Possible Parking Solution?

On a recent trip to New York City, I spied this contraption in the Chelsea area of the Village. It might be a possible solution to our ever-growing parking problems. It lifts the cars vertically. You can put a lot of cars into a very small space, although you need to remove the cars in the reverse order that they went in. It's a thought anyway...

Two Updates

The repairs to the water damage in the back hallway have been completed. The walls have been stripped, damaged wallboard replaced, skim-coated and painted. The repairs also include a new, more secure door to the roof. The workmen finished the end of last week.
























The bolt hole on the bicycle storage area wall has also been enlarged to better accommodate the bolt, and it now works smoothly.

Outside Storage Area

For those of you with bicycles, (or a desire to get one) you may be interested to know that there is a small storage area on the driveway side near the front of the building. The door has a combination padlock on it (contact one of the trustees or Markwood Management to get the combination).Because of the shared combination lock, it is still recommended that you have an individual lock for your bike if you are using the area.
There are some hooks on the ceiling for hanging bikes, and a wooden floor so that the area stays fairly dry. The light fixture is currently not working, so night-time use is not recommended.
It may be more convenient than storing your bike in your condo, at the bottom of the back stairwell, or in the space behind the laundry room.

Mailbox Update

It appears that the majority of residents at 24 Norman prefer to have names and unit numbers on the boxes. However, we are also sensitive to concerns about safety. (The reason for the codes rather than unit numbers on the outside directory is security.) Mark suggests that we make the default for the labels: Name and Unit Number. Anyone wishing to omit the name may request this and we will make up a label with the space where the name is engraved kept blank, so that they will have a uniform look.

Regarding the label color, we are considering grey (sample image attached) to accommodate a preference for black lettering. What are your thoughts? Carol will be stopping by the engraving shop this week and will try to get a couple of samples.
The actual sample will be posted in a plastic bag on the bulletin board.

C'mon People

This morning we found this lovely little "gift" on the front stairway leading to the second floor.
Not sure if this pile of vomit was alcohol-induced, or the result of a sudden attack of the flu, but if you or one of your "friends" happens to vomit anywhere in the building, please clean it up, or call Markwood Management immediately and tell someone about it, don't just let it sit there and fester.

This may be a good time to remind everyone that vomiting, urinating, defecating, smoking, spilling your drink, or leaving your trash in the hallways, or on the grounds is not allowed. This is not a homeless shelter, Thank you.

Back Stairs Repairs

An update on the ongoing repairs to the back stairway that was water-damaged by rain blown under the rooftop doorway during the heavy rainstorms and high winds we experienced earlier this spring. Repairs have been made to the door, and the damaged wallboard and paint on the walls and ceilings have been cleared (in some areas down to the wall studs). New wallboard, skim coat and paint will be coming soon.

Air Conditioning Units

If your air conditioning unit looks like ours does, it's probably pushing 30 years old, and not working very efficiently. You may be interested in replacing it before the really hot summer weather hits. Several people in the building have had their units replaced within the last year or so, including trustee Jessie Zuberek. She used a company called Preferred Air (www.preferredair.com) They are giving a $250 off on unit replacement through May 31st. There are also federal tax credits available on certain qualifying energy-efficient models. If anyone (residents or owners) out there has had good experiences with or would like to recommend another company, we'd love to hear about it.