NORTHAMPTON — Residents of Forsander Apartments have been outraged by the Northampton Housing Authority’s decision to lock the front entrances to their apartment buildings.
“I want them to unlock the doors,” said Don Trenner, a 3 ½-year resident of Forsander Apartments, whose residence is located in Building K of the development.
The Housing Authority says it has no choice but to lock the building entrances.
“We didn’t lock them because we wanted to,” said Cara Clifford, executive director of the Northampton Housing Authority. “We locked them because it is the law.”
Clifford said the requirement to lock the doors was brought to the authority’s attention by a tenant who moved into Forsander in June. Clifford said the authority then consulted with its attorney, Tom O’Connor, and it was determined that the buildings would have to be locked under a state regulation.
“The main entry door of a dwelling containing more than three dwelling units shall be so designed or equipped so as to close and lock automatically with a lock, including a lock with an electrically-operated striker mechanism, a self-closing door and associated equipment,” reads a portion of the regulation.
“We had to lock them,” Clifford said.
The section has similar language to a state law that specifies intercom systems as part of the associated equipment. However, that law has an exception that includes housing authorities, and O’Connor said that the associated equipment in the regulation doesn’t cover an intercom system.
The decision also impacted Cahill Apartments, although Clifford said that no complaints have come from there at this time.
A notice was sent out in September, with the new locks on the buildings in Forsander beginning to be installed on Sept. 29.
Trenner, who is disabled and has knee replacements, objects to the locking because while the buildings have a buzzer system, there is no intercom and no way to remotely let people in. In response to the notice issued to Forsander about the impending locking, Trenner sent a letter to the housing authority conveying these concerns. He also requested a meeting in writing with housing authority officials but has not received a response.
Without an intercom system, “They put the cart in front of the horse,” he said.
Trenner said that his medical issues prevent him from being able to hurry down the stairs, and that without an intercom he won’t be able to tell people to wait.
He also brought up a safety concern. In the past, Trenner was able to look through the peephole of his door to see a visitor. Now, he has to go downstairs to let someone in, and without the intercom system, he said, “You don’t know who they are.”
Trenner isn’t the only resident of Building K who had a problem with the locking of the doors at Forsander without the installation of intercoms.
Mary Hill, who has lived in her apartment for at least five years, said that she has packages delivered to her that delivery people have had to leave outside the building. She says she has to have packages brought up because she is unable to carry them.
She also said that the locks resulted in Comcast Employees not being able to get into the building to pick up her Comcast equipment.
Trenner also brought up UPS people having to leave packages outside the building as opposed to outside his door.
“There’s no video camera to prevent someone from walking away with it,” he said.
Hill, who has emphysema, added that the trips down the stairs are not easy for her.
“I don’t know why I have to run downstairs when I can’t even breathe,” she said.
Hill also said that she supports the installation of an intercom system and a remote opening system.
“Of course, it’s only normal,” she said.
Elisa Deutschmann, who lives on the first floor of the building, shared the other tenants’ concerns.
“How can you install a lock on a door and not give anyone an intercom or a buzzer, a way to allow someone back into the building?” she said.
She and Trenner also noted that everyone at Forsander is either elderly or disabled.
And while Deustschmann said that she supports the idea of locking the doors, she would like unlocked doors until intercom systems are put in.
Clifford said that the housing authority is looking into getting intercom systems installed at Forsander, although she noted that such an effort will be expensive, and that money has not been budgeted for it.
“We are looking into the pricing of getting a intercom system,” said Clifford.
On the public safety front, Clifford said that the fire and police departments continue to have access to Knox Boxes that contain master keys for Forsander’s buildings.
She also said that building keys are being given to relatives and home health aids of residents at no charge.
A meeting about the locks will take place at 6 p.m. this Sunday in the complex’s community room.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.