Seniors at the Evergreen Apartments in Maybrook gathered at their community room on Monday to discuss the increase in their rent following the installation of additional lighting around the property.

Some residents including Sandra “Jeannette” Robinson, who spearheaded efforts in the fall to get the lights installed, felt that the increase was done in retaliation. Others at the meeting however, weren’t so sure.

Ray Cheyne, a resident at the apartments, lauded Robinson’s efforts and the new lights, but stated that he felt it was simply poor timing that the letter announcing the 5 percent rent increase was circulated the same week the lights were being installed. He said it was only natural that people connected the two, but didn’t think one caused the other.

“It may be coincidental, it may be not, but it’s poor timing, definitely,” said Cheyne.

Joan Rinn, a resident who signed Robinson’s petition along with 62 others, suggested that the rent increase was done not in response to the seniors’ request for additional lighting, but because they had seen an increase in their Social Security checks.

She agreed the additional lighting was necessary, but was upset that her fellow residents seemed to think the apartments were not well-kept.

“It’s not a bad place to live,” said Rinn after the meeting. “I’m proud of where I live. It’s clean, decent.”

The seniors at the meeting agreed that they had been requesting the additional lighting for some time, with no success. Robinson said she believed requests were made as far back as 2002. It was only after her petition and letter last fall, copies of which were provided to the Village of Maybrook, that action was taken by Eugene Conroy, president of the Community Housing Management Corp. for the Evergreens Apartments.

Conroy said last week that the petition was the first complaint he had received about the lighting. Upon receiving it, he contacted the mayor and they walked the property together with an electrician. A plan was drawn up for the additional lights deemed necessary.

Residents at the meeting expressed gratitude for both Robinson’s and the mayor’s efforts to get the lighting installed.

Kylo Avila, the superintendent for the Evergreens Apartments, said he has worked in other similar complexes, and while the Evergreens isn’t perfect, it’s much better than others in terms of being maintained. He added that whenever residents have a problem he does what he can, although sometimes it may take a while to fix.

“I think this is a good place to live,” said Avila. “We take care of it.”

None of the residents expressed any dissatisfaction with Avila’s maintenance, instead telling him that the grounds were beautiful and applauding his work.

Residents were less agreeable with the rent increase and what instigated it, passionately arguing cases for the rise in Social Security, retaliation for the installation of additional lights, and poor timing—a planned rent hike that was overlapped by the residents’ request for lighting.

Conroy had stated previously that the rent increase had nothing to do with the residents’ complaints, but was instead a response to an increase in capital needs due to the economy and in preparation for future upgrades. He noted that over the last eleven years, the rent has been increased by 17.5 percent.

As a senior housing complex with lower income seniors, the increase had to be applied for through the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. That application was made and granted. As of Tuesday, the rent increase will be applied on April 1.

By Rachel Coleman
rcoleman@tcnewspapers.com