Since the motel was forced to close, the LAPD reports a very noticeable drop in crime in the area surrounding the now defunct hotel. For many years the area ranked #1 for violent crime in the Northeast Division. Now Senior Lead Officer Al Polehonki reports that computer maps show it sometimes has the lowest crime rate of Northeast's eight reporting districts. After the long hard fight to get the criminals out of our neighborhood the FHRA is opposed to plans to reopen the motel under new ownership. The motel property was sold early in 2002  to Balubhai G. Patel. He owns several other hotel properties in and around Los Angeles. He was seeking permission from the city to reopen the motel. Balubhai's son, Mike Patel, claims he will live on the site with his family. They planned about $800,000 of renovations, reducing the 37 room motel to 29 rooms, but there are only 18 parking places. The hearing on their request for a conditional use permit and parking variance was held on December 17th before Zoning Administrator David Kabashima. About two dozen people, many from the Franklin Hills came to show their opposition.

At the hearing a representative for the hotel owners explained that they wanted to turn the place into a "very upscale bed and breakfast type inn" and later referred to their plans as a "boutique type hotel." The project architect then came forward to clear up confusion about extra parking spaces that were shown in the submitted plans. There aren't really any.

Then it was time for those opposed to the project to have their say. First up were a trio from LAPD. Senior Lead Officers Al Polehonki and Sam Salazar both told how the place was the center of area crime and how the motel's builder and former owner, Mr. Eng, had started out trying to run a proper motel, but the business could not be sustained without renting to the undesirable elements. Those elements are still very much in the area according to the sergeant who heads up the LAPD's Northeast vice unit.

Next it was time for public comment, and former FHRA president and current Nuisance Abatement Committee Chairman, Ricardo Gomez, presented the commission with a detailed analysis of the reasons why the property does not meet the conditions required to get the permits they seek. Other community speakers included three who had met with the Patels and viewed their plans and other properties (pictured below). Bruce Carroll, FHRA and GGPNC board member,  told about deficiencies in the Patels's plans and their other properties. Mary Rodriguez, LFIA and GGPNC board member, who has spearheaded the drive to keep the property shut down told of the dangers to King middle school and presented a petition signed by 16 of the 19 Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council board members. And Juliet Kipperman the LFIA zoning chairwoman questioned why anyone in their target market would come to the motel with no amenities.

Other community speakers objecting to the project included representations from the Jewish Community Center, right across Bates from the motel, East Hollywood Community Association and the Silverlake Residents Association. They were followed by representatives from Assemblyman Dario Frommer and Councilman Eric Garcetti's planning deputy Allison Becker who pointed out that the history has proved that as a motel for travelers it's "not economically viable." She also praised the FHRA's "land use arguments" as being "very persuasive."

In rebuttal, the motel's representative threw in the towel on their request for a parking variance and said they'd go back to the drawing board and reduce the number of rooms to 20-22. They had been asking for 29 down from the current 37. This was yet another indication that the Patel's project is based more on wishful thinking than hard numbers...the plans anchored more in jello than concrete.