Fire Alarm System Red Lined Edit page

Subject: Update on Clubhouse Opening Delay: The Fire Alarm System

Why is the clubhouse still closed? The board has exhausted its goodwill with the Village of North Hills. If the board had conducted its due diligence from the beginning, many of the issues could have been avoided. The issues caused by the board were worsened by dishonesty, mismanagement of the budget, a focus on glamour over practicality and code compliance, and manipulations designed to evade responsibility and cut corners.

  A Certificate of Occupancy (CO) will not be issued by the village of North Hills until the building’s alarm system is redesigned and improved to meet current building codes. After many weeks of waiting for an appointment with County Fire Marshal Paul Hartje, Board members Debbie Resnick and Stephen Fanuka, Daniella, and Pasquale, of our maintenance staff, met with him on December 20 to review the status of the current fire alarm system. A representative from IDS Audio Video & Technologies, our alarm company, was also present.  

One of the lies residents have been told about the clubhouse delays involves the modification of the fire alarm. It is important to note that any repositioning of electrical elements, including fire alarms and smoke detectors , is classified as a "move" under regulatory guidelines, even if the device is returned to its original position. Consequently, this necessitates obtaining a permit. Every licensed contractor is fully aware of this requirement.

The original job scope did not include the replacement of drywall; however, the residents club rightly pointed out that given the substantial budget allocated, the 40-year-old drywall and insulation should have been replaced. The original scope of the job showed replacement of old wall paper only. As expected they could not remove the 40 year old wall paper from the 40 year old sheet rock so they opted to install new drywall at an obscene cost of almost $70,000, that was not in the budget. 

Once new drywall is installed, various fixtures, including fire alarms and smoke detectors, must be temporarily relocated to accommodate the updates. In doing so, the board misled the village regarding the work performed. The contractor denied moving the fire alarm and smoke detectors even with the new drywall on the walls and stacked up on the floor. The only way to put up the dry wall is to “move” the fire alarm.

This further corroborates the need for a permit, which the contractor failed to secure. The dishonesty surrounding both the installation of new drywall and the repositioning of the fire alarm explains some of the issues regarding compliance and the delays.

The history of this issue is messy. Neither the original builder nor earlier Boards of Managers acquired the necessary permits for the fire alarm system, even after changes were made to the footprint of the clubhouse. Fire Marshal Hartje made it clear that although the alarm system had been inspected annually, it had passed inspection under the assumption that the existing alarm system had already been permitted to operate. In other words, the inspection only needed to show that the system was functional and operational.    2016 When Cindy Davidowitz was president she replaced the fire alarm but did it with out a permit. 

This board has demonstrated an inability to resolve the ongoing issues surrounding the clubhouse. The clubhouse remains closed after one year due to the board's dishonesty and incompetence.

Where do we stand now? A systems designer from the fire alarm company is surveying the building and will submit a plan to the Fire Marshal. Marshal Hartje will meet with Peter Cinquemani, the North Hills Village inspector, to determine whether a new fire alarm system must be installed in both levels now. If the lower level can be done later, the process of obtaining a CO will move faster.

What is the cost? The cost cannot be determined until the scope of the plan is known and approved.

How long will it take? It is difficult to predict an end date. The work includes surveying the premises, drawing the plan, review and approval by the Fire Marshal, installation of the system, post installation patchwork and cleanup. However, all of the parties involved recognize the toll that the delay is taking on the Estates II community and are committed to expediting the work involved. Please keep in mind that the present Board is doing everything possible to respond to and resolve an issue that was created in the past and beyond our control.

To keep you informed, Daniella will send out a weekly email blast about the work in progress. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
The Estates II Board of Managers

Alan Rothenberg (President), Cindy Davidowitz (Vice President), Debbie Resnick (Secretary), Stephen Fanuka (Treasurer), Stephanie Michel (Asst. Treasurer), Marcia Cooper, Donald Feldman, Donna Geffner, David Homan

Estates II Property Manager, Daniella Alaimo Rina