Salem owes renters 2nd look (Salem Virginia)

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http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/171903

Salem owes renters 2nd look

Shanna Flowers

After decades of problems at Salem Ridge Apartments, a 13-member task force

dipped its toes in the current of complaints from residents at the complex.

Let's hope the panel actually dives in. A lot of people will be eager to see

what happens.

Late last week, the task force took a cursory survey of the trouble-plagued

units formerly known as Willow River after residents complained about mold,

general neglect, smell and health worries.

The panel documented patches of mold and a few fire code violations.

The task force -- Salem city officials, a mold specialist, a health official and

apartment management -- found " no cases of imminent danger. "

Maybe not to 13 officials who walked through the complex off Virginia 419 near

Apperson Drive on a sunny Friday afternoon. But ask the families who live there.

Their complaints stem from 24 first-floor apartments condemned four years ago

after flooding from the nearby Roanoke River.

Some of the apartments are empty, while others contain debris.

One family living above one of the shuttered units has noticed a musty smell in

towels left in the closet and air-conditioning filters needing frequent

replacement. Chest colds seem to last longer, they said.

" No cases of imminent danger? "

Tell that to 3-month-old Naudia , who has undergone breathing treatments

twice during visits to the hospital emergency room, according to her mother,

Bobbie Waldron. The newborn has been to her personal physician at least three

times and struggles constantly with congestion, Waldron said.

" You can hear her wheezing, " said Waldron, who moved into her two-bedroom

apartment in December.

Residents deserve more than a task force that doesn't complete the task.

Salem's city manager pulled the task force together, and members should follow

through to make sure apartment management keeps its promise " to fix what the

city thinks needs to be fixed. "

If conditions don't improve, residents should vote with their feet and move out.

The apartment complex has caused its share of headaches for decades.

It has flooded at least 10 times since the early 1970s. Two years ago, this

newspaper did an in-depth investigation and found that the flood-prone property

had received $10.7 million from a federally backed flood-insurance program that

had allowed it to rebuild time and time again since 1977.

Waldron said she was familiar with the complex's history, but was assured that

flooding shouldn't be a problem anymore.

Perhaps not. But residents contend that they live with the effects of earlier

flooding, in the form of persistent odors and other problems from the condemned

apartments.

The owner, PAMI Willow River LLC, said residents' health and safety is

" paramount. "

The owner said that in recent months it has spent $400,000 on the property,

which is on the market for $8 million. While the owner noted that it was

committed to improving the complex, a statement also suggests it is eager to

sell the complex to " a long-term owner who will invest in major upgrades and

enhancements. "

Waldron, a receptionist, was scheduled to look at a duplex Monday evening.

" As soon as I can get out of there, I'm gone, " she said.

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