The yearlong Skylane and Blu-Bell motels’ case is coming to an end. Representatives for the owner, Alex Patel, met with town officials to discuss the fate of the motels.
Patel’s lawyers met with Town Attorney Michael Maggiulli and Supervisor Paula Mahan on Thursday, Jan. 15, in what was supposed to be the last settlement proposals for Patel before going to trial or settling. However, Maggiulli and Mahan agreed to a six-week adjournment for Patel to gather paperwork.
The town agreed with Patel’s lawyers to meet again at the Colonie Town Court on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 10 a.m. That date will tentatively be the last for settlement discussions, and the public will learn if Patel’s case will go to trial or not, according to Maggiulli.
“The town has no objection to the six-week adjournment, because the hotels are not in use,” said Maggiulli. “They are not being used, and that was the town’s goal from the beginning.”
Maggiulli said that if Patel’s case does go to trial, the town is prepared to “litigate that to the fullest,” but that the town would like to see the situation over as soon as possible.
“I think during our discussion, we’re moving forward. However, the town maintained its position that the motels, the Skylane and the Blu-Bell, must come down. But there are other options for that piece of property that would really be a win-win for everyone,” Mahan said.
A Route 5 Corridor Study from 2014 showed the section of Central Avenue. housing Patel’s motels was saturated with boarding facilities. Mahan said with the study in mind, the Town Board is adamant Patel’s property can no longer be used for motels, hotels or boarding houses.
Patel’s last proposal requested that he tear down the Blu-Bell in exchange for renovating the Skylane into offices. While Mahan said an office building was not out of the question, renovating the Skylane was.
“I think our differences are, the town thinks that both motels should be demolished, and from what we’re hearing, he’d like the option to take down the Blu-Bell and renovate the Skylane. But we take that a step further, and we said that the motel is in such a condition, it’s in everyone’s best interest to demolish it,” Mahan said.
That corridor of Central Avenue. holds valuable property in a good location, Mahan said. Since Patel owns the property, he can run a business as long as it complies with town code. Motels, hotels and boarding houses, though, would not be allowed, either in that section of Route 5, or for Patel in the Town of Colonie.
Both Mahan and Maggiulli said that if Patel were to go before the town board with a proposal to build another motel anywhere in Colonie, the board would refuse.
“Any proposal by their side to open up a motel or boarding house will be flatly rejected and will go to trial…. Given the condition that he allowed people to reside in his hotel, he put people at risk, life and limb, not only to the occupants of the motels, but to the surrounding neighborhood. The place was a disaster waiting to happen,” Maggiulli said.
Any other proposal Patel presents to the town in February will be treated fairly with no favoritism or ill treatment, Maggiulli explained. Mahan said the town has no prejudice against Patel’s other businesses in Colonie, which includes the Golden Corral on Central Avenue.
Patel’s troubles began in early 2014 when a resident fell through the floor of the Skylane. While the town was aware of the motel’s dilapidated conditions, officials previously did not have enough evidence to obtain a search warrant. Within weeks, the town found more than 700 code violations between the Skylane and Blu-Bell, giving it enough to shutter both motels.
Late last year, Patel’s first proposal asked that he restore the Skylane in exchange for demolishing the Blu-Bell. The town counterproposal stated both motels be demolished in exchange for dismissing the $750,000 in fines from the code violations.
Patel’s last proposal, renovating the Skylane to offices, was rejected. Although Patel refused the town’s last offer to excuse the fines, Mahan said the possibility was not yet off the table.
With the case spanning over a year and the town ready to resolve it, Mahan said she is she is hopeful a deal can be reached in February.
“You have to keep perspective,” she said. “The goal is to move forward in a positive way, and I’m hoping that that’s what we’re doing. We’ll be back here in six weeks, and we’ll see how we proceed from there.”
