Troy declares 10 more units safe at Harbour Point Gardens, owners due in court
TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Troy’s code enforcement officers back again at Harbour Point Gardens on Tuesday declaring another 10 units are fit for people to live in.
While dozens more residents continue camping out at a motel, the process to make fixes still drags on since city hall confirms paperwork promised by July 21 had not been fully submitted.
"That permit application, we have received some of it. It looks like they snail mailed parts of it," says Frank Sainato, on behalf of Mayor Patrick Madden.
By 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sainato confirms the code enforcement department did receive the rest of the application and had begun the review process. He tells NEWS10 the application was sent back with comments requesting improvements, so a permit has not yet been issued.
Sainato says the documents must include diagrams or descriptions detailing how each code violation at the apartment complex will be fixed. The landlord’s first application had been reportedly denied due to lacking information.
When asked about the delay in receiving the documents, Sainato calls the permit process "straightforward" and one that more than 900 applicants have already successfully completed since January.
"If nearly 1000 people can do this, Harbour Point Gardens and their management can do this. We're not asking the world of them. We're not shifting the goal posts. We've been consistent from the beginning what we need from them," he says.
During Thursday’s investigative hearing, city administration received tough questions from city council members asking why and how the deteriorating conditions at the complex went unchecked for so long. One answer: Troy doesn’t have a system of routine inspections.
"We have a reactive system here, and so if you report that something is wrong, we’ll send someone out and they’ll get to the bottom of it," explains Sainato.
"As far as regimented inspecting every single property in a regimented fashion, there’s no system set up for that," Code Inspector Jesse Ordansky responded to questioning at Thursday's meeting.
Council members also asked about when and how the property changed hands. As NEWS10 has reported, Lexington Property Group and its subsidiary, 182 Delaware LLC, purchased Harbour Point Gardens from its previous ownership in July 2022.
"When this property changed hands, there was no inspection done, is that correct?" asked Councilmember Sue Steele.
"Correct," confirmed Carlo Sorriento, also of the code enforcement department.
At the time of the sale and prior to the city's first code inspection May 9 to answer the most recent complaints at the property, there was an open code violation report from March 11, 2022 that was only listed as closed May 17, 2023, according to Councilmember Emily Menn.
Council further questioned what avenues code has to inspect other units in a complex when code violations are reported and whom within the department has decision-making authority. The Troy Department of Code Enforcement does not currently have a director. Mayor Madden stated during Thursday's meeting inspectors generally rely on guidance from the most senior principal officer and if still unsure, defer to Deputy Mayor Chris Nolan or Corporation Counsel Richard Morrissey.
While questions remain on if, how, and when to overhaul the code department, the city is now using its legal teeth to hold the complex owners, 182 Delaware LLC, accountable. Twelve code enforcement court appearance tickets have so far been issued--with more reportedly to come--as the complex faces more than 40 violations. The first appearance date set for Wednesday morning.
"This city is ready with documents, with photos, with depositions. They are ready to go," says Sainato.
NEWS10 reached out to Lexington Property Group for comment, and we await a response.