As a 10-year resident of the Village of Fountainview in Newark, Patty McNelis enjoys her neighbors, her condo unit and the outside pool on a hot summer day.
Only one issue has dampened this pleasant scene: a pipe that burst on the top floor of her building, which caused significant flooding throughout the entire structure.
“There was water all over the floor and we knew we needed to get out,” said McNelis, who lives on the third floor of Building 3000.
In mid-March, McNelis joined about 120 residents in evacuating the building at the Newark condominium. No injuries were reported.
Four months later, residents are still unable to return home.
McNelis, 65, called the evacuation “upsetting.” In response to the challenges, McNelis lives with her son and five other adults in a three-bedroom home.
“It’s very hard. … I have a place to stay, but my home is pretty much gone,” said McNelis, adding that many other displaced residents were forced to live with friends and family in the immediate aftermath of the pipe burst.
The amount of water damage that flooded the building was overwhelming, said Earl Henninger, a resident who lives in an adjacent Fountainview building that was unaffected. He recalled helping some residents retrieve items from their units the next day.
“I helped a couple of friends of mine get food out of their freezers and refrigerators, and there was at least 4 inches of water on every floor,” Henninger said.
An overview of the condominium
The Village of Fountainview, an age 55 and older community located about a half mile from the Newark Senior Center, comprises three condominiums. The flooded building, which has 64 units, had no previous history of water damage issues, according to Newark Planning Director Renee Bensley.
Bensley also noted that Building 3000 was completed in 2008 and minor sprinkler damage repairs were done in Building 2000 several years ago.
In March, city building inspectors deemed Building 3000 uninhabitable.
“Residents who had nowhere to go were initially taken to Aetna Fire Station #8,” Bensley said. “Several local hotels offered discounted rates to those who were displaced at the time.”
For other residents, coming back to this adult living condominium means months of waiting, living with family members or applying to rent other apartments, Bensley said.
“Initially, the residents were all accommodated,” Bensley said. “However, some are nearing the end of funds allocated by their insurance companies for a living, which is causing additional difficulties.”
So, what is the holdup in getting residents back home?
A local contractor is administering demolition work on the interior of the building, according to Bensley, and there is no timetable on when residents can return. During work, the building is unsafe in the event of another emergency.
“With the amount of demolition done to the interior of the building, there are no fire-rated walls or flooring in addition to safe egress paths out of the building, which means there is no safe way to evacuate the building,” Bensley said.
In addition to plans for demolition work, Fountainview’s insurance company and the contractor are at odds over the estimated cost and scope of the repairs. Both sides’ estimates are $1 million apart from coming to any agreement, according to Bensley.
The city of Newark has also not yet received construction plans for reoccupying the building or permit plans for additional work on the building.
“Once the permits are applied for with the scope of work, the city will have a better idea of what the timeline is for reconstruction and re-occupancy,” Bensley said.
Contact local reporter Cameron Goodnight at cgoodnight@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting 302-324-2208. Follow him on Twitter at @CamGoodnight.
