Georgetown's Airlane Motel declared nuisance property

SEATTLE — A Georgetown motel is being forced to clean up its act or it will be shut down by the city.

The Airlane Motel is now labeled as a nuisance property, and the owners were sent paperwork with a list of changes they need to make right away or the city will take the property.

In 2012, there were 46 calls to 911 for rapes, robberies, assaults, prostitution and drug dealing.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Alison Grande spoke with the current manager and owner about the motel.

“We never [have a] problem,” said manager Yong Kim.

Kim took over in December. After KIRO 7 showed him the list of crimes, he said there weren’t crimes happening now.

“I don’t know. That was a long time ago, but this, not right now,” said Kim.

Kim showed KIRO 7 the surveillance system and copies of driver’s licenses of people who are not allowed back to the motel.

“I don’t want my motel [to] make a lot of trouble. I want the property kept clean,” said owner Myong Hyun.

Hyun blamed the problems on the last manager.

“He didn’t do his job really good. That’s why it happened,” Hyun said.

Hyun said she will work with police and hire a security guard, lock the doors at night, limit visitors and keep out criminal activity.

KIRO 7 also spoke with residents who live near the hotel.

“I don’t really want to have to worry about my 4-year-old getting shot by accident because somebody’s drug deal went bad,” said Kelly Welker, who lives nearby. “They’re not concerned about what goes on down here. If this is what is needed to have them clean up their act, this is great.”

Welker said crime in the area has increased since the current owners bought the motel in 2010.

“Last summer, it felt like an open-air drug market on the street here,” said Julie Johnson, who also lives nearby.

The owner has met the first requirement, which is to respond to the complaint in seven days.

Hyun will meet with police on Thursday.

KIRO