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Council committees escalate enforcement at Brookstone after resident safety reports
Summary
Council and staff described additional citations and legal pressure on Brookstone management following resident reports of security problems and unrepaired unit doors; city attorneys are pursuing use of surety bond and other remedies.
Council members and staff in the judiciary committee on Feb. 11 returned to ongoing concerns about Brookstone (Crowe Park) tenant safety and property management.
Chief of staff and public-safety representatives told the committee the city has issued a new code violation after a resident reported a back door remained unrepaired for months; police responded to a separate incident in which an exterior door was kicked in but no arrest followed. Staff said they would inspect the unit and discuss immediate relocation with Brookstone management if the unit were unsafe.
Taylor (chief of staff) said the city has been assessing enforcement options, including continuing to issue citations and escalating toward financial remedies. He told the committee that city attorneys have been instructed to pursue the property’s performance bond (a surety) to force repairs and completion of outstanding punch-list items; the surety amount referenced in committee materials was roughly $7 million and staff said it would be used if Brookstone does not do the required work. City officials said the developer and management company — identified in discussion as a Dorchester/Benoit Group operation — have resisted completing outstanding repairs and that the city is exploring receivership as a long-term remedy.
Committee members asked whether the person who kicked in the door was a tenant; staff said that was not the case based on the police report, and that management has the contractual ability to evict or otherwise remove tenants whose visitors damage units. Council members underscored the need for greater on-site presence — including stationing a patrol car in the area at times and exploring grant-funded civilian security or “ghost” surveillance units — and for clearer, faster use of the surety if the management company will not fix hazards.
Why it matters
Brookstone is the subject of repeated resident complaints about safety and maintenance. The city said it is using both enforcement (citations) and legal/financial pressure (surety, notices to owners and involvement of state housing authorities) to compel repairs. Committee discussion also referenced earlier unspent grant funding for security that the management company declined to accept when the city tried to apply it on residents’ behalf.
What officials said next
Staff said they would continue code inspections, press Brookstone’s management for repairs and bring additional legal steps — including tapping the surety or receivership — for further council or legal action if necessary.
Ending
The committee adjourned with instructions to continue enforcement and for legal staff to prepare additional remedies; the matter will return to the council or committee for any formal action needed to utilize the surety or pursue receivership.
