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Residents of the Marlborough neighborhood in south Kansas City, Missouri, are expressing growing frustration over the deteriorating condition of the 4-Acres Motel, a property they describe as a "stagnant" eyesore.
The property is at 8220 Hickman Mills Drive.
They allege that the out-of-state owner is failing to maintain the property, leading to safety concerns and a decline in the neighborhood's quality of life.
"It looks scary," Karl Huffman, a Marlborough resident, said.
Huffman said the property looks bad.
"I did 23 years in the Army, field artillery officer, and I wouldn’t go over there," he said.
Diane Hershberger, executive director of the Marlborough Community Coalition, recalled a time when the motel was a functioning hotel.
"I've lived in the neighborhood 28 years, it was a functioning hotel," she said.
However, there was a murder, then a fire. For years, it's been left empty and abandoned.
“Now it looks like a bomb site or something,” Hershberger said.
Hershberger questioned why the property has been left to decay.
"It's just sitting there in a state of decrepitude. Why?" Huffman asked. "Why is this eyesore here?"
They believe the property is attracting crime.
"Other areas, they don't have this. Why is it being left to sit here and decay?” Huffman said.
"The primary problem lies with the owner not living up to what he says," Hershberger said.
Eddie Guinn, the Texas-based owner of the 4-Acres Motel property, responded to the concerns via phone.
Guinn detailed the efforts he has made to secure the property.
"We have boarded the property up multiple times," he said. "Added concrete borders to stop people from being able to dump."
He also claimed that safety measures, such as copper and solar lights added for safety, have been stripped by homeless people.
He mentioned his attempt to meet with the neighborhood coalitions.
Marlborough residents remain concerned about the property's current state and its impact on their neighborhood. They are demanding action to address the safety hazards and improve the appearance of the area before additional plans are announced.
“We did come up with a plan. We did submit it to councilman Darrel Curls office,” Guinn said.
Guinn says he wants to utilize tax credits, then demolish the site, and then add 100 units of senior housing.
“It’s talk, but it’s the music we want to hear, solutions to affordable housing,” Hersberger said.
But Marlborough neighbors have waited, and waited, and waited for plans to turn into proof, and they say nothing concrete has been done.
“This neighborhood is tired of waiting,” Hershberger said. “No, the community does not want to get together for a public meeting for a new plan when you haven’t followed through on your other plans. Have it torn down, the owner needs to start permitting like they are supposed to and then have a public meeting."
“There's no promises we can make about timing because the city (KCMO) can’t make any promises about timing,” Guinn said.
Councilman Darrel Curls told KSHB 41 News Reporter Megan Abundis he knows the property owner and said, “I’m working to get him to live up to that promise to tear down the property, and I believe we are at that point.”
“We don’t have time. We need to be doing something now,” Huffman said. “We’re willing to take on the fight because we want better.”
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