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Residents press council over derelict hotel; city continues abatement and outreach to owner
Summary
Residents and council members raised longstanding concerns about an unrepaired hotel property in downtown Colfax. Council and staff described ongoing abatement work, enforcement options and repeated outreach to the owner, who the city says has made some repairs but not resumed full redevelopment.
Multiple residents used public comment time to press the Colfax City Council for action on a deteriorating hotel property in downtown Colfax, prompting updates from council and staff on abatement and owner engagement.
Residents described visible decay and raised safety concerns about the building, asking what the city could do to move the project forward. "The hotel...there it sits, rotten away," one resident said, urging a stronger push. Another resident noted prior repairs and said the property had a history of interrupted renovations.
City staff and the council reported ongoing enforcement and abatement steps. The city noted it had secured the building to limit squatting and worked with code enforcement on abatement at nearby properties. The city has engaged with the property owner, who has previously made partial repairs including painting and a new roof but has not resumed redevelopment. Staff said they have sent multiple emails, held meetings and attempted to negotiate concessions to encourage renovation but that progress depends on the owner’s willingness and financial capacity.
An online commenter and residents raised a technical financial barrier: a city sewer re-connection fee often described in the meeting as the cost per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU). At one point, a commenter estimated a buy-back cost of roughly $10,500 per EDU and calculated that reactivating sewer service for multiple units could be a substantial, potentially prohibitive expense for a small-scale developer.
Staff described enforcement tools available — abatement of weeds, securing unpermitted interior changes and potential liens — but said aggressive enforcement (including liens or demolition) could risk losing an owner who, staff believes, may be the best long-term steward for the property. "We've tried to sweeten the pot to get him to start opening that up," a council member said. The council said it will continue outreach and enforcement steps while seeking a path that preserves the building and encourages completion of renovation.
No formal council action or new enforcement order was taken at the meeting. Council members encouraged patience combined with continued outreach and asked staff to keep the council informed about next steps.
