The worn sign The Red Carpet Inn and Fanta Suites contrasts with the area nearby on Sept. 16 in Greenwood.
Daily Journal File Photo
The occupants of a troubled Greenwood hotel have less than 48 hours to vacate the premises, officials decided Monday.
After 7:25 p.m. on Wednesday, the Red Carpet Inn and Fanta Suites, 1117 E. Main St., will not be allowed to have guests and employees or the owner may not use the hotel for lodging. City officials do expect workers to be inside the facility working on repairs, but they are not allowed to stay on the premises, William Barrett, an outside attorney representing the city of Greenwood, told the city’s Advisory Plan Commission Monday night.
On Sept. 30, city officials served a notice to the hotel which announced the city’s intent to revoke the occupancy certificate and ordered the property to be vacated within 10 days. Officials cited the owner’s failure to bring the property into compliance with both city ordinance and state law as the reason behind the vacation order.
Concerns about the hotel have been mounting over the last several months, as police calls continued to increase at the hotel. The concerns reached a tipping point in September following news that the hotel’s manager died of an accidental overdose on the property.
The owner of Red Carpet Inn had previously filed an appeal of the city’s decision to effectively close the hotel on Oct. 3.
City officials and Ahmad Mubarak, owner of the hotel, reached an agreement for the vacation as part of Mubarak’s request for a continuance on a hearing on the vacation and closure for the property that was originally scheduled for Monday. As part of the agreement, the city agreed to support a continuance for the hearing until Nov. 14, Barrett said.
The plan commission voted 8-1 to grant a continuance until Nov. 14, with city council member Ron Bates voting against granting a continuance.
As part of the agreement put onto the record Monday night, the agreement is enforceable by injunction by request by the city. Greenwood police and city planning, building authorities and the fire marshal will also have access to the facility, Barrett said.
Jeffery Jinks, an attorney representing Mubarak, told the commission that Mubarak was in agreement with the terms and conditions. Both Jinks and his client are working forward to working with the city to get repairs done as quickly as possible, he said.
Bates asked Barrett and Jinks why the continuance was needed. Jinks said it is needed because his client and the city reached an agreement to continue the hearing to determine how to make the repairs affordably.
Commission member John Shell asked if the agreement was a moot point with the continuance. Barrett said the agreement is not for permanent vacancy or disposition.
“Given what we’ve managed to accomplish, and the ability to enforce it through the courts without further action by anyone in this room, we would request that you grant the continuance,” Barrett said.
Bates asked how long the agreement would be in effect. City attorney Shawna Koons said the plan commission would have a hearing to determine non-compliance. That is if the hearing is still needed, Barrett then said.
“Part of the purpose of this is to determine whether that ultimately is even going to be necessary,” he said.
The vacation hearing will take place during a plan commission meeting on Nov. 14 at the Greenwood City Center. Meetings are typically held at 7 p.m.
