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Residents push council on long‑running motel conversion and blight; city says it continues outreach and enforcement options
Summary
Residents repeatedly raised the condition of a derelict downtown hotel during public comment. City staff said they have communicated with the property owner, pursued abatement where possible and offered development concessions; enforcement options are limited unless the owner fails to act.
Multiple residents used the public-comment period at Tuesday’s Colfax City Council meeting to press the council about a longstanding downtown hotel property that residents say remains blighted and unsecured.
Speakers said the building has sat partially renovated and unsecured for years, has had intermittent fire damage and creates a poor impression for visitors. Several residents asked whether the city could force repairs or otherwise compel the owner to either develop or sell the property.
City staff and council members said they have been in repeated contact with the property owner and have used available tools — including code enforcement and abatement for weeds and unsecured access — to pressure compliance. The city said it has also extended development concessions previously approved to help the owner make the project financially viable.
Staff cautioned that many enforcement or abatement actions carry significant cost and legal complexity, and the city has been reluctant to force a sale when it believes the current owner remains the best prospect to complete the historically sensitive project. Staff said the owner has at times painted the building and made partial repairs but at other times has stopped responding to outreach. The council said it will continue outreach and will consider abatement or lien-based enforcement if the owner does not respond.
Members of the public provided additional detail: a commenter said the property is on the city’s historic register (as of 2025), another noted the high sewer-connection (EDU) buy‑back costs that can make redevelopment expensive, and others urged the council to use signage and promotion to help downtown businesses while property issues are resolved.
City staff reiterated that abatement action can address weeds, unsecure doors and immediate public-safety issues, but deeper enforcement (liens, compelled repairs) is a multi-step legal process. The council said it would continue trying to work with the owner to reach a productive outcome and encouraged residents to report nuisance conditions to code enforcement.
