Update: Tuolumne County Strikes Deal To Buy Columbia Inn For Homelessness Efforts

Update at 2:50 p.m.: The Columbia Union School District Board is raising an objection to Tuolumne County’s deal to purchase the Columbia Inn Motel for $ 1.65 million; additional information on the agreement is provided below. A majority of the district board members have called for a special meeting on the issue that has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 21st. The only item on the agenda is for “the board to consider a resolution stating their opposition to the plan by the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors to purchase the Columbia Inn Motel in order to convert the hotel into a homeless shelter.” No further specifics were listed in the agenda regarding their complaints. However, one issue may be the proximity of the motel to Columbia Elementary School, which is about a block away. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the school on Parrotts Ferry Road in Columbia.

Original post written by BJ Hansen at 7:43 a.m.: Columbia, CA — At the direction of the board of supervisors, Tuolumne County government leaders have negotiated a deal to purchase the Columbia Inn Motel.

It is a 24-room lodge located at 22646 Parrotts Ferry Road.

We reported earlier that the property was discussed during a closed session two weeks ago. The county has been mum on the discussions, noting legal limitations related to negotiations and closed session items.

A memo, however, written by Homeless Services Coordinator Michael Roberson, and Capital Projects Coordinator Maureen Frank, ahead of Tuesday’s upcoming board meeting, states, “On February 7, 2023, your Board authorized staff to negotiate price and terms with the owner of the Columbia Inn Motel. At the conclusion of these negotiations, the County has agreed to purchase the property for $1,650,000 to include all of the motel furniture with a 60-day close of escrow. The funds to purchase this facility will be coming from the following funds: Homeless Housing, Assistance Prevention Grants, Permanent Local Housing Allocation, and Community Development Block Grant Program Income Funds.”

The motel rooms will house both individuals, and families.

The memo also states, “These housing units would be utilized as a housing resource for Tuolumne County Health and Human Services Agency as part of their services and individuals on their caseload. HHSA caseload includes serving the elderly, the disabled, families, transitional aged youth, and families receiving services through child welfare services.”

There is also a home on the property that will be used by an on-site program manager. In addition, it will be a Navigation Center where people can go and receive services related to transitional housing.

At Tuesday’s upcoming meeting, the board will be asked to post a “Notice of Intent” to purchase the Columbia Inn property. Then on March 21, the supervisors will be asked to approve the final contract of sale.

Tuesday’s meeting will start at 9am at the new Tuolumne Resilience Center in Tuolumne. The Columbia Inn item is scheduled for 3pm.