Wildwood Condo Problem

Wildwood condo fix no good, state says
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Saturday, April 8, 2006
Updated: Saturday, April 8, 2006

WILDWOOD —The state has rejected a plan to use a chemical fire retardant to resolve the ongoing problem of several condominiums that were not built to code.

The Joint Construction Office of the Wildwoods, or JCOW, had proposed using a product called No-Burn Plus to replace a party wall, which is used to delay the spread of fire and delay a structural collapse, according to a March 31 letter from the state Department of Community Affairs.

The letter was sent to attorney Glenn P. Callahan, who represents the JCOW.

In the letter, Gerald E. Grayce, a supervisor of investigations, wrote that no information has been provided to indicate No-Burn Plus meets fire-exposure standards.

“Documentation from No-Burn Plus indicates exposed applications require reapplication every 10 to 15 years. No such estimate has been provided for applications in unexposed areas. No-Burn Plus believes it MAY last longer,” Grayce wrote.

He continued: “It is my opinion that this product is unacceptable for this situation.”

Grayce then asked whether the possible use of an additional layer of drywall had been considered.

The letter comes as a disappointment to condominium owner Clare Herm, one of 15 residents of the Schooner Bay Condominiums on West Hand Avenue where No-Burn had been offered as a solution.

“We're hopeful they will come up with another solution very quickly,” Herm said Friday.

Callahan had said previously that in Schooner Bay's case , No Burn would be sprayed into the rafters to bring the building's fire-suppression ratings up to code and a layer of fire-rated sheet rock would be added to meet fire-separation standards between the units.

Now, Schooner Bay needs an alternative, something resident William Morelli said didn't surprise him.

Morelli is the lone Schooner Bay owner who did not support the plan to use No-Burn.

“You don't put a Band-Aid on a laceration,” Morelli said.

Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr., who is one of two of the city's JCOW representatives, said he wants the state to be straightforward and offer solutions to get the matter resolved.

About 500 units in 79 buildings were built according to the wrong code, and according to a lawsuit filed by JCOW, the mistake is shared by the buildings' designers, developers and JCOW.

Troiano said Callahan is scheduled to meet, starting Monday, with representatives of the various buildings to find solutions to the problem.

Meanwhile, the city is looking at how owners can still rent their condominiums this summer. The city is not currently issuing certificates of occupancy or mercantile licenses for that purpose.

Cherry Hill resident Eric Satterthwaite said he is among the owners who need to rent their properties in the summer.

“I have to rent to offset my mortgage,” Satterthwaite said Friday.

He is concerned about finding a way to fix the six-unit building his unit is in before June 23, the day the first of his renters is scheduled to arrive.

When the unit is not being rented, it serves as a get-away for Satterthwaite, his wife and two children.

Satterthwite said there has been talk of finding a way to allow the units affected to be rented, but he worries about the safety of his renters and his liability should something happen.

“Shy of fixing the building, there's not a lot I can do,” he said.


To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com