Midland Motor Inn to be Demolished, Owner Pleads Guilty
The Midland Motor Inn is set to be demolished by April 1.
The motel’s owner, Alan Robert Wazny, pleaded guilty to eight misdemeanor counts last week in a deal with the City of Midland in exchange for a one year delay of sentence and a promise to demolish the condemned motel by next April. Judge Michael Carpenter of the 75th District Court approved the deal.
Mr. Wazny was arrested in September, on the day that the motel was condemned by city officials. City of Midland Chief Building Official Steve Taglauer condemned the building and ordered that all persons vacate the premises, saying that the hotel was a “danger to human life and the public welfare.”
Mr. Wazny’s lawyer, John Bovill III, told Mr. Carpenter that the liquor license failing to transfer with the ownership of the motel was a part of the reason why the business’ finances suffered.
Midland City Attorney James O. Branson III, who signed the criminal complaint against Mr. Wazny, previously told the City Paper that “demolition is inevitable based on the current condition.”
The counts against Mr. Wazny were all misdemeanors, including charges such as unsafe sidewalks and stairs; trash, litter, debris, exterior violations; unsafe conditions, exterior walls; and roofs and drainage. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a fine of $500.
The motel has long been plagued by crime and economic disappointment. In 2003, then-the Ramada Inn, the Midland Zoning Board of Appeals denied a special use variance to transform the motel into an apartment complex.
In 2017, a methamphetamine lab found by law enforcement officials led to convictions for three people. The lab was found after a report of a kidnapping was sent to the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team.
In early 2018, another person was charged with possessing methamphetamine at the motel after Michigan State Police allegedly found 2.5 grams of the drug after a search.
Michael Westendorf is the chairman and executive editor of Chemical City Paper. As Executive Editor, he leads the City Paper’s news coverage and editorial team.