On December 16, the Greenbelt City Council had, in the words of Mayor Colin Byrd, a tough, but important discussion with representatives of the Franklin Park (FP) management office. Covid-19 has put enormous pressures on both residents and Fieldstone, owner of FP, while also exacerbating some longer standing issues.
Director of Resident Services Denise Knight said “we have had our hands full across the board” and that “everything has changed for us as we maneuver this pandemic and meet the needs of our residents.” Gail Comfort, vice president of operations, hoped that the city was aware of the burdens upon FP’s ownership as well. FP Asset Manager Lea Garcia said the company has “closed its books at a 40 percent delinquency rate” (the normal rate is 5 percent) impinging on ownership’s ability to pay its own bills and provide needed services, with foreclosure a possibility if the trend continues unabated.
Throughout the meeting FP staff expressed their sincere commitment to responding to and addressing problems of any kind, most importantly financial, at the moment. There has been a moratorium on evictions (only 22 this year, the majority occurring before the pandemic) as well as rent increases (in keeping with the recent city ordinance). Repayment plans are available, dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Knight asked to be notified in the event any vindictive or unprofessional staff response to resident complaints gets reported to the city, saying “that is not our style” to behave like that.
Several FP residents expressed their deep frustration over chronic, unaddressed issues, a good deal of them occurring before the pandemic but only intensified afterwards. Complaints concerning unanswered or tardy responses for maintenance and insufficient pest control were at the top of the list, but other complaints included mold and fungus growth, leaks, appliance and gas stove disrepair, low water pressure and insufficient parking, especially in handicapped spots.
Council gave its opinion that these issues are unacceptable, with Byrd describing them as troubling, urging that FP staff deal with them immediately.
FP staff pledged to look into all these cases, with Knight admitting moments when “we’re not perfect,” and that “things fall through the cracks.” She hoped to move forward in a positive direction and achieve better communication with residents. Knight said that plans are in the works to do a phased, section-by-section assessment of the entire development to better address individual problems.
Council felt that customer service complaints were not centered around the management per se, with the problem focused more on the rest of the staff. Byrd said that “while management has a good reputation, Franklin Park as a whole has to step it up.”
Greenbelt Police Chief Richard Bowers said that while most crime trends were not up this year, there has been a substantial rise in gun crime. Knight said that domestic incidents are “through the roof,” adding that violence in general during the pandemic has become an international trend. Knight said that most gun incidents are perpetrated by non-residents. Bowers said that a new FP community officer, Shanise Hawkins, has been assigned to the neighborhood, along with increased patrols, strategically placed security cameras and mental health counselors. Car vandalism and thefts were also cited by residents. Councilmember Edward Putens said he was not satisfied with even one shooting, let alone many. Knight said that the complex is working closely with Greenbelt police.
Brad Horton, vice president of facilities and procurement, laid out some of the ongoing physical plant renovations. In 2021, 15 buildings will receive new Atrium brand windows and sliders, with improvements to be continued over the next five to seven years. The windows, at the moment, were being replaced on an as-needed basis, according to Comfort. “As well,” said Horton in a separate interview, “our plan is to start in 2021 to convert 200 units from the original two pipe fan coil unit system to a new high efficiency LG mini-split with a ducted air handling unit.” “These upgrades would also continue over a five- to seven-year period,” he added, and “copper piping will be replaced with container and pressure vessel units in all buildings and housing units.” Comfort stressed, though, that while budgeted, “these renovations have not yet been approved and are not yet moving forward.”
Councilmember Emmett Jordan brought up the issue of overflowing trash and ineffective recycling. Knight stated that in the pandemic “trash is times 10,” conceding the need for more dumpsters and better recycling bins. Republic has become the complex’s new trash hauling company with pick-ups Monday to Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Horton reported much outside dumping with repercussions for doing so amounting to little more than a warning from police. Jordan suggested a camera surveillance system, but Horton countered that this would be costly. He was open to suggestions, with Knight saying that residents are responsible for their own bulk trash.
Horton said that a preventive pest control treatment is done four times a year, with unit infestations also being dealt with on an ongoing basis. Roach infestations were a major complaint, posing a health risk and being embarrassing, said one resident. Councilmember Rodney Roberts was skeptical of the efficacy of the approach by maintenance.
Byrd stressed that residents should seek out city code enforcement if needed, though expressing the hope that FP would handle these issues on their own.
Jordan was concerned with the lack of a long-term plan in these uncertain times, asking for more transparency if the financial situation were to worsen. Comfort said that at present the plan is to regroup after the first quarter, hoping a return to some normalcy at that time, saying that this outlook is a result of looking into “as much of a crystal ball as I have today.”
Resident Ric Gordon was glad for the community feedback, saying that while “truth can sting, at the end of the day, dialogue was good.” While praising management for their responsiveness, he cited a similar experience analogous to saying “I care, yet in the end voting a different way.” Roberts said that “what we are hearing from management and residents are two different things.” Byrd suggested having more frequent meetings than once a year to air grievances would be useful. Councilmember Judith Davis ended the meeting by thanking FP staff for sticking with this and listening to all the complaints and concerns. She cited the clear anger and frustration being shared, hoping that FP was taking notes and will follow up.