Colonie

Eighty percent of the rooms at the Blu- Bell Motel are uninhabitable, the town attorney said Thursday after executing a search warrant on the premises.

Owner Alex Patel already had one Central Avenue motel he owns, the Skylane, closed Monday over what authorities said were more than 250 code violations that could carry as much as $750,000 in fines. Now town leaders are targeting a second of Patel's inns.

After workers were spotted making repairs without building permits, Town Attorney Michael Maggiulli obtained a search warrant for the Blu-Bell Motel at 1920 Central Ave. Police, the town attorneys and building inspectors searched every one of its 22 rooms. Four-fifths of them were found to be unfit and will be posted, Maggiulli said.

"Of those, only two were currently occupied," Michael Maggiulli said. "In one, we had him (Patel) relocate the woman immediately because of a severe threat of electrocution."

In the other occupied room deemed unfit, he said, "there was a huge hole in the floor in front of the toilet. You could look down through the floor and actually see the sewer pipes."

The room was so cold, he said, a rim of frost had formed on the water in the toilet.

Neither Patel nor his attorney, John Dowd, could be reached for comment.

Maggiulli could not yet say what code violations might be cited or whether the town would seek to shutter the Blu-Bell as it has the Skylane. Patel is contesting the charges but did not try to fight to keep the Skylane open.

Maggiulli said the second motel was no better than the first.

"The conditions were just about as bad as the Skylane," he said.

Patel pleaded not guilty last week to more than 250 alleged code violations at the Skylane.

That same day, Patel's son, Niral Patel, sent a letter to tenants of the Blu-Bell saying to contact him about any problems. He could not be reached Thursday.

"We recognize that in the past, your needs have not been addressed in a proper or timely fashion and apologize for this," he wrote. "New management and operational standards will be implemented and your comfort is of highest priority to us."

On Monday, the town alleges, it found workers making repairs at the Skylane in contradiction of an order from the town and without building permits.

As he drove away, Maggiulli said he spotted the same workers at the Blu-Bell making repairs. He checked and discovered there was no building permit for the work there.

When Building Inspector Robert Cordell arrived to see what was being done, Maggiulli said, "they denied our entrance and told us to get a search warrant. It appears he is doing substantial work there without permits."

Town officials got the search warrant from Town Justice Peter Crummey on Wednesday and executed it at 10 a.m. Thursday. They found 12 rooms occupied by 14 people. Maggiulli said it was important town inspectors could see what work was being done.

"They could be doing cosmetic repairs that hide serious code violations," Maggiulli said. "That's why you have building permits to make sure the work is being done properly."

tobrien@timesunion.com • 518-454-5092 • @timobrientu