PLYMOUTH — The conditions of the second floor of Plymouth’s Red Rock Inn were the subject of concern for local agencies and governmental boards on Monday.
Plymouth Building Commissioner Dennis Manuwal reported to the Plymouth Board of Works and Safety on Monday that he was alerted to concerns about the structural integrity of the second-floor balconies and railings at the Inn. An inspection of the property confirmed those concerns, leading to an order to vacate the second floor of the structure as unsafe.
A consortium of individuals, agencies, and government officials met with owner Nilesh Patel to address the problem and determine the next steps for the 26 adults and four children who live in the 30 affected rooms.
Barb Holcomb reported to the Plymouth Common Council on Monday night on the efforts of a group she led that had tackled the immediate problem of relocation for the individuals involved.
Holcomb told the Council that the arrival in the county of seasonal workers had made relocation a difficult task, but the group was able to procure rooms at a motel in Rochester to relocate nine of those affected. Five individuals were able to find rooms at another hotel in Plymouth, others were able to stay with friends and family, and the group found a motel in South Bend for one person who works there.
Red Rock owner Patel was paying for the motel bill in Rochester and South Bend. Two residents are paying for their own accommodations.
Holcomb reported that as of the Council meeting, all the residents affected had been safely relocated. She said that the accommodations would be paid for one week at a time to avoid any money being lost, since the situation was fluid.
Marshall County Council member Brandon Schadek was one of those in the group that gathered during the afternoon to discuss the situation with Patel and his wife.
He reported to his Council in during their meeting on Monday, saying that they would likely be approached to be involved in a solution to the problem since such solutions normally involved some sort of monetary expenditure. He said that the relocation of those who were affected by a similar situation at The Pointe Apartments in Plymouth had cost $70,000.
County Council member Jim Masterson spoke of his desire for some type of culpability on the part of the owners, stating he had listed the Red Rock property for sale in the past at $279,000, stating that it was in a prime area. He added that he was told that the residents pay $700 a month for a room and wondered where the money had gone.
Manuwal told the Plymouth Council that he was in favor of a structural engineer to look at the property to determine its safety, and reported that he was told by Patel that he had contacted an engineer to assess the problem.
The situation is ongoing.
