For immediate release: July 21, 2009     (09-117)

OLYMPIA - Electrical hazards, rodent droppings, and other unsafe conditions have led the state Department of Health to immediately suspend the license of the Chinook Motel. The motel at 1414 E. First St. in Port Angeles poses an immediate threat to guests.

Investigators noted possible construction, maintenance, electrical, fire, and safety code violations. Motel room conditions include unsafe, exposed electrical wiring; improperly installed electrical equipment; and smoke detectors that don’t work or are missing. Mold; badly stained mattresses; ivy growing inside some units from the outside; unsanitary floors, walls, and fixtures; and other unsanitary conditions were found in the rooms.

The motel must be vacated by midnight Monday, July 27; the state health department believes no guests are staying at this property. The Chinook Motel can’t reopen until a hearing is held. The owner has 10 days to request a hearing and 28 days to contest the charges.

Motels offering three or more units to guests for less than 30 days must be licensed by the state’s Facilities and Services Licensing Program. The program licenses about 1,700 motels, hotels, inns, resorts, and bed and breakfast facilities in the state. It enforces health and safety standards for those establishments.

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