Storyland Motel Shutdown | ABC30 Fresno | abc30.com

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By ABC30

Friday, April 17, 2009

Fresno, CA You can see the chain link fence is up, banning anyone from coming and going here. The long saga is over, for now. But it was drawn out right until the end.

If the Storyland Motel ever opens up again, the sign that greets visitors will really have to mean what it says. The motels last residents reluctantly allowed movers to load up their final belongings. The last ones out were not the happiest. Most residents are moving just up the street to motels like this one. It's a slight improvement.

Renee Ollis said, "It's better because we don't have a bunch holes in the wall and people aren't going through the floors or anything and the maintenance is better because we take care of it more than Storyland."

The cost to move residents has been about 20 thousand dollars. The city has paid for firsts months rent at other motels along with moving and storage costs.

Most of the condemned units are already boarded up. The city paid four thousand dollars for that.

The people may be leaving but what lingers is a permeating smell of rotting trash, cigarette butts and animal waste.

Still, some just didn't want to go.

What will become of this property is still unknown. The owners do not live in Fresno and have only been represented in court by their attorney. City officials say if it ever reopens, it will need to be gutted and maybe rebuilt altogether.