Sybil Stribling has been a resident of Pinnacle Place Apartments for 14 years. She could recall when the building was clean and fully staffed, but in recent years residents have expressed several concerns with the building.
City code inspectors documented violations at Pinnacle Place this week after responding to complaints about water leaks and a garbage backup, according to the City of Rochester.
Pinnacle Place Apartments, located on South Clinton Avenue, is a high-rise residential tower consisting of 18 floors. The building was built in 1974. The property is managed by PathStone Corporation, a local non-profit community development and property management organization. The Democrat and Chronicle contacted PathStone for comment Aug. 20 and had
not received a response as of publication.
Residents say garbage backup, maintenance issues persist
Stribling said residents have raised concerns about elevator outages, mildew, poorly maintained sidewalks and trash accumulation. A resident-recorded video reviewed by the Democrat and Chronicle shows garbage accumulation, a loose handrail and other maintenance and cleanliness issues in common areas.
"The trash is up to the 12th floor now, because the compactor is not working,” Stribling said. “The elevator is also a big issue. For the past three weeks, they've been having to fix it.”
In addition to Stribling, several other residents and housing advocates are calling on management to address unsanitary and unlivable conditions in the building.
Ryan Acuff, tenant organizer for the Rochester Tenant Union, said there is a chronic issue of maintenance and cleanliness, but the latest crisis is the garbage.
“People can't put garbage in the chutes, it's totally backed up and you can smell it from 20-30 feet away. It's just absolutely gross, unsanitary,” Acuff said.
Acuff said the building appears understaffed and cited what he said management told him about staffing levels. “I spoke to the management and apparently they have one dedicated cleaner for the whole building, 18 floors, 407 units,” Acuff said. “It's woefully understaffed for maintaining the building.”
City inspectors document code violations
Code inspectors from the City of Rochester were at Pinnacle this week in response to complaints over water leaks and backed up garbage.
To promote high-quality living conditions, Acuff suggests implementing the Developer Good Standing and Accountability Act, an amendment to the Rochester City Code that creates a universal, airtight prerequisite for all public subsidies.
The purpose of the amendment is to protect public funds, stop exploitation of corporate loopholes and align the city's housing investments with basic code enforcement standards.
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County. Get in touch at kweaver@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: City documents violations at Pinnacle Place | Exclusive
