Danville seniors stuck after storm
Denice Thibodeau
Elderly residents at Janie’s Hope Apartments waited until Monday afternoon to see a snowplow after Friday’s snow storm. They blame the property management company for the delay, which they claim puts them in danger of not getting emergency services.
At the end of Rocky Lane in Danville, a steep hill leads down into Janie’s Hope Apartments, a HUD-subsidized complex for the elderly.
Residents at the complex say delayed snow-plowing following the season’s first two storms has left them stranded, unable to leave their apartments or get up the hill to shop or go to medical appointments.
Following the most recent storm overnight Friday, which left about five inches of snow in Danville, residents waited until Monday afternoon for a snowplow to arrive and workers to clear the sidewalks.
“This is senior housing, and people here have a lot of medical problems,” Mae Bailey said. “Some people have home health workers come every morning and give them shots, and they couldn’t get in here. From Friday to Monday, we were prisoners in our own homes.”
Bailey said there are people in the complex who have missed dialysis appointments because the snow hasn’t been removed in a timely manner, and that emergency services have trouble getting in and out of the complex following a storm.
Monday morning, Evelyn Hedrick was tired of waiting, and called HUD to complain.
“I called HUD this morning, and I had to call them last time it snowed, too,” Hedrick said. “You couldn’t get in here. There’s a gentleman with no legs here, and he didn’t get to go to dialysis today.”
As Hedrick watched men shovel snow off the walkways at about 3 p.m. Monday, she commented, “This is the first time I’ve been down to get the mail since Thursday. When it snows, you can’t get out for nothing, and you can’t get in for nothing. It’s a problem and it’s got to be fixed.”
Michael Morings, the property manager for Dynamic, said he was not aware of how long it took to get the roads and walkways cleared.
“We hire contractors to do that,” Morings said Tuesday, but noted that it sometimes takes contractors a while to work through their list of customers. “You tell me how to control Mother Nature, and we’ll have a viable conversation.”
Morings also seemed unsurprised that some of the residents are unhappy with the delayed service.
“There are 76 units in there; you’re not going to get everyone that’s happy all the time,” Morings said. “
Marshall Construction Company has plowed the complex out following the last two storms. Vice President Tim Pressley said they do not have a contract with Dynamic, and that snow removal at the complex is taken care of as requested.
Pressley said his company was contacted after the December storm, when the snow had already been there for a day. For the most recent storm, they got a call the day before the storm was due, he said.
“We got there as soon as we could,” Pressley said. “We have contracts with several other people who have long-term contracts. We just add them (Dynamic) to the list as they call in; we can’t move them to the top of the list.”
HUD does not have a specific policy that says how quickly snow has to be removed from its subsidized housing locations, according to Maria Bynum, regional public affairs director. She said in an e-mail that the “lease does state that the owner has an obligation to maintain the property in a decent, safe and sanitary manner.”
Bynam said the steep hill, in combination with snow, “would have an impact on emergency vehicles and family members accessing the property … We can certainly understand the difficulties the residents faced in the wake of the most recent snowfall and we regret the inconvenience.”
To make future storms easier to bear, Bynam suggests the residents and landlord/management company work together to determine priorities, to “come up with some realistic timelines for when snow removal can occur and identify priority areas of the complex that should be cleared of snow immediately and subsequently to make it safe for all involved after snowfalls.”
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Reader Reactions
Ya never know sister, it may be your ambulance I’m chasing one day. Maybe I’m just a good American that hates to see our seniors abused and over looked just because they are assumed to be helpless. Maybe the management that takes the governments money every month to house them, as well as part of their retirement, should know that they actually do have good representation. One day the shoe will be on the other foot, and you’ll have a different perspective. This I promise.
Prez sounds like an ambulance chasing lawyer. Just what we need; more John Edwards in the world!
