By Margaret Hicks
Staff Writer
mhicks@theoklahomaeagle.net
Residents at Cherokee Meadows have been riddled with problems since the first residents moved in Christmas eve of 2016. They had no mail delivery, no infrastructure for telephones to be installed, malfunctioning thermostats, and plumbing problems which resulted in some apartments being flooded. There have been reported fires. There is the on-going issue of the curbs, that are have no lips, making it difficult for cars and people to gain safe entry to their rental property.
Residents in wheelchairs and those who use walkers and canes have fallen. It was reported to The Oklahoma Eagle that at least 25 people have fallen. At least one of the people who fell was not a resident.
Over the past few months there have been five reported “explosions.” and two of them happened in the same apartment, with the most recent just a few days ago. State Representative Regina Goodwin (D), District 73, stated, “On-going dangerous exploding walls and hazardous driveway curbs are life safety issues for our seniors at Cherokee Meadows. Senior citizens deserve safe access and quality housing.”
Goodwin further stated: “For almost a year now, there have been questions about dangerous, faulty infrastructure and cheap development. Owner, Terry Carty and Carland Properties received approximately $1.2 million in federal /local dollars, including approximately $625,000 in tax credits. Carland Properties continues to get paid monthly rent money from senior citizens.
Earlier in the year, Goodwin and tenants filed a complaint and federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officials came to Tulsa and conducted an investigation of Cherokee Meadows. A year of requests to fix problems and two lawsuits later, Mr. Carty still refuses to do right and correct all the wrong at Cherokee Meadows.”
The Oklahoma Eagle spoke with Sherylne Turner, the resident who had two explosions, one in her bedroom, and one outside her bedroom window. She was asleep in the living room, and said that she had neither the air conditioner or the heater turned on, as her thermostat malfunctions. She is familiar with the sound of explosions; she is a veteran, and former pilot. The explosion was in the wall in her bedroom in the area of the circuit box. The explosion caused what she described as “yellow snow” covering her bedroom. She is concerned how the insulation material might affect respiratory system because has respiratory problems. She said her neighbors also heard the booming sound.
The Oklahoma Eagle spoke with Rich Miller at the Carland Group, and he said, “It was not an explosion, it was a ruptured Freon line.”
We posed the following question to Miller: “Because this has happened more than once, and in the same apartment twice, what do you believe is the cause of the problem, how extensive do you believe it to be, and how will it be resolved?” Miller said “We are aware of three previous occasions where a Freon line has ruptured this year. These incidents have occurred over a period of several months. While we share our resident’s concern, the rupture that occurred at this apartment on Sunday (December 10) appears to be different than what happened previously. Both incidents involved the heating and air system. The installing contractor has been to this apartment and the community to conduct a thorough investigation.”
He further stated that “Based on the outcome of its investigation, the installer will repair, under warranty, any defective component of the system. In the meantime, the contractor has depressurized the Freon lines, thereby removing the risk of rupture until a permanent solution can be implemented. Tenant safety is our primary concern and we will work with the heating and air contractor until this is completely resolved.”
According to Goodwin the Tulsa Development Authority (TDA) has committed to having the driveway curbs fixed and is inquiring about the explosions. City of Tulsa officials have been notified by TDA and Goodwin.
Goodwin said “Our seniors’ lives are in danger. I have seen the fallout of three of the explosions. When is the next bedroom wall going to blow from reportedly improperly installed plastic encased low-pressure lines and pressure build up behind the walls? We reported these explosions back in March.”
According to Turner, residents fearing explosions are sleeping in their living room not the bedroom where the circuit breakers are on the wall.
On-going life safety issues raise fundamental questions for all inspections including those conducted by the City of Tulsa which determined the Cherokee Meadows senior housing facility passed inspection and met code. Goodwin said, “The City of Tulsa granted a temporary permit of occupancy to Carland Properties which allowed Carland Properties to receive tax credits before a deadline.”
