Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Tenant Conditions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tenant at Avon Place warns renovations have left residents without hot water and strain parking
Summary
A resident of Avon Place told the Avon Town Council that extensive renovations in occupied units have caused repeated water shutoffs, a 13-day loss of hot water, and potential overcrowding from converting dining spaces into bedrooms; the Town said permits and inspections are in place and referred the water issue to the Farmington Valley Health District.
Amy Arlin, a tenant at Avon Place, told the Avon Town Council on Feb. 5 that renovations underway in nearly half of the building’s units have caused repeated water shutoffs, intrusive plumbing work in occupied apartments and a 13-day period this past month without adequate hot water. She said a new boiler has since been installed.
"Occupied units have been accessed for plumbing work including cutting into walls or ceilings," Arlin said, and described tenants waking up during a major snowstorm with no hot water. She said management circulated drawings showing dining areas converted to bedrooms and that evictions and non-renewals are sustaining a rolling renovation cycle.
Arlin said she was not asking the Council to halt work that night but asked the town to monitor cumulative impacts on plumbing capacity, hot water reliability, parking demand, and traffic safety on Avonwood Road where school drop-off routinely blocks the narrow roadway.
Town Manager [title used in transcript] told the Council that town departments are aware, that required permits have been pulled, the Building Official and Fire Marshal are coordinating with the contractor and property owner, and that the matter of water service had been referred to the Farmington Valley Health District. Chairman Dan Polhamus asked Arlin to keep the Council informed, and Mrs. Barthel asked whether the town could speak with the nearby Reggio School and asked the Police Department to review traffic flow during school arrival and dismissal.
Why it matters: Conversions that add bedrooms can increase demand on plumbing, hot water systems and parking. Arlin framed this as densification without corresponding infrastructure upgrades and urged the town to track cumulative impacts as renovations continue.
What’s next: The Town Manager said inspections and permitting are ongoing; the heating issue in this building has been addressed with a new boiler and the water service referral is with the Farmington Valley Health District. The Council asked staff to follow up and requested police review of Avonwood Road traffic patterns during school drop-off hours.
