The Edge Lofts and Tower

2010

Written by Kristina Schoell
Tuesday, 06 June 2006
SUMMER 2010: Management Office: Regular Office Hours: Mondays - Fridays: 8am - 4pm ~ DETECT WATER LEAKS BEFORE THE DAMAGE The main cause of flooding in this building occurs when an HVAC unit either clogs or when the filter is not changed and the drip pans overflow. In most cases, the excess water is not detected until it is running down the wall in the unit below. By that time, there is damage and usually an insurance claim. This can mostly be eliminated by the purchase of an electronic water detector that works as a smoke detector works. It is a small device that runs on batteries that you place in the bottom of your HVAC unit, or behind your washing machine, dishwasher, however many you decide upon. If any water touches the device, it will sound a beep similar to a fire alarm. This can alert you that water is present before any damage. If you are not at home, more than likely your neighbors will call to complain about the beeping noise coming from your unit, as they do with smoke detectors and again, we can investigate and more than likely attend to the problem before it would become more serious and/or damaging. We would like to seriously have all unit owners/residents consider this small investment that could literally save thousands. You can go to www.amazon.com and search in the categor of 'tools and home improvement' and search for the 'Zircon Leak Alert Electronic Water Detector'. ~ NO CHARCOAL GRILLS ON BALCONIES: It was noted in the Rules & Guidelines book of this building that there are no charcoal grills aloud on balconies in this building. The booklet cited a City of Chiago Ordinance when in fact, no such ordinance exists, making this rule void. At the Board of Directors meeting on July 15th, the matter was brought before the Board and the Board made a motion that was adopted that although not a City Ordinance, it would in fact be a Home Owner's Association rule of this building to NOT allow charcoal grills on any balconies. It was determined that it is a nuisance to neighbors, as well as a potential fire hazard. If you have a charcoal grill on your balcony, it must be removed immediately. ~ EXCESSIVE HEAT/ POWER FAILURE NOTATIONS: With high heat, there is the possibility of power failure. Not only would your unit not have electricity, but this type of event could also stop elevator service, lighting in the common areas, air conditioning and water service. This building is equipped with a back-up generator that will kick-in during a loss of power event, however it will not last forever (approximately 60-90 minutes afterwhich the lighting will slowly fade-out) and if power is lost for a substantial amount of time, you should be prepared. Here are some helpful suggestions to consider: If you decide to evacuate the building, if possible use one of the stairwells rather than the elevators. Please take a flashlight with you as the lighting in the stairwell could fail. If the elevators are working off the emergency generator; you can use them but be aware that a generator failure can strand the elevator. Please use the stairs, unless you have health issues. Then only do so if instructed by the Fire Department. When using stairs, slower moving residents should keep to the right to allow others to pass on the left. Try not to block the stairwell. Do not use candles, propane, charcoal stoves or grills if the power is out. This can cause a fire and because of a power outage, it could then be difficult for the fire department to reach your unit. Keep any cell phones fully charged. Maintain a quantity of drinking water or beverages, enough for 48 hours. It would be prudent to keep a flashlight and portable AM/FM radio both with fresh batteries in a front closet so these items can be quickly located. Note that if the power fails; any water from your plumbing fixtures is likely to be water standing in the supply pipes. If so it will only last until enough water is used in the building that the water levell falls below your residence. We advise you not to use that water for drinking or cooking. When the water comes back on, run it for a minute or two at least to ensure potable water is being supplied. You are soley responsible when leaving the building once you have been notified or decided to do so. If there is a power failure, building personnel will be busy with many tasks and therefore they cannot be responsible for ensuring that every resident exits the building. Common sense and preparedness are needed if this situation arises. Should evacuation become necessary, the authority and responsibility rests with the representatives of the City. Neither management nor the Association can assume responsibility for any consequences resulting from the decision to evacuate or not to evacuate. The primary responsibility for safety of building occupants rests with each resident. This announcement is supplied as general information to help you in this particular situation. It is not management's intent to direct the resident to adopt or use part or all of the given information, nor does managment or the Association assume any liability in connection with all or part of the information that may be used or adopted by the resident. ~ BODYWEIGHT BOOTCAMP OFFER: This is a course that is being offered locally for people at all levels and is designed to educate participants on unique exercise techniques that can be done in home, at work and outside using their own body. Your bodyweight bootcamp will include all varieties of exercise including yoga, paleolithic movement patterns, plyometrics, strength conditioning, endurance and cardiovascular training, combined into 5 weeks of stimulating and exciting work out routines. Bootcamp dates: August 4th - September 8th Bootcamp: This group exercise class is for 1 hour and will meet bi-weekly, every Saturday at 7am and Wednesday at 6pm. September 8th - October 14th: same days and times as the prior mentioned class. Pricing: July special (25% discount - normal price is $400): $30/session - 10 sessions (5 wks) = $300 must sign up for full package, all sessions for more information and to register: email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone: 508-331-9266 ~ RUST SPOTS ON BALCONIES There has been some concern because little splatters of rust have been appearing on balconies. The concern was that this was from the reinforcing barwork within the concrete, which if that was the case, could compromise the structural integrity of the balconies. A private contractor has evaluated the situation and determined the following: "The rust spotting is not believed to be from oxidation (rusting) of the reinforcing bar framework. Surface rust spots are often caused by aggregate used in the concrete mix that has a percentage of iron or other or other metal in it that will oxidize (rust) when exposed to air and water. These spots are an aesthetic issue and do not pose a structural integrity problem. Rusting of the rebar framework would be accompanied by a spalling/flecking of the concrete and/or actual exposed rebar material, not isolate spotting." ~ THE EDGE IS FHA APPROVED! The entire building, all 224 units are now FHA approved!! Hooray! If there are any questions or assistance regarding this, please contact Joe Maestro from Enterprise Mortgage Funding, as he assisted us in submitting the application to HUD. His phone number is: 630-567-1134 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ~ GARAGE SAFETY It is increasingly aware and worriesome that several people are not follwoing the basic rules of our garage. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR LIGHTS ON AT ALL TIMES WHEN INSIDE THE GARAGE & YOU MUST DRIVE SLOWLY, NO MORE THAN 5 MILES PER HOUR. There are many cars that are racing through the garage and having near misses for accidents. We fear there will be an accident very soon unless everyone follows the rules for safely maneuvering in this garage, which is a challenge anyway. PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS AND DRIVE SAFELY!!! ~ BOARD MEETING DATES THROUGH 2010: Please add these dates to your calendars and plan to participate and be informed of all Edge business and upcoming activities: ~ September 9th ~ October 28th (presentation of the 2011 budget) ~ December 2nd (final meeting of the year and approval of the 2011 budget) All meeting dates are on Thursday evenings and unless otherwise posted ahead of time; at 6:30pm in the Community Room, basement level. ~ THE TERRERIUM EFFECT The exterior of this building is mostly glass. It will warm up immediately once we hit regular sunny days. ~ It is very difficult for the air conditioning units to keep up with fighting this heat if it is allowed freely into the unit. ~ PLEASE make sure you have curtains, shades or some kind of window treatment that should be closed each and every morning to keep out direct sunlight. ~ Particularly in the loft units where the brick will actually retain this heat like an oven and will not cool down even after the sun goes away. ~ It is recommended to invest in black-out curtains or window tinting for the full protection against heat and the damage the sun can do, but any kind of window treatment will help. ~ You will notice that our units will heat up tremendously and again, it is very difficult to fight this just by putting the A/C on high, and will wear out your A/C and stress the system, without much result and perhaps costly repair. Keeping your filters and the interior of the HVAC unit clean will also play a big factor here. ~ Please take appropriate measures to keep the direct sun and heat out of your unit. ~ This can make a huge difference in your comfort during the warmer months. ~ BALCONY WASHING SCHEDULE Now that the weather is warming up a bit, you may want to wash your balcony. The thing is, when you do, water will run down on anyone below you and/or their belongings and this can be very unpleasant. This is why we have a Balcony Washing schedule. Copies of the schedule have been posted on the message boards throughout the building. There is a designated day for each tier of units (your tier is the last 2 digits of your unit number). PLEASE follow this schedule. Also on the days when your tier is scheduled, you will want to remove any belongings that can be damaged by someone above you cleaning their balcony during the listed hours of cleaning. Be ready and prepared for this to avoid any unpleasantness. ~ GARAGE FOBS Unfortunately the price of the garage openers has increased from the manufacturer. They still will only work the garage door and no longer serve also as a interior door FOB. If you need a FOB for the interior doors you have to buy one separately from the garage opener, but if you need both, there is a discount combo price: Garage Door opener only: $45.00 Interior door FOB: $25.00 Both garage opener & FOB: $60.00 All are available in the Manager's office and the charge can be placed on the owner's assessment invoice or paid separately by check made payable to: The Edge Lofts & Tower. ~ FIRE PREVENTION Please refer to your Rules & Guidelines handbook and review all safety rules of the building. The Building Manager also has a CD on fire safety in high-rise dwellings. All units were provided a copy of this CD. If you cannot find yours, please let us know and we will be happy to provide you with a copy. This building is fully sprinkled and up to code with all City of Chicago fire safety requirements. We have sprinklers throughout the building and in every unit We have cement slabs between all floors We have fire-safety drywall on all surfaces There is a full in-house speaker system for communication throughout the building; listen and obey all instructions given during an emergency. All of these factors contribute to a very safe situation in the unlikely event of a fire. There are also additional things you can do to stay safe and avoid the likelihood of a fire: Do not leave the condominium while baking (oven-on), even for a short amount of time. Do not cover electrical cords with carpet or decoration to hide it. Leave it exposed and free from any contact with other materials. Make sure all cords and decorations are out of a pet's reach. This can be a fire hazard as well as a potential hazard to your pet's health and safety. You can make a difference in the safety and protection of everyone who lives here by paying attention to what may be a dangerous situation in your unit and eliminating all danger and/or hazardous situations. Please live responsibly. This affects literally hundreds of other people's lives and livelihoods. Again, if we are in an emergency: LISTEN AND COMPLY WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVE BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT ALL TIMES. