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City to begin Negotiations with Country Haven Motel
• Part of a larger plan to move riff raff out
Monday,
February 9, 2009
As part of the Margate Community Redevelopment Agency’s ongoing land acquisition plan for downtown Margate, MCRA officials will begin negotiating the purchase of the Country Haven Motel on State Road 7. Motel owners are asking $850,000, but as City Commissioner, Pam Donovan pointed out, the motel is tax assessed at roughly 30 percent less.
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Last August, the MCRA purchased the Stars & Stripe Car Wash for $665,000, which, on paper, appeared to be a good deal when comparing both land and building to similar sales in recent years and making allowances for the down economy.
When asked why the MCRA continues to buy land in a down market, Margate Commissioner David McLean was quick to say that the city is protecting itself against properties falling into the hands of people who don’t share the city’s vision for the future, and whose land use may discourage quality mixed use development.
If purchased, MCRA officials are proposing a number of options for Country Haven, including but not limited to city use or raising it. Maybe even affordable housing with some work.
It’s likely few Margatonians will miss Country Haven. It’s busy mostly at night for obvious reasons, although they do rent weekly to transients and minimalists.
As one tripadvisor traveler wrote after visiting the motel and giving it a one star rating:
“Country haven, LOL, more like crack haven.”
"Well, where do I begin. I stepped into my room and straight into the 1970s with a TV attached to a weird 70's stand with terrible reception. The decor was interesting: one plastic lawn chair and a bed like out of a prison cell. Maids must not have cleaned the bathroom EVER because I found drug paraphernalia in the medicine cabinet and used condoms under the bed! Let’s not forget about the various crack dealers that were my friendly neighbors. Absolutely disgusting. I don’t think I will be going to that haven in the country EVER AGAIN."
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