KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The city of Gardner has condemned the Aspen Place Apartments due to serious health and safety hazards, including issues with water, sewer and road systems.
The city posted notices on buildings Tuesday informing residents they have 48 hours to vacate the premises, located at 101 Aspen St.
Residents have until 6 p.m. Thursday, May 8, to evacuate.
“Everybody right now is technically homeless in 48 hours," said resident Victoria Bledsoe. “Over the last six-ish weeks, we've had three different main breaks.”
Victoria and Kevin Bledsoe said they haven't had running water since Sunday.
The city said the property's water infrastructure, originally installed in the 1950s, has severely deteriorated over time. With frequent pipe ruptures and inconsistent water service, the apartments no longer provide sufficient water flow for fire suppression, severely limiting emergency services' ability to respond effectively and posing a serious risk to residents' safety.
In addition, deteriorating roadways hinder emergency vehicles, including fire trucks and ambulances, from accessing the complex safely.
One resident sent KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig an image of a sinkhole that formed after a fire truck responded to the complex over the weekend on a water main break.
“Six weeks of water, hit and miss. You basically get used to it," said resident Kevin Bledsoe. "Unfortunately, you shouldn’t have to get used to having no water."
The complex recommends residents take as many items as possible from their apartments, but they can leave some behind and retrieve them later during daylight hours.
If residents have no place to go, they have been referred to housing resources for immediate shelter options. Resource lists have been distributed to assist residents during the transition.
“I'm pissed. I'm not angry, I'm pissed," said resident Terry Tipton. “I can't trust this place any further than you can pick it up and throw it, and that's about from here to that crack in the solid concrete.”
Tipton and his wife Linda just moved in a month ago. Their daughter is now looking for a new place for them to move into.
“At the end of the day, we're sort of getting out of here, but not on our circumstances, not on the terms that we want to," Kevin Bledsoe said.
In a news release, City Administrator Jim Pruetting said the city understands the hardship for residents and did not make the decision lightly.
"However, continuing to allow residents to live in these conditions would be unsafe and irresponsible," he said.
The attorney group representing Aspen Place sent a statement to Schoenig explaining the situation and promising the complex will remain "committed to cooperate with the city to resolve this situation."
"The City of Gardner today issued a Notice of Condemnation to the residents of Aspen Place Apartments in Gardner, Kansas. The Notice came without warning or advance notice to the management company or this property.
"It appears that this action by the City was precipitated by an incident on Saturday where a fire truck responding to an emergency call got stuck on one of the access roads.
"This Property was purchased by the ownership group in May of 202. Since the purchase the management company began to experience water pressure problems and it became necessary to repair water line breaks. The Owner engaged an engineering group to study the problem and develop a plan for total replacement of the water lines in the Property. The management coordinated with the City regarding the proposed plan. At the time of the condemnation notice, the engineering plans for the overhaul of the water line system was already in process.
"The overhaul of the water line system is a major project involving great expense and the ownership group is prepared to proceed with the project.
"The management company has offered available apartments in its other projects to tenants to relocate. The City has given the tenants 48 hours to vacate the Property and management is working diligently to assist in the vacation of the Property.
"The management company’s contractor was on site and prepared to repair the waterline break when the Gardner Police arrived to serve the Condemnation Notice on the Tenants, but insisted that those repairs not proceed.
"The ownership group is committed to assist its tenants during this unfortunate time and will proceed with the complete overhaul of the water line system.
"We believe absent the unfortunate incident with the fire truck, the water line system overhaul would have proceeded in its course and the measurers taken by the City would have been unnecessary, however, it is committed to cooperate with the City to resolve this situation."
Residents with questions for the city about the decision to condemn Aspen Place are directed to call the city's hotline at 913-884-2700.
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KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
