those streets.
  • Approved the public safety committee’s request for targeted police enforcement on Valley Avenue, which has been the subject of several resident complaints about speeding.