Skip to content
Sections
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
Dispatch Mobile Logo
Share
Subscribe
Login
LoginSubscribe
May 29, 2023
  • QUICK LINKS
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
  • News
  • Columbus & Lowndes County
  • Starkville & Oktibbeha County
  • West Point & Clay County
  • Area
  • State
  • National
  • Business
  • Sports
  • High School Sports
  • College Sports
  • Local Columns
  • eEdition
  • Opinions
  • Local Columns
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Roses & Thorns
  • Dispatch Editorials
  • Obituaries
  • Lifestyles
  • Columns
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Transitions & Announcements
  • Community
  • Religion
  • Classifieds
  • Photo Galleries
  • Public Records
  • Building Permits
  • Marriages & Divorces
May 29, 2023
Dispatch Logo

Open eyes, open minds.

Home » News » City steps in to improve conditions at apartment complex

City steps in to improve conditions at apartment complex

By Zack Plair • August 25, 2021

 • 5 mins to read

City steps in to improve conditions at apartment complex
Following multiple issues and resident complaints, Columbus has placed Cypress Park Apartments on South Lehmberg Road under a red flag order, meaning the building codes department must inspect any unit before new tenants can move in. So far, the city has inspected 20 units, finding at least minor issued in all of them, building codes director Kenny Wiegel said. Dispatch file photo

Mayor Keith Gaskin stood on the grounds of Cypress Park Apartments on Aug. 1, a Sunday, waiting for good news. It wasn’t forthcoming.

Residents at the 144-unit complex on South Lehmberg Road had been without water service since the prior evening due to a pipe leak on the side of the line that was the property owner’s responsibility to repair. Maintenance workers had asked Columbus Light and Water to cut off service while they fixed the leak, but in nearly 24 hours since, they had failed.

Ultimately, CLW declared the break a public safety emergency and repaired it, restoring water service to the scores of residents living in the apartments. But while Gaskin waited on-site for the work to be complete, he began to look around.

“I saw mold on walls that could easily be removed,” he told The Dispatch. “Outside lighting wasn’t working. There were beer bottles lying around everywhere. It was a mess.”

What he saw lined up with the messages he had received from “desperate” residents who had contacted him for weeks about conditions at Cypress Park — from poor living conditions to worse communication. How the property managers handled the water line break was the last straw.

“(Residents have) had a lot to deal with for quite some time,” Gaskin said. “… (On July 31 and Aug. 1), they were upset because the maintenance crew couldn’t get the pipe fixed, and no one was communicating with them. People were leaving messages on my phone crying. They were pleading for help. That’s unacceptable, and of course we (the city) are going to step in.”

Since that weekend, the city has issued a “red flag” order for the complex, which gives the building codes department the authority to regularly inspect apartment units on the premises.

While CLW supplies water to the site, 4-County Electric Power Association supplies its electricity, building codes director Kenny Wiegel said. With the red flag order, the city must inspect and approve any unit where the electric service is changing hands — either from an outgoing tenant to the complex’s management company or from the management company to a new tenant.

4-County has agreed to the arrangement, city officials said.

“Basically, that gives us a chance to get eyeballs on a lot of these units,” Wiegel told The Dispatch.

Already, Wiegel’s office has inspected 20 Cypress Park units, finding in all of them at least minor issues — water spots on ceilings from apparent leaking or HVAC filters that haven’t been changed often enough — to issues he deemed “not so minor.”

“Some have evidence of electrical issues, like burnt outlets, things like that,” Wiegel said.

Of the 20 the city has inspected, he said, 11 must address issues for a second inspection before power can be turned back on. The city is not charging for the inspections, and Wiegel said the city might consider lifting the red flag order if those inspections yield no issues.

Red flag orders aren’t common, but the city has issued them for at least two apartment complexes in the past, Wiegel said. Cypress Park is the only complex currently under a red flag order.

Lowndes County tax records show Cypress Park LLC, care of Real Property Group LLC, both based in Brooklyn, New York, has owned the complex since February 2020. Michigan-based Beztak Properties manages it.

City leaders met with Beztak representatives, including regional manager Lillian Granderson, last week to discuss the red flag order. Both Wiegel and Gaskin said Beztak expressed willingness to work with the city’s expectations but noted Granderson and the maintenance supervisor were new to the job — Granderson told The Dispatch on Tuesday she had been in her role at Beztak for “a week and a half” — and they had “inherited a mess” from their predecessors within the same company.

For example, under Beztak’s watch, CLW cut water service to the complex briefly in January because payments were “substantially” behind. Residents pay utilities as part of their rent and Beztak wasn’t forwarding the water payments to CLW.

Granderson asked the city to refer Cypress Park residents to her for complaints about the property, rather than call Gaskin. Public Information Officer Joe Dillon posted as much on the mayor’s official Facebook page with Granderson’s cell phone number as the contact. He later changed it to her email address at Granderson’s request.

In a comment on the post, Gaskin made it clear citizens are still welcome to contact him about issues, as well.

“The last thing the city wants to do is step into a situation like this, but we definitely will,” Gaskin said. “We’re taking them on good faith that they will do better. But we’re also going to keep an eye on it. It’s clear they have not had a good record.”

When reached by The Dispatch, Granderson declined to comment. Instead she referred the newspaper to Beztak’s corporate office, no one from which responded by press time.

Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.

You can help your community

Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.

Subscribe

READER FAVORITES

  • Reports on area banks indicate good health

    By Grant McLaughlin • 2 days ago

  • Flags memorialize veterans throughout Starkville cemeteries

    By Abigail Sipe Rochester • 2 days ago


Popular

Stop in Starkville the latest for Colton Ledbetter on his road to the big leagues

May 27, 2023

Suspect in custody in Inferno Sports Bar shooting

May 27, 2023

Roster outlook: Predicting which MSU outfielders will be staying or leaving

May 27, 2023

Reports on area banks indicate good health

May 27, 2023



On This Day 2022

Featured Podcast

The C Dispatch Podcast

Sections

  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyles
  • Obituaries

Info

  • About
  • Contact
  • Submit a Tip
  • Terms & Service
  • Popular Content

Contact

Main Switchboard:

(662) 328-2424

Physical Address:

516 Main Street
Columbus, MS 39701

Mailing Address:

PO Box 511
Columbus, MS 39701

cdispatch.com © 2023 – The Commerical Dispatch

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT