The Board of Directors has identified three areas of the 35-year-old Brown Memorial Court as long overdue for improvements. According to LHA Executive Director Sherri Miller, the Marble Street housing for the elderly and handicapped needs new stairwell enclosures, repaving, better drainage and sidewalks and energy efficient windows in all 48 units.
"There are no building code violations," said Miller "We've done a Band-Aid approach over the years and the repair work has been acceptable, but it gets to a point you can't do that anymore."
Miller said the Lee Housing Authority has already received a total of $40,000 in planning grants from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community development for all but the window replacement. The DHCD has agreed to a preliminary $100,000 grant for the infrastructure work, but the local agency has yet to hear about state funding to actually construct new stairwells and install new windows.
The LHA is working through state Sen. Benjamin Downing, D-Pittsfield, and state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox, to secure the remaining money for the overall project.
Miller said the DHCD has "house doctors," a list of architects and engineers, who internally can design plans for the stairwells, paving, drainage and sidewalks,
"I won't know for a couple of weeks if the state can do the planning work in-house," said Miller. "The LHA would like the first two phases of the project completed this year."
Miller said over the past few years, the LHA has relied on its operating budget to replace the original kitchen cabinets and countertops. So far, she added, one third of the units' kitchens have received a facelift.
"We try to update the units when they are unoccupied so as not to disrupt the tenants," noted Miller.
She pointed out just one of the 48 units is empty now, but not for long.
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