WHEAT RIDGE, Colorado – The city of Wheat Ridge could soon require hotels and motels to apply for a new license, citing public safety as the primary reason for the policy.
City officials said nine hotels account for more than 3,000 calls a year to the Wheat Ridge Police Department. To put that in perspective, that’s around 10% of all police calls.
“That means our public security services will not be made available to the rest of the city if those calls take up a huge day of time and resources,” said Sara Spaulding, a city spokeswoman.
The proposed regulation would create a new concession for hotels and additional requirements for long-term stays. Hotels would have to adhere to a set call volume and submit a security plan.
It also defines accommodation for longer stays than any hotel room that is occupied for more than 29 consecutive days. These hotels would have to provide rooms with a minimum size of 300 square feet and have a defined bedroom that is separate from other parts of the unit. Kitchen facilities and cleaning services would also be required.
“We will always be responsive to the budget-conscious guest. This is our business model. We are, we believe in it,” said Don White, vice president of the company that owns American Motel in Wheat Ridge.
White says he has eight long-term guests who have been at his hotel for several years. He said he did not want to ask them to leave but could not afford costly renovations to meet the proposed requirements.
“I don’t understand how public safety, and maybe this city’s desire to have stoves in the room, how those two things fit together,” White said.