After reading this horrific story, the only thing more disturbing was some of the uneducated and callous comments made towards it. In this article Micheal Morings the property Mgr had the ignorance to say, “You tell me how to control Mother Nature, and we’ll have a viable conversation.” How about learn how to make a 5 minute phone call and get a permanent contract with someone to plow on a regular basis once the snow reaches a certain level, rather than wait till the last minute, and be a call in, that gets placed at the bottom of the list, after the actual contracted customers have been taken care of? How about some foresight rather than hind sight so you don’t have to respond to articles like this. If you are going to be a property manager, then manage, don’t just wing it. Mr Pressley of Marshall Construction confirmed that you do not have a contract with them, and you did not call until the eve of the storm. Nothing like waiting till the last minute. Not good management when you know you are managing property where seniors with special medical needs reside. These people chose to live here, because it was conveyed to them that their needs could be met there. How do you tell a person that relies on a nurse that comes in everyday to medicate them to tough it out, and that they should have prepared by buying an extra loaf of bread? Think about it before you type and display to the world your education or compassion level. I especially liked the one that said the city shouldn’t plow anyone’s streets. First off, this isn’t about the city, it is private property, but I’m sure the city government must love folks like you, pay taxes and expect nothing. Maria Bynum also got to chime in, she is the Regional Public Affairs Director for HUD. Great title, and more good tax money down the drain. Maria said “HUD does not have a specific policy that says how quickly snow has to be removed from its subsidized housing locations”. OK, now that you have told us you are aware of that, how about some action, how about creating a policy so we don’t have future episodes like this? Or is this one of those typical situations where someone needs to die, then you get serious because now lawyers are breathing down your neck? I am in Northern VA, but was compelled to address this, because my practice handles cases like this every year. It is nothing more than a grotesque display of negligence and now tap dancing by Michael Morings of Dynamic, and Maria Bynum of HUD. I will be visiting this area in coming months, and plan on visiting the residents to see what hardships came of this, and to see if they are confident with what the future holds for their safety and sanity.
senior citizen please be patient,janie’s is not the only senior complex in danville.My mom also live in a senior complex too.she call me and said thank god for snow and thanks god i am here to see it.now we older folks need to sat an example for these youngins.If you think people suppose to jumpup every time you complain its not happening,these workers are human being they would love to be home sitting in the warm,just like you,but they have a job to do so they are out in the wet,cold weather trying to please everyone,and still you have people thats not thankful enough to pray and hope they make it back to there families safe.you need to wait your turn the doctor will wait for you,and you check will be in the mail.But if you get out in this snow and fall or something you will be still in the house and the snow will still be here.Think about it and have a bless day.
Many of us who have adequate 4 wheel drive vehicles can help these people. If the big storm comes, I would be willing to transport needy people to the emergency room or local dialysis clinid, if needed. There are many like me who will help if asked. I won’t take you to get a bottle of liquor, wine or a six pack of beer, but if it is a medical necessity, I think it can be arranged.
There is no money to scrape the streets. Most larger cities do not scrape the residential neighborhoods. Why should Danville?
OK, let’s scrape! This time omit Windsor Heights, Starmount, Shadowwood, Grove Park, Forest Hills—-you get it—-all the nice rich neighborhoods. All those rich peoples have 4 wheel drive anyway. If you don’t have a 4X4, buy one!
Let’s reverse things for a change. Give the poor people a chance!
So, in response to the comment that the city should not scrape the streets, then who should? Volunteers? Or should Danville just allow its streets to remain icy until the next thaw? That would sure be an enticement to any business that is considering locating here—no street scraping after a snowfall.
It is going to snow again this weekend maybe another big snow. I feel sorry for the people on dialysis and get it done. My wife has it done in Blairs so Saturday morning I put her in the Jeep and took off the back roads of Ringgold to 58 to the 29 bypass no body out but me her and a snow plow that must have came from Halifax. Very few people at the clinic including employees. We got there and back safe. So like one guy said it pays to be prepared maybe the people that Medicaid pays to drive these folks should have at least one 4 wheel drive vehicle.
I don’t think the city should scrape any street. Treat all citizens alike, young, old, it doesn’t matter.
The city can’t afford all this overtime, the chemicals, wear and tear on the equipment, and most of all the destruction to the street due to the scraping.
Before you know it, there will be complaints about pot holes!
Besides, it won’t hurt anyone to take a few days off.
What’s the big deal?
We all won’t things to happen yesterday, but thats impossible. Our street was cleaned after two days and a lot of elder people live on our street. I think most of them got two loves of bread and extra milk and other supplies and was prepared for a few days of just kicking back and staying by the fire. If people would just listen and stay prepared most of these things would not happen. If we won’t instant street cleaning and storm removeal we have to be prepared to pay higher TAXES, I don’t think we need that, it is hard enough to make it now anyway. All the extras cost extra so if that is what we wont, be prepared to pay. I think the city has done a very good job of taking care of snow removeal the last several years anyway. I remember when the county got there streets cleaned and the city was still covered.
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