Toccoa Shutting Down Relax Inn

Toccoa city officials declare another motel in the city unfit for human habitation.

Last week, the city inspected the Relax Inn on Currahee Street and said it found that the facility was unsafe, unsanitary, and not in compliance with the basic minimum housing standards required by the city and the state.

As a result, the property was condemned.

Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse said that multiple violations were found in every room and that in general, the violations were the same as ones that have caused other city motel facilities to close.

“That deals with unsafe and unsanitary conditions, smoke detectors lacking, insects, pests, exposed electrical wiring, those sorts of things,” said Morse.

According to Morse, the owner of the Relax Inn will voluntarily close the facility on July 3.

Toccoa City Commissioner Gail Fry said that condemning the Relax Inn is the result of a detailed inspection of the facility.

Fry said that the city must uphold the rules that it and the state have in place.

“This is part of our continued efforts to make sure that all tourist accommodations are safe and meet operating standards that are in compliance with public health rules,” said Fry. “This action relates a message to hotel and motel operators that we have high expectations and will no longer allow substandard operations to exist. The people who rent these rooms are paying for a safe facility and we must make sure that happens.”

Meanwhile, Toccoa Mayor Terry Carter said that community beautification and code enforcement continue to be major goals of the city commission.

Carter said eliminating unsafe and unsanitary conditions is a big part of that process.

“On behalf of the city commission, I would like to thank the city staff for their work relating to the inspection of these facilities,” said Carter. “Despite the filthy and unsafe conditions, our dedicated city employees worked diligently to make sure all public safety violations were recorded. Its due to their hard work, we are able to rid our community of these blighted locations.”

As for what will happen to the property once it closes on July 3, Morse said that the owner of the Relax Inn does have the option to rebuild in compliance with city and state housing standards.

“I think he would like to renovate, but that can be an expensive proposition as he well knows, so I think he is weighing his options at this time,” said Morse.

This is the fourth hotel or motel closed by the city in recent weeks for not meeting minimum city and state housing standards.

First, the city condemned the Host Inn back in April. It closed last month and now sits vacant.