NORTH HILLS : City Relaxes Restrictions on Redwood Inn

City officials have lifted some restrictions imposed earlier this year on a North Hills motel that were intended to alleviate crime, saying the measures appear to have worked.

But the motel’s owners are not happy.

At a hearing Aug. 26, Associate Zoning Administrator John Parker told owners of the Redwood Inn on Sepulveda Boulevard that they can reduce their on-site security from seven days a week to just Friday and Saturday nights.

Parker cited a police report saying that two undercover sting operations at the motel conducted since the security restrictions were imposed in March failed to produce any illegal activities. In addition, he called the 16-hour-a-day security guard a financial burden.

“A security guard is a major expense for a small motel,” Parker said Friday. “And the police didn’t indicate that they were in violation of anything.”

For the past three years, police said, the motel had been frequented by prostitutes. Last year, this prompted city officials to order motel owners to hire a security guard and comply with a list of 25 other conditions in order to stay in business.

One of those conditions, not renting a room for less than a day, was intended to keep out prostitutes. Last week, motel owners failed to convince Parker to eliminate that condition, saying they are turning away truck drivers who need a place to sleep for a few hours.

“I feel we are a victim,” said Jui Tsai, a spokeswoman for her father, Redwood Inn owner Yung Jung. “We know there were some criminals in our area, but we can’t go out and arrest those people. We think they should take away all the conditions from our motel.”

But Tom Henry, planning deputy for City Councilman Joel Wachs, said the conditions should remain in place until police and city officials are convinced that the motel is no longer a magnet for crime.

Henry also pointed out that the city has ordered four other motels along Sepulveda to hire security guards. Three of those motels have appealed the decision.

“It seems that the conditions have worked,” Henry said. “It’s another sign that, slowly but surely, maybe we can clean up Sepulveda Boulevard.”