Norwich — The proprietor of an allegedly unlawful massive occasions venues was arrested final week after she allegedly did not adjust to a metropolis fireplace marshal’s order to appropriate fireplace security violations at her Mount Crescent Home at 270 Broadway.
Huey “Natalie” Min Lee, 61, of 62 Mohegan Street, Norwich, was charged Could 3 with a single depend of failure to abate a hearth hazard. She was launched on a written promise to seem in Norwich Superior Court docket on Could 19. Lee turned herself in to Norwich Police Could 3 after the town fireplace marshal’s workplace obtained a warrant April 5 for her arrest.
Lee, who controls the LLCs that personal three properties in Norwich that she rents for giant occasions, additionally faces a civil lawsuit filed by the town’s zoning enforcement officer alleging Lee has been renting her properties in violation of metropolis zoning rules and has did not adjust to repeated violation notices.
Within the civil case, New London Superior Court docket Choose Robert Younger on Monday denied Lee’s movement to dismiss the case. The choose cited state statutes that the town does have correct authorized standing to adjudicate a zoning dispute via state Superior Court docket.
Within the prison criticism, Norwich Fireplace Marshal Mark Gilot wrote that on Dec. 13 he performed a “life/security/fireplace code inspection” at Lee’s Mount Crescent Home venue at 270 Broadway primarily based on a court-approved administrative search warrant issued Dec. 6.
Gilot wrote that, through the inspection, he documented 18 fireplace security code violations on the property. Gilot issued an abatement order Dec. 17, with corrections ordered to be accomplished by Jan. 20. The warrant said that Lee did not adjust to the order by the Jan. 20 deadline.
The civil lawsuit by the town contains allegations that Lee continues to lease three Norwich properties – the Mount Crescent Home at 270 Broadway, a big home at 138 Mediterranean Lane in a residential neighborhood and a bed-and-breakfast at 380 Washington St. – for giant occasions with no permits.
Lee had obtained approval from the Fee on the Metropolis Plan for a bed-and-breakfast inn at 270 Broadway, and the Lathrop Manor at 380 Washington St. already was an permitted bed-and-breakfast when she bought the home. However metropolis rules require bed-and-breakfast services to be proprietor occupied. The town claims Lee or her consultant don’t reside on the homes.
The town additionally claims Lee by no means obtained remaining zoning approval for 270 Broadway, which might require compliance with fireplace security codes. Lee, who’s representing herself within the court docket proceedings, has claimed making the alterations ordered by the town fireplace marshal’s workplace, together with sprinklers or sealing off the third ground, would break the historic 1870 mansion.
Lee claims the state acknowledges her properties as authentic short-term leases, as a result of she pays the state 15% room occupancy tax for short-term leases.
c.bessette@theday.com
