Neighbors Say Industrial Hotel is "Worst it's Ever Been"

Representatives from San Mateo County Department of Mental Health vowed to work with neighbors to relieve problems around the Industrial Hotel at Wednesday night’s city council meeting.

The Industrial Hotel at 505 Cypress Avenue is home to 29 residents of a county-financed mental health program, as well as a number of other residents. Neighbors came to Wednesday’s meeting to complain that residents of the hotel regularly engage in drug use, prostitution and harassment.

“I live right next door to the Industrial Hotel,” Cynthia Arias told the council. “It’s a dump. There’s garbage everywhere, there’s loitering everywhere. They vandalized my car already on two separate incidents. I’ve lived there for 30 years and it’s the worst it’s gotten.”

“We’re walking down the street and we’re being solicited for prostitution,” said Nancy Coliz, who lives on California Avenue.  “There are needles on the floor. The hotel is unsafe; we’re afraid to walk down that street.”

Teresa and Tino Huerta, owners of La Perla Restaurant, said hotel residents have entered their restaurant to harass customers and engaged in prostitution behind their dumpsters.

“Our business has been there since 1962, almost 50 years,” Tino Huerta said. “We’re going to try to stay another 50 years, but we need some help right now.”

County mental health and program staff said they were previously unaware of the problem, but they want to work with residents to improve the situation.

“I think there’s a good relationship with the police already,” said Louise Rogers, director of San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. “That’s one of the reasons we wanted to be here and be in connection with you all so we can partner with the rest of the community.”

Rogers explained that the county contracts with a company called Telecare, which provides 24-hour support to the 29 adults enrolled in the program at the Industrial Hotel. Clinical workers treat the residents daily, and the program goal is help people with mental health and substance abuse issues become independent through employment and education.

The interior of the Industrial Hotel has been renovated to make it safer for residents, said Christine Coppola, deputy director of adult and older adult services for the county. The hotel has 24-hour exterior video surveillance, she said.

“SROs [single-room occupancy hotels] are classically problematic,” Coppola told neighbors after the meeting, suggesting that the county’s presence had improved the situation. “That’s why we go there.”

City council members expressed concern with the location of the program so close to downtown and in the middle of a dense neighborhood.

“I’m sorry, I find this totally unacceptable,” said Councilmember Karyl Matsumoto. “We’re trying to grow the downtown, and I don’t go downtown either because I don’t like to be harassed.”

“I’ve been on the council ten years, and they constantly complain about that place,” said Councilmember Pedro Gonzalez. “The program is great, but I believe personally that the place for this type of person is not there.”

But Mayor Kevin Mullin emphasized that there are now increased police resources in the downtown area due to the new police substation.

“We need to look at this in a holistic way and not simply give into emotion,” Mullin said.

Mullin appointed Councilmember Pedro Gonzalez and Councilmember Mark Addiego to a subcommittee to further investigate the problem.

Kevin Jones, the Telecare manager, encouraged neighbors to call him with with concerns at (650) 817-9070. Rogers also invited neighbors to call her at (650) 573-2544.