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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter - 2/13/1997 . ~'<a ~ CITY HALL 215 Church Avenue P. O. Box 1130 Oshkosh. Wisconsin 54902-1130 City of Oshkosh (t) OJHKOfH Brinkman Apartments PO Box 1265 Oshkosh, WI 54902 February 13, 1997 Re: Frontenac Apartments Dear Mr. & Mrs. Brinkman; Please advise us what progress is being made toward the repair/remodeling of this apartment building. As you are aware, a joint inspection last August revealed several concerns both inside and outside that must be addressed. In previous correspondence from this office, we summarized the code concerns discovered during the joint inspection and asked you to develop a schedule for correcting the noted items. To date we have only been told that bids were being obtained to repair the roof and some repairs were made to various dwelling unit ceilings. At this time I am requesting the submittal of a schedule listing the individual repairs to be made and the dates which you intend to have them completed (or have completed.) Please include the items listed on the previous correspondence (enclosed) and any other items which are scheduled for correction or were corrected, but not previously listed. If there are items which have been corrected, please arrange for a reinspection so we may verify the completion and remove any such corrections from the list. Our office understands the enormity of the task at hand, however we must continue to monitor the progress you are making through correspondence and reinspections. It is our intent to allow reasonable time frames to make the necessary renovations, but we must be assured the units are safe and habitable. Please call us at 236-5045 to arrange the reinspection and if you have any questions or concerns to discuss with us. Bruce Luedtk Housing Inspector enclosure .. , . " Brinkman Apartments PO Box 1265 Oshkosh, WI 54902 September 3, 1996 Re: Frontenac Apartments Dear Mr. & Mrs. Brinkman; On Monday, August 26, 1996, Bruce Luedtke, Housing Inspector and I met with you at this apartment building to investigate concerns of roof leaks and falling plaster and ceiling tiles. Our inspection of units 140C, 132C , and 309 Brown revealed that there were apparent roofleaks and . that the plaster in many areas of the units had become loose and did represent a danger to the tenants. (Also be advised that we received a complaint about falling plaster in unit 140D on Tuesday morning.) You informed us during the meeting that James Larson, Architect is in the process of developing plans for roof repairs and facade renovations. These plans also include researching for grants/loans to. aid in financing the necessary renovations. Items we witnessed as code violations during our brief inspection are as follows: 1. Falling/failing ceiling plaster and tiles. Failing plaster is also prevalent on the walls of these units and in common areas. 2. All the windows must be repaired or replaced to be weather tight and functional. These windows must also have screens. 3. Most of the dwelling unit doors and frames are in poor condition; requiring replacement. These doors must also be provided with deadbolt locking devices. (Have your architect research whether the transoms above tht( common corridor dwelling unit doors meet the code requirements in effect for this building.) 4. Floor coverings in various rooms need to be replaced/repaired. 5. The electrical throughout the building should be inspected for safety. We witnessed switches and receptacles that were loose in the walls and light fixtures that needed repairs or replacement. With the age of this building one should question the condition of the wiring, switches, light fixtures and receptacles. We also suggest that any ceiling fixture replacement include installing wall switches for control. Pull chain fixtures are subject to more stre~s and damage and also require the user to walk into a dark room while searching forthe pull chain. Any receptacles being replaced in the vicinity of water ..;t'\" e fixtures must be ground fault receptacles. 6. The building facade needs tuckpointing and several areas of wood detail and trim are deteriorated, requiring repairs. 7. There are roof leaks in many areas of the building. 8. All fire extinguishers must be serviced on an annual basis. We noted some that had not been serviced in this time frame. 9. Repair the floor that has buckled in the 140 High section. 10. Repair/replace broken and/or missing handrails and guardrail components throughout the building. As I indicated in our meeting, you must make plans for and implement repairs to keep these apartments habitable and address other various code issues as well as your long term plans to rectify the major repaii:s which are necessary. At this time we need you to analyze what must be repaired immediately to keep these units habitable and submit a list/schedule to us indicating when and how the necessary repairs will be made. We would also like you to develop a schedule for long term repairs and make arrangements for periodic inspections so we can verify continuous progress in correct~ng the code items in a permanent manner. We encourage you to use the self inspection checklist to conduct a thorough review of each unit and common area. If you desire assistance in this regard for the purpose of developing thorough renovation plans and addressing all code violations in your renovation plans do not hesitate to call me. You should also be aware that with the age of this building, there is a good probability that the paints and varnishes contain lead. With the amount of wall ID1rd ceiling surfaces deteriorating, there could be a problem with lead dust. The City Health Division has the necessary equipment to analyze these surfaces to determine if there is a lead conceqt. If you would like more information, contact them at 236-5030. As you are aware, it is a violation of City Ordinance to rent a dwelling unit with known code violations. While it is not our intent to declare the dwelling units uninhabitable, we cannot allow occupancy of units with known violations unless we have evidence the units are safe and all violations are being addressed in an expedient manner. For this reason, we must see that the roof leaks are being addressed promptly, steps are taken to secure the falling plaster and tiles, doors are solid and secure, all of the aforementioned items are being addressed and that any other life- safety issues are corrected. You must also provide for periodic inspection of these units so we can verify they are habitable prior to letting any vacant units for occupancy. Any units now occupied must be scheduled for corrective action in an acceptable amount of time, thus the reason for submitting a schedule for repairs. Ultimately, we would expect to see items such as the roof, facade, windows, doors, etc. be replaced/repaired for long term compliance. 111 'If/! ,*,.~ \.. , .,., 1;-. C> After you have developed a list and schedule for repairs you must arrange a meeting with us for review of your schedule. In this meeting we will review and discuss the needed repairs, schedule for completing repairs and set a date for a reinspection for verification of repairs. Per your request, a copy of this letter is being sent to Mr. Larson. Sincerely; Allyn Dannhoff Director of Code Enforcement cc: Bruce Luedtke, Housing Inspector