By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER

marcie@bradfordera.com

The City of Bradford’s health officer’s ruling is in — the OYO Hotel must be vacated within 15 days and its rooming house permit is denied.

City officials estimate around 20 to 25 people currently reside in the facility.

In an order served on the management of the facility Thursday, health officer John Peterson laid out the background and the reasons for the decision.

On Oct. 24, the city’s health department issued a written revocation of the conditional permit to operate a rooming house for the OYO, owned by Millstone Investments LLC. Ashok Bhatt filed an appeal to the city’s order, and a hearing was held Nov. 21.

OYO manager Julie Tipton appeared on Bhatt’s behalf. The Era’s call to OYO on Thursday went unanswered.

At the hearing, solicitor Mark Hollenbeck represented the city, and called seven witnesses to testify about the poor conditions inside the facility.

The conditional permit the OYO had been operating under had a series of requirements set by the health department: installation of heating and hot water, both of which must be operational; extermination and pest control until the rodent, cockroach and bedbug infestation is rectified; continuation of repairing all code deficiencies; inspections allowed on a weekly basis to monitor progress; obtain an elevator inspection; and continuation of monitoring electric heaters for safe and appropriate use.

Peterson noted that

OYO… page A-8

Era file photo numerous inspections have been conducted, and the OYO has not met these conditions.

At present, the facility does not have a properly functioning heating system. The installer of the system “credibly testified that, while he installed the furnaces, “the owner of OYO did not contract with him to perform the necessary studies or install the proper system to deliver the heat from the furnaces to the individual rooms in the property,” read the findings of fact. Several areas of the facility are not able to reach safe temperatures, the findings state.

Peterson continued, saying the infestation of cockroaches and bedbugs remains, the building’s electrical system is dangerous, the fire escape is improperly supported, emergency exit doors were locked and fire doors were left open.

Under a section marked conclusions of law, Peterson noted a valid permit issued by a health officer is required to operate a rooming house, that every ordinance must be followed, that every dwelling must have sufficient heating facilities to reach a temperature of 70 degrees, that outdoor stairs must be safe and capable of supporting the load of normal use, that sanitary maintenance of the entire facility must be maintained, and every unit must have a safe egress to ground level.

“I find that the property, including its electrical and heating systems, does not comply with the requirements,” Peterson stated, listing the other areas as non-compliant as well.

Therefore, Bhatt’s appeal was denied. The revocation of the rooming house permit was affirmed. The conditional permit was revoked immediately.

“Within 15 days of receipt of this order, appellant shall ensure that OYO is entirely vacated. OYO may not be used as a rooming house again unless it reapplies for a rooming house permit according to all applicable laws and ordinances,” Peterson noted.