A Norfolk Superior Court judge has taken under advisement an appeal by Motel 6 against the Town of Braintree’s revocation of its operating license.
The town’s Board of Health revoked the motel’s license, citing public safety issues at the Union Street site where a Braintree police officer was shot and wounded in May while trying to serve an arrest warrant.
The motel’s corporate owners appealed the unanimous July 13 decision and made their case in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham on July 19. Judge Michael Ricciuti made no immediate ruling.
“For years, the Motel 6 Braintree has been operating while working closely with the local authorities and officials to accommodate the city’s demands and requirements,’’ G6 Hospitality of Carrollton, Texas, said in a press release. “In fact, our efforts have been publicly recognized by the city in previous years.’’
The company owns, operates, and franchises more than 1,350 economy lodgings in North America, according it its website.
The 92-room motel, which is near the Southeast Expressway access rotary, closed voluntarily on June 1 while the Board of Health considered its options following the May shooting. In that incident, the suspected shooter died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The wounded officer, Donald Delaney, remains out on medical leave, and the four other officers involved in the May 5 incident also are on leave while the district attorney reviews the police response, according to Mayor Joseph Sullivan.
Sullivan had recommended revocation of the Motel 6 license, saying a “lack of investment’’ in the property and history of criminal activity made it a public safety hazard. Sullivan said he also was disappointed in what he called Motel 6’s “half-measure’’ response to the town’s concerns.
“There is a high level of frustration with their refusal to recognize the magnitude of what happened on May 5 — that it was a game changer,’’ Sullivan said. “For years we’ve been trying to manage what has become an unmanageable situation, and we’re not going to accept it any longer.’’
Johanna Seltz can be reached at seltzjohanna@gmail.com.
