Another City Limits Motel Stays to 30 Days

STANTON — City Council members have agreed to impose restrictions on how long guests can stay at motels within the city limits.

The Orange County city joins nearby Buena Park, Cypress and Garden Grove in passing similar measures, which prevent guests from staying longer than 30 days.

The ordinances were prompted by concerns about crime and substandard living conditions.

Anaheim, another city that borders Stanton, does not have an ordinance but recently ordered its two most troubled motels to limit stays to 30 days within a 90-day period.

“We don’t want anyone out on the streets. But we have to clean up,” Stanton Mayor Al Ethans said after the council’s Tuesday night meeting.

Stanton has several motels on Beach Boulevard known for housing long-term guests, said Ethans. Council members said they do not want Stanton to become a haven for people forced out of motels in other cities. “We don’t want to be known as the motel-resident town,” said Ethans.

Many of those living in motels say they would like to move, but can’t afford an apartment in Orange County.

The motels don’t offer ideal living conditions but there are few alternatives in the county, said Jim Palmer, president of the Orange County Rescue Mission.

He also said the 30-day limits have forced many families to move from motel to motel, said Palmer. He said that’s particularly hard on schoolchildren who often have to change schools because of the moves.

Ethans said Stanton officials would attempt to address the needs of motel owners and occupants affected by a motel ordinance. The city will rely heavily on social service organizations in assisting those forced to move, he said.