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Tenant tells council she’s fallen five times at Prospect Hill Apartments; borough offers help to file DCA complaint
Summary
A Red Bank resident told the council she has fallen five times on poorly lit steps at Prospect Hill Apartments and urged reinspection; borough staff said the complex is regulated by the state Division of Codes and Standards and offered to help escalate a complaint and gather police reports.
A Red Bank resident told the borough council that repeated falls on poorly lit steps at Prospect Hill Apartments pose an immediate safety risk and urged the borough to require a reinspection.
Patricia Brennan (8 Brockport Ave) described five falls on an unlit stairway and said she had left multiple voicemails for building staff with no response. She asked the borough to perform a nighttime reinspection and to address inadequate lighting around walkways and curb cuts that she said make access difficult for people using walkers or wheelchairs. “I’ve fallen down these steps five times,” she said. “I really don’t want to fall again.”
Council members and municipal staff acknowledged the safety concerns but explained the building is regulated by the New Jersey Division of Codes and Standards (DCA) for multi-dwelling complexes. Borough staff said some corrective work had been done previously but that municipal code enforcement has limited authority over DCA‑regulated properties. Staff and council offered practical next steps: provide DCA contact information, help residents assemble documentation (including police reports) and assist with filing a DCA complaint so the state bureau can conduct a targeted safety inspection.
An official who has inspected the property told the council he had performed an inspection but that an on-site walkthrough did not identify the same hazards shown in the resident’s photos. Council members said that difference in findings underscores the value of a nighttime reinspection and evidence such as police reports and repeated complaint logs.
Joan Weatherell and other residents who spoke during public comment supported assistance in reaching DCA. The mayor and council directed staff to share DCA contacts with the resident and to help gather records that could support a state inspection.
Next steps: The borough indicated it will supply DCA contact information to the resident, assist in compiling police reports and complaint records, and help escalate the safety concern to the Division of Codes and Standards for a state inspection.
