Residents of the Ocean Club Condominiums on the Atlantic City Boardwalk have been told to stay off their balconies until further notice.
The order is due to structural concerns. An engineering firm has been investigating the issue.
To ensure compliance, the balcony doors will be restricted by screws to only open 3 inches.
According to reports, the Atlantic City Fire Marshal claims the balconies are not considered points of egress for fire safety. Others disagree, seeing the move as creating a fire trap.
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According to a letter sent from the condo board, some balconies might not be safe for use because of damage to the anchors of the railings and the discovery of loose concrete in some areas that creates the possibility of a serious life safety risk involving the balconies and anyone using the sidewalk below.
The Ocean Club towers have 750 condo units.
Residents are frustrated with the condo board. Allegedly, they ignored the issue for too long. Residents will need to foot the bill for repairs. Costs to repair could be in the millions.
Letter from Ocean Club Condominiums Board of Trustees:
The Board of Trustees has recently received a “Structural Due Diligence” report from an engineering firm who was hired to evaluate the building.
One of the critical issues revealed in that report was that the condition of the balconies is such that some of them might not be safe for use because of damage to the anchors of the railings and the discovery of loose concrete In some areas that creates the possibility of a serious life safety risk involving the balconies and to anyone using the sidewalk below.
Therefore, because the safety of our members and their guests is paramount, the Board directs that until further notice, all balconies in the building are not to be accessed. The balconies are common property, not part of the unit, and we are assured by legal counsel that the Association has the power to regulate their use.
This is a precautionary measure that the Board believes needs to be done until the study from the engineering firm is completed.
The Board understands that this is not welcome news and we have already met with the engineers and obtained a proposal to evaluate the extent of the problem so that we know how many of the balconies are affected and what work must be done to alleviate the risk.
We hope to have answers by early spring and it may be that we will be able to allow access to many of the balconies in the not too distant future. However, until we can be assured of the safety of each balcony, the Board is taking immediate steps to ensure your safety and to protect the Association against liability.
It is also going to be necessary to protect the sidewalks below and to shut down access to the 6th floor outdoor deck area until the risk is eliminated.
As owners, it is your obligation to ensure that this important safety information is communicated immediately to your tenants and guests.
Saw story about balconies. That’s not the only thing wrong there! What about problems with garage?
A friend lives there and they were recently told there are problems with the garage and other areas similar to Florida….repairs needed asap.
Info has been slim to none for residents about what’s going to be done about it, costs, etc.
Board also illegally spent all their reserve funds then took out a loan to replace them. WHAT on earth is going on there?