The Norcross City Council passed an amendment to city ordinances regarding transient lodging within the city that includes the proper maintenance of hotels, motels, and extended-stay hotels. The stated goal of the amendment is to protect the health, safety and welfare of hotel, motel, and extended-stay hotel inhabitants.
Documents provided by the Norcross Police Department indicate the city has 14 hotels in a little over six square miles. Over the past two years Norcross police handled over 5,800 calls involving city hotels or those staying in them. Many incidents involved serious bodily injury including shootings, armed robberies, rapes and aggravated assaults. Others were for stolen vehicles found in parking lots, loitering for sex, drug transactions, wanted persons, businesses being run out of rooms, and parking complaints.
Research conducted looked at laws other municipalities have enacted to help curb the same problems and complaints. Among the new restrictions, hotels and motels in the city may not allow any person to occupy a room for more than 15 days in succession, and no more than 60 days during a 180-day period. Equally, no guest residing for more than 15 days in succession can move from one room to another without a two-day vacancy in between. No one can occupy an extended-stay hotel for more than 30 days in succession during a 180-day period unless it meets specific criteria. Information: www.norcrossga.net.
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