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND BY DISOBEYING OR IGNORING THESE INSTRUCTIONS YOU CAN CAUSE FURTHER DELAYS AND UNNECESSARY PROBLEMS IN QUICKLY TAKING CARE OF ANY EMERGENCY SITUATION IN THE BUILDING. Thank you for your time and attention to this very serious matter. ~ PLEASE RESPECT YOUR NEIGHBORS It has been brought to attention that many people who live here at The Edge need a little reminder that this is a communal living situation. If you work at odd hours, if you go out and return late at night, please understand that if you slam your door, speak loudly in the hallway, etc... all units around you can hear this and it can be quite disturbing. This also includes the level you watch movies, listen to music, etc... if it is after 10pm, please consider that some people need to go to work early and are in bed by this time. Surround sound, speakers up against walls will vibrate and carry to other units. This has even caused pictures and items to fall from walls in other units, breaking items. Please respect your neighbors as you would have them respect you and your peace and privacy. Try not to let doors slam, run your television or music too loud, or yell and/or scream from the balcony. You need to remember that there are other people living here that are affected by your actions and deserve some thought and consideration. We all appreciate everyone's cooperation on this important matter. ~ STORAGE ROOM ITEMS All unsecured items have now been removed from the storage room. If you had anything that was not in a storage cage, it has been removed. We no longer have storage space to hold any items for pick up, so if it is removed, it will immediately be donated to charity or thrown out and you will not be able to retreive it. Thank you for your immediate cooperation. ~ PLEASE KEEP ALL DOGS ON LEASH This is not only a rule while outside, but inside the building also. If you are not carrying your dog, you MUST keep it on a leash. There are people who live here who are nervous around dogs and it is never immediately obvious if the dog is being friendly or aggressive and this causes unnecessary stress and worry. You could also come off of or onto the elevator where there is another dog and they can go at each other without warning. *You must keep the dog in a controllable situation at all times* out of respect for everyone that lives in the building! Failure to follow this rule can result in fines placed on your unit. ~ RE-FINANCING INFO./BUILDING STATS Whenever you refinance or purchase a unit, there is some basic building information that is required. Usually they ask that we complete a standard questionnaire or a General Financing Information - 22.1, which provides the information required by IL Condominium Law. If you need unit specific information or have any further questions, please reference to the bottom of the sheet on how to attain additional information. BALCONY SAFETY & CONCERNS: This is a very, very serious issue in this building. As you can observe, we have terraces and a roof that extends beyond balcony levels on the 6^th floor of this building. This roof has become a hazardous zone simply from all of the cigarette butts that are thrown from balconies and items that either fall or are thrown from balconies above. ~ The residents who live on the 6^th floor are mostly now in fear from items crashing down on them and it is not fair. ~ IT IS ILLEGAL TO THROW A CIGARETTE FROM A BALCONY. It is a severe fire hazard and also extremely dangerous to those below. ~ It can and has injured animals and come close to injuring small children. ~ YOU are responsible for anyone who throws anything off of your balcony. ~ YOU are responsible if something accidentally falls from your balcony. ~ YOU are responsible for all guests in your home who act in any violation of the rule. ~ If your unit is observed and reported as in violation, the initial fine on the unit will be $250. Upon a 2^nd offense, the fine will be $500 and upon a 3^rd offense, it will be brought to the Board for review and very likely action will be taken to evict you from the building. The police will also be called to file a report in violation of this law. ~ This is an extremely serious issue that continues to happen. Please help and respect those who paid for and selected to have a terrace to enjoy during warmer weather and report any violations you may observe. ~ All reports are kept confidential however we need an eye witness to move forward with penalties and fines. Please be an active member of this community in keeping this building safe for everyone. ~ BUILDING SECURITY - EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY People who go out the back door of the garage are often propping this door open to make it easier to get back in. THIS DIRECTLY PUTS THE SECURITY OF THIS BUILDING IN JEOPARDY. Propping this door open, even for a short amount of time must stop immediately. If you prop this door open, you will be charged. This does not include moves and furniture deliveries. This fine will be $50 per occurance. Please consider everyone's safety and building security, bring your A-1 key and use it to gain entrance back inside (the Manager's office has more of these common area access keys if you need another one). ALWAYS ENSURE THIS DOOR REMAINS CLOSED.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 21 July 2010 )