Florence Police Chief John McDermond, Mayor Diane Whalen, Boone County Administrator Jeff Earlywine and Northern Kentucky Health Department Director of Environmental Health and Safety Steve Divine at the Florence Inn when it was shut down last month. (Photo by Mark Hansel)
By Mark Hansel
NkyTribune managing editor
The Florence Code Enforcement Board has ordered the beleaguered Florence Inn to be demolished.
Board member David Spille made the motion to tear down the inn’s five buildings, following a hearing that lasted more than three hours Wednesday.
“Due to the structures being beyond repair, based on the testimony…and the failure of the owner to follow proper building inspection procedures, hidden structural damage, hidden mold (and other issues), I make the motion that the buildings be demolished,” Spille said.
James Johnson and Rick Rowland, the other board members present, voted in favor of the motion. The Code Enforcement Board is made up of residents that are appointed by the city council
The Dream Street motel was shut down by the Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department after its permit to operate was suspended in September for ongoing critical violations.
Florence Inn owner Sridar Kadaba, of the S&J Hospitality Group LLC, had requested the board to allow him to repair the buildings individually while the motel was unoccupied. He then hoped to open the buildings as they were brought up to code, to generate revenue.
“It’s impractical to fix the whole five buildings at one time,” Kadaba said.
The board ruled however, that the damage was two extensive and Kadaba had already been given six months to make repairs and had not made significant progress.
Following an April 2 inspection, the Health Department sent a letter to Kadaba expressing its concerns about the condition of the property, citing 20 violations, 14 of which were considered critical.
Among the findings at that time were rodent droppings and exposed wiring in unoccupied rooms, bedbugs, floors sagging and unable to support weight. There were also mold and broken windows observed throughout the facility. The roofs on some buildings were in disrepair allowing water to seep into the walls and the floor.
In addition to the Health Department violations, the Florence Fire Department and the City’s public services department identified several violations at the property.
The following timeline indicates the events that led up to Wednesday’s decision to order the demolition of the Florence Inn:
* April 2 – Florence Inn owner Sridar Kadaba is given six weeks to submit a plan of action and begin making repairs on the property.
* May 26 – A subsequent inspection identified 12 violations, including 5 that were considered critical and the Health Department issued a notice of intent to suspend the facility’s operating permit. Kadaba asked for, and was granted, a hearing, which delayed the suspension.
* June 25 – A hearing that included officials from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services took place at which time Kadaba submitted a plan to make repairs at the motel.
* July 7 – The Cabinet issued a report indicating S&J Hospitality would be given two months to bring the facility into compliance with Health Department, City of Florence and Boone County codes.
* Sept. 9 – A re-inspection of the motel determined that satisfactory repairs had not been made and the Health Department suspended the facility’s permit to operate. Residents and guests at the inn were ordered to vacate the premises within five days.
* Sept. 14 – The last occupants leave and the Florence Inn ceases to operate.
* Oct. 7 – The Florence Code Enforcement Board approves the City’s request to order demolition of the inn.
Florence Mayor Diane Whalen, who was not present at the hearing, said it’s not an expedient process by any means, but it’s the way you have to go if you want to get things right.
“They listened to all the experts that were there checking on progress that they never saw and issues that just can’t be fixed,” Whalen said. “It’s important that the code board has the autonomy to listen to all the testimony and have confidence that they are making the correct decision.”
At the time the Health Department suspended the facility’s permit to operate, all 101 rooms available for use were occupied, mostly by residents using the inn as apartments.
Kadaba said it was difficult for him to begin the necessary repairs because the rooms were never vacant.
One of the buildings on the property was in such a state of disrepair it had been uninhabitable for five years. Another had just recently reopened after several years of being shut down due to maintenance issues.
Attorney David Koenig was appointed special counsel to represent the City of Florence at the hearing. Florence City Attorney Hugh Skees acted as an advisor for the city in the matter.
Florence Attorney Donald Bollman represented Kadaba.
Koenig called several people to testify, including Rob Caudill with the Northern Kentucky Health Department, Florence Fire Marshall Robert Krebs and Jeremy Kleier, community services superintendent with the city’s public services department.
All had been involved with inspections at the Florence Inn during the time it was under scrutiny and gave consistent accounts of the ongoing violations at the property.
Eugene Weber, an architect with 37 years of experience and the owner of Hub + Weber Architects, provided an evaluation of the property.
“Generally the conditions of the facility were very poor…and it obviously suffers from lack of ongoing maintenance,” Weber said. “It is such a pervasive, all-encompassing thing, so to say what exactly has to be done is really difficult because there are so many things in so many areas of the buildings that need to be addressed. I do not have an actual dollar amount, but based on the existing conditions I’ve observed…it’s unreasonable for me to believe it can be done to repair it back into a safe and sound position.”
Bollman called only Kadaba who said he has been trying to coordinate repairs but needed more time and permission to reopen the motel in phases to generate income.
Ultimately, the Code Enforcement Board determined Kadaba’s time had run out.
Florence City Coordinator Rick Lunnemann, who also gave testimony verifying the accuracy of the documents submitted, said the City was satisfied with the decision.
“It’s the intent of the city to see that the code board decision is carried out,” Lunnemann said.
Kadaba has 30 days to appeal the decision or it becomes final, and the inn’s mortgage holder must be given 45 days notice before demolition. Kadaba said he has not yet decided whether to file an appeal.
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com