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Council hears update on Ballevon Apartments asbestos abatement; enforcement paused during state oversight
Summary
Alderman and staff updated council on asbestos remediation at the Ballevon Apartments; city enforcement is paused while the state oversees abatement, but aldermen pressed for faster remediation and clearer information for neighbors about contamination and hazards.
Alderman Conley told the Springfield City Council on March 4 that longtime problems at the Ballevon Apartments on Washington Street — most recently an asbestos violation — have created “a hot mess” for neighbors and schools and that residents need clearer information about the release and remediation timeline.
City staff said the state has taken control of the asbestos matter and that the owner contracted M and O Environmental Company for abatement. Because the state is overseeing the remediation, the city’s administrative enforcement actions are paused until the asbestos work is complete, though city legal staff said the pause is not an end to enforcement.
Why it matters: council members said the buildings on the parcel are in poor condition and that the parcel also includes an adjacent daycare that was previously combined with the apartment property by a council vote to allow additional parking. Neighbors have asked what was released, how much, and how soon the site will be safe; council members urged staff to get specific details and timelines to share with residents.
Safety concerns: Alderman Hanauer and Conley raised immediate hazards including large, decaying tree limbs near sidewalks used by children walking to West Campus; they asked staff to see if tree removal could be accelerated under the state’s oversight because falling limbs are an immediate danger.
Staff follow up: the staff member who briefed council said they would obtain a projected abatement timeline and circulate that information to council members. No new enforcement action or ordinance was adopted at the meeting.
