PORTLAND, Ore. — A Clackamas County project meant to turn a hotel into transitional housing for the homeless has been halted because County Chair Tootie Smith reversed her earlier vote in favor of the purchase.
The plan is called "Project Turnkey" and county commissioners voted back in February to buy the Quality Inn Hotel on Sunnyside Road for just over $15 million.
Chris Ceciliani was suppose to be the property manager at the hotel. He said he had an extensive job description and was ready to help.
"I would check on them every single day, multiple times a day, if they needed resources I would contact Street Roots and help them get what they needed," Ceciliani said.
State and metro affordable housing bond funds would have paid for this project. It would have been the first converted hotel in Clackamas County. Smith indicated that her vote reversal was due to public feedback.
"The first mistake, we did not listen to enough people to get a buy into this, so we are going to do that," Smith said.
Smith said commissioners will come up with another plan to address homelessness. Ceciliani was going to live at the hotel while working there, and he's disappointed he's missing out on this job opportunity.
"I've worked in behavioral health before and I felt like I could try and make a change but it got shut down," Ceciliani said.
Fortunately, Ceciliani has a full-time job elsewhere.
The hotel is next to a large strip mall with several businesses including a McMenamins. Last week, the property's landlord filed a lawsuit against the county hoping to stop "Project Turnkey". The lawsuit claimed the project would violate deed restrictions and be "out of harmony with the restaurant operating within the shopping center". The very next morning after the lawsuit was filed, Smith called the emergency meeting and reversed her vote which cancelled the project. She said her vote was not influenced by the lawsuit.
"Open up your heart and listen to it, there are a lot of people out here trying to make a change for people who need a change," Ceciliani said.
In a statement to KGW, Clackamas County said it had contracted with Stoneway Management LLC for site management relating to the Project Turnkey project at the Quality Inn. "Clackamas County cannot speak to the title, role or conditions of employment Mr. Ceciliani has or had with Stoneway Management," it said.
