Greece board orders Studio 6 to halt operations, continues special‑use hearing to July 16

The Town of Greece board voted June 18 to order the Studio 6 hotel at 600 Center Place Drive to cease business operations on Monday, June 29 at 9:00 a.m. and to continue the special‑use hearing on the hotel's permit to July 16, citing unresolved fire, health and safety violations and an outsized volume of emergency calls to the property.

Neighbors and property owners told the board at a public hearing that the hotel has been the site of recurring police, fire and EMS responses, alleged drug and prostitution activity, damaged vehicles and disturbances that have affected adjacent apartment complexes. Mary Zeph, a co‑owner of Cobblestone Court adjacent to the property, said she has repeatedly reported incidents to police and asserted that tenants from the hotel have approached her residents to demand money and intimidate them. “My tenants do call police, Greece police, and they have been fantastic,” Zeph said, but added that response times and ongoing problems leave tenants feeling unsafe.

The hotel’s operators acknowledged the problems and described a multi‑phase plan to address them. Lamar, who identified himself as the property director of safety and security for the applicant, said the company will immediately improve exterior lighting, signage and landscaping and later add safety systems including CCTV and other controls. He said the property is an extended‑stay operation but that management would limit stays to 28 days and pursue evictions for long‑term occupants; he also said some evictions inherited from the prior owner could take a month or more under New York law.

Town staff presented a timeline of enforcement work beginning after the applicant closed on the property around March 20. Scott Kopi, director of planning and economic development, told the board that the building inspector identified code violations and the fire marshal found about 18 fire‑safety issues in early April; several issues remained unresolved and the county health department had not yet issued an operating permit. Kopi said the site has produced a substantially higher number of 911 incidents than other hotels in the area, and town inspections showed ongoing litter, tall grass, unlicensed vehicles and other maintenance problems.

Councilman Spencer Bernard argued the town had given repeated warnings and that prior promises to fix conditions had not been kept. “I think enough is enough,” Bernard said, urging closure until the owner achieves full compliance. The board voted on two separate, related motions: one to continue the public hearing to July 16 to allow the applicant and town inspectors time to complete corrective measures, and a second to order the hotel closed June 29 until a special permit is granted. Both motions passed on voice votes.

Acting Police Chief Perina told the board the property generated hundreds of calls for service so far in 2026, and town staff said those responses placed an outsized burden on public safety resources. The board also asked staff and the applicant to document timelines for remedial work and to provide pre‑permit inspection reports before the July 16 meeting.

The board’s closure order is an administrative action tied to local permit authority and outstanding code and health violations; the hotel’s operators said they are cooperating with town and county agencies and that they have engaged legal counsel and vendors to address safety systems and resident removal. The hearing on the special‑use permit will resume at the July 16 Town Board meeting.