By Jason Scheer
"The Courtesy Hotel has been a blight on the West Hempstead neighborhood," Levinson said during a press conference in front of the hotel. "It's a spot for one-stop shopping for every conceivable vice, from drug dealing to prostitution."
He also said, "The town [of Hempstead] has done nothing to protect this neighborhood's quality of life from this urgent threat posed by the Courtesy Hotel."
According to Levinson, a Democrat who is challenging Republican incumbent Kate Murray for town supervisor, emergency personnel have responded to calls at the hotel as many as 200 times a year. In addition, there are hundreds of calls for crime-related incidents. "The cost to the fire district of West Hempstead is significant," Levinson said of the hotel, dubbed by neighbors the "Dirty Courtey." "The cost to the Nassau County Police Department is significant."
In addition to the cost, the Courtesy Hotel weighs heavily on residents who say the property is nothing more than an eyesore. Scott Jablow, president of the Cathedral Gardens Civic Association, said, "There's a laundry list of things that go on over the year, but the fact of the matter is they violated the Town of Hempstead's nuisance law repeatedly over the years."
The town's Public Nuisance Law has become a bone of contention between Town Supervisor Kate Murray and Levinson. The law states that if there is an arrest for a violation such as prostitution, a warning can be issued by the town. If there is a similar arrest on the same property within a year, the town can go to court to prevent occupancy of the building or can have the building closed and padlocked. The town has elected to take the route of litigation, a decision Levinson criticized.
"The nuisance law can be used to padlock this hotel," Levinson said. "Rather, they have turned to the arduous task of litigation, which is going to go on and on and on.
"All they have to do is have a public hearing, notify the owner of this hotel that they are going to [padlock] and they can do it. There is a law on the books - they just have to find the will and have the legal skill and talent to do something with it."
Levinson also recommended exploring the option of federal forfeiture law. "Congress intentionally passed a law to drive properties like this out of business," he said.
Levinson said that the U.S. attorney would be able to close the Courtesy if it can be proven that the owner of the hotel, Bruce Zwelsky, knew of the illegal activity and has done nothing to stop it. It is up to the town, however, to contact the U.S. attorney's office. "The owner of this hotel has every reason to know that his hotel is being used for drug dealing, and he has done nothing about it," Levinson said.
Dennis Lemke, the attorney representing Zwelsky, said the assessor is off base.
"Bruce Zwelsky is unaware when any drug or any arrests that are in progress or any crime at the Courtesy Hotel," he said "...He's doing everything he can to prevent any criminal activity there."
Lemke also said other properties in Nassau County, such as the Garden City Hotel and the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum are sites of frequent arrests and have not been vehemently targeted like the Courtesy Hotel.
Life after the Oceanside Motel
The call for the close of the Courtesy comes in the wake of the condemnation of the Oceanside Motel. In that case, the Town of Hempstead will acquire the property for a yet-to-be-determined cost and convert it to a parking lot. The town estimates that it will cost $1.5 million, while Levinson said it will cost $3.5 million. The purchase price has yet to be determined.
While the cost of condemning the Courtesy, which town officials said will be 300 percent higher, will be prohibitive, Levinson said that condemnation wasn't the way to go in Oceanside in the first place. Instead, he said, the town should have pursued other avenues, such as federal forfeiture law or padlocking the building.
"The town wouldn't have to pay a penny," he said. "Instead, what the town has done in Oceanside is they are spending $3.5 million in taxpayers' money not to put up a park, but to put up a parking lot."
Jablow said the case of the Oceanside Motel sets a precedent for action. "I think it helps us out," he said. "If anything, it's encouraging, because it shows there is light at the end of the tunnel."
The town strikes back
Prior to Levinson's press conference, the Town of Hempstead issued a press release stating that a blight study would be conducted. If a property is determined to be blighted, the town can seize it and turn it over to the private sector for redevelopment.
"We expect a report within a week, and I am optimistic that the study will give us the authority to move forward and redevelop the Courtesy Hotel," Murray said in the release.
Murray told The Herald the town did essentially try to padlock the building and close it down as quickly as possible. However, Murray said the town needs judicial approval and a judge threw out the town's request a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction.
"We don't have that much authority," she said. "We do have to have a judge to sign off on this."
Of Levinson's suggestions, she said, "that's erroneous on Mr. Levinson's part."
As for the federal forfeiture law, Murray said that doesn't apply. She said that, according to town attorney's and her understanding of the law, the town would be required to show that the Courtesy was started or facilitated with the use of criminal proceeds.
"It's just not applicable to the situation," she said.
Murray also said that condemnation was the right choice for the Oceanside Motel, simply because of the size of the neighborhood.
"Oceanside is a far bigger community than West Hempstead," she said. "We figure [the cost] will be between $10 and $12 a house, per year for 10 years."
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