Reprieve means 8 Wood Motel can stay open if it cleans up its act

Ferndale’s only two overnight lodging establishments have been operating in limbo ever since the city moved to decline each of their business licenses and the motels appealed in court. Now comes news of a legal development in the case of the 8 Wood Motel.

Crystal Proxmire over at the Oakland County Times reports that the city has struck an agreement with the 8 Wood’s owner that will allow the motel famous for its Americana road sign to remain open. That’s so long as it meets its end of the bargain, which includes pushing out prostitution and drug activity, maintaining 24-hour video surveillance of the parking lot and outside all rooms and agreeing to certain fire safety codes.

“Based on these representations and conditions presented by 8 Wood’s management, the City and 8 Wood resolved the litigation with a dismissal with prejudice as to the litigation and no costs or fees to either party,” Ferndale City Manager April Lynch told the Times. “The City issued its public lodging license for the balance of 2017. If there are violations of the commitments made the City may bring an action for breach of the parties’ agreement and may conduct a hearing under the City’s ordinance and regulations. Applications for future public lodging licenses will be reviewed consistent with the City’s ordinances and regulations.”

The city did not comment on litigation brought by the Motorama Motel, located on the same block of Eight Mile Road, except to note that the city filed with the state Court of Appeals after its motion claiming that the motel was operating as a public nuisance was denied by an Oakland County Circuit Court judge.

The Ferndale City Council voted to not renew Motorama’s public lodging license in February 2016, and followed up a month later by doing the same for 8 Wood.

Both moves followed testimony and recommendations from Police Chief Timothy Collins, who said the businesses had become havens for crime and drugs and were draining police resources. The 8 Wood Motel was linked to a 2015 fatal heroin overdose.