Page 17 - CooperatorNews New Jersey Spring 2022

NJ.COOPERATORNEWS.COM COOPERATORNEWS NEW JERSEY —SPRING 2022 17 P R O V I D I N G E N G I N E E R I N G S O L U T I O N S T O C O M M U N I T Y A S S O C I A T I O N S F O R O V E R 2 5 Y E A R S ! Architectural Services Building Envelope Restoration Capital Reserve Studies Civil Engineering & Surveying Energy Analysis Expert Witness Testimony Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP/Local Law 11) Forensic Investigations Historic Preservation Leak Investigation Litigation & Insurance Claims Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Design Parking Garage Inspection & Restoration Retaining Wall Inspection & Restoration Special Inspections (Certified Agency) Structural Evaluation & Engineering Transition Engineering Survey Reports 95 Mount Bethel Road Warren, NJ 07059 350 7th Avenue, Suite 2000 New York, NY 10001 www.thefalcongroup.us info@thefalcongroup.us (800) 839-7740 few apartments in each and shared walls suff ered massive fl ooding of its basements into had quotes three times over the during Superstorm Sandy back in 2012. amount they should have been charged,” Th e 20-unit community didn’t have fl ood Valkos recalls. “Aft er rebidding the project, insurance, and when they tried to repair there was enough money saved from the in- and rebuild, they faced multiple hurdles. surance to put aside for unforeseen Sandy Fortunately, a local landscaper and resilien- cy expert worked with the association pro had to rebuild a sand dune, which is the bono to design a storm mitigation plan, and fi rst line of protection for a building. We brought in an engineering fi rm to design a fi led emergency permits because we were “resiliency garden.” Th e design includes getting back into the next hurricane season. protective sand barriers with native fl ora So it wasn’t only rebuilding the buildings, it and fl ood doors that can be closed during was also rebuilding protection for the com- storms, preventing water from reaching the munity. Th at’s how we were educated on the buildings. According to one Shore View situation,” he continues. “Th e management board member, “We came back, and rebuilt companies who were managing these prop- our building better.” Along with fi nancial and long-term had no experience dealing with disasters.” planning, Andy Leight, senior vice presi- dent of operations at AKAM Living Services, a man- agement fi rm with offi ces in New York and Florida, also advises be- ing ready for the immediate chal- lenges. “You know what the potential ramifi cations are,” he says. “No pow- er, loss of eleva- tors, etc.—so be as prepared as you possibly can ahead of time with mate- rials that will miti- gate the storm. Do you have generators? Make sure sump portant to have your complex covered for pumps are operating. \[Have\] glow sticks, what’s needed. Make sure that the manage- bottled water; make sure you’re staff ed ap- propriately, stationing managers there, pro- viding water and then making sure you fol- low through on that.” Cover Yourself According to a report titled “Commu- nity Development Block Grant Disaster Re- covery Action Plan” published by the New readiness, there’s also the matter of what Jersey Department of Community Aff airs can be done physically to make at-risk com- a year aft er Sandy decimated communities munities more resistant to incoming water. on both banks of the Hudson River, about Phillip Mahan is president of Structural 40,466 homeowners’ primary residences Technologies, Inc., an engineering fi rm sustained either “severe” or “major” dam- age, based on HUD standards. John Valkos, ommends the following actions to protect property manager at DSV Property Man- agement in Highlands, remembers fi rst- hand the chaos and confusion following Sandy. “Most of our properties are along if there is an outside drain system on the the water,” he says, adding that his wife property, make sure it isn’t clogged with Cynthia, who is the owner of DSV Property leaves and is functioning properly and op- Management, examined how these com- plexes were insured. “We found one com- plex that wasn’t properly insured according actual grade level surrounding the struc- to their own bylaws,” he says. “Th ey were ture. Make sure it’s sloped away from the insured cents on the dollar, and were not able to fi nish their rebuild.” “Another association we were brought repairs. An example of these repairs is we erties either didn’t have the resources or From his perspective as a property manager, Valkos advises boards to take a few im- portant proactive steps before the next inevitable ‘100 year’ storm hits the tristate area: “Be sure to have the proper insurance, and cover your resi- dents,” he says. “Read your by- laws when it comes to insur- ance. You’re go- ing to look for the best policy and agent, but it is im- ment company has the right contractor for the job at hand. Finally, it is important that you have a management company that is capable of handling emergencies when they inevitably happen.” Mitigation Options Along with administrative and personal based in Bloomingdale, Illinois. He rec- ground level and semi-subterranean units from the physical dangers of fl ooding: “First, fl ooding starts on the outside—so timally. With good drainage we can man- age most stormwater. Second, check the “Read your bylaws when it comes to insurance. You’re going to look for the best policy and agent, but it is important to have your complex covered for what’s needed.” — John Valkos continued on page 26