RC Buildings and Codes Inspectors Find More than 100 Violations at 101 Kennedy Dr after Major Fire
By Sarah Morgenstern
The Rockland County Office of Buildings and Codes discovered more than 100 violations after a fire broke out on 101 Kennedy Drive in Spring Valley on March 9.
The Country Village Towers Corporation owns the building at which the horrendous fire required the rescue of a 2-year-old and many other people, who were trapped in the building.
Frighteningly, it was discovered that the building provided no audio or visual fire alarm system to alert residents to evacuate when the flames first sparked.
Among the 99 other violations found: were exposed wiring, absent or faulty smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors, and doors that did not close properly.
Rockland County inspectors also found that 25 apartments featured bedrooms that had been illegally converted from living and dining rooms. In addition, the building’s elevator did not have a certificate of inspection posted.
“It’s properties like Country Village Towers that underline exactly why New York State has directed my administration to assume full control of the Building Department in the Village of Spring Valley,” said Rockland County Executive Ed Day. “As a former first-responder, I’m outraged knowing this fire could have easily taken a turn for the worst: claiming who knows how many lives.
In 2019, when the Country Village Towers was last inspected for fire code violations, inspectors recorded 11 electrical hazards and other violations that included black mold in several apartments and deteriorating stairways and balconies.
The Village of Spring Valley, however, did not return to 101 Kennedy Drive to ensure the owners fixed the violations, which were never remedied.
Ed Markunas, the director of the Office of Buildings and Codes said, “It will take time for my office to correct years: really decades, of mismanagement and negligence by the former Building Department in the Village of Spring Valley.”
“We will hold this property owner responsible and make sure these egregious violations are remedied immediately.”
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