Changes Better Accommodate Residents

At Nunnawauk Meadows

By Nancy K. Crevier

Nunnawauk Meadows Executive Director Linda Manganaro and Nunnawauk maintenance supervisor Art Monsanto led a group consisting of Newtown Economic and Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker, Shelly Pille, from the state Department of Economic and Community Development, Bernie Curran, president of Newtown Housing for the Elderly, and architects Hugh Sullivan and Jennifer Duckworth of Bennett Sullivan Associates, Inc in Southbury on a brief tour of the recently renovated units at the low-income residential community on Nunnawauk Road.

Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra and State Representative Chris Lyddy were unable to attend.

Renovations on five apartments in the complex to bring them up to compliance with Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and to convert tubs to walk-in showers in 110 other units were made possible through a $451,000 Small Cities Grant awarded to Nunnawauk Meadows by the state in 2011, and additional funds from USDA Rural Development.

Mr Sullivan and Ms Duckworth were the architects who designed alterations to the apartments and oversaw the implementation by Redstone Company from Pennsylvania. The greatest consideration in making the changes, said Mr Sullivan, was in seeing that adaptations met current state codes. Newtown’s chief building inspector, John Poeltl, said Mr Sullivan, was particularly helpful in grouping inspections together as work progressed. “That allowed us to keep the job on schedule,” said Mr Sullivan, of the project that began in January and was completed the end of March.

Five percent of all units in a housing community are required to be handicapped accessible, said Ms Manganaro. The lowering of kitchen counters and sinks, and removal of cupboards beneath the sinks, as well as conversion of tubs to walk-in and transfer showers with nonslip flooring in five of the apartments allowed Nunnawauk Meadows to comply with that requirement. The transfer showers in two of those five units have compressible thresholds, Mr Sullivan explained.

“The threshold compresses to allow a wheelchair to go over it, then raises back up again to act as a water barrier,” he said.

All of the new walk-in and transfer shower units are made from a high-density fiberglass, he said, an extremely durable material.

The conversion of tubs to walk-in showers in the 110 other units was done as a means of ensuring safety and well-being of the residents, said Ms Manganaro.

Following the tour, Ms Manganaro expressed her gratitude to all who attended and for the support they had offered the project, as well as thanks to the state for awarding the grant.

“Every bit helps. Anytime we get something like [this grant], it’s a real shot in the arm,” Mr Curran told the group. He went on to say that the recent project was just one in what will be part of a 20-year capital improvement plan that will cost approximately $3.5 million to implement. “This is a top rated community here,” Mr Curran said, fortunate to have the leadership and forward thinking that it does.

 “These are the types of projects we like to partner on. We’re happy we could do what we could do,” commented Ms Pille, and Ms Stocker noted that it was good to see the project completed and benefiting the residents of the community.

“Your residents are provided with one of the best communities [that there is] for low-income needs,” Ms Stocker said, addressing Ms Manganaro directly.

Residents were not displaced during renovations, and were very impressed with the professionalism of the work crews during renovations, Ms Manganaro said.

“Resident are thrilled,” she added. “It’s change, but for the most part everybody I have heard from is pleased.”