Hotel-to-shelter conversion in Jericho hits road block

The conversion of a Jericho hotel into a temporary homeless shelter hit a road block in court this week, according to Newsday. A New York state judge temporarily halted work on a former Hampton Inn hotel at 120 Jericho Turnpike. The town of Oyster Bay sued the owner of the property last Thursday, claiming the conversion violated zoning regulations and a permit issued for the hotel. The nonprofit group Community Housing Innovations Inc. signed an agreement with Nassau County to convert the hotel into a shelter that would house around 80 families. Around 2,000 local parents signed a petition opposing the shelter, and roughly 200 people showed up at Jericho High School on Saturday to protest the conversion. Some claim the influx of school-age children would negatively impact the school district. [Newsday]