Is Plowing An Issue At Darien Apartment Complex?

ELMHURST, IL – A resident in a Darien senior apartment complex says the landlord should do a better job with plowing.

Mary Travis, who lives in the Myers Commons complex, provided Patch with photos of the complex's parking lot and sidewalks that she said were taken Tuesday.

Some asphalt could be seen, but a thin layer of packed snow covered certain areas.

Myers Commons is at the southeast corner of Lemont Road and 83rd Street. It got in the news late last year in the battle over a proposed auto body shop across the street, which the City Council approved.

A resident in the Myers Commons apartment complex complained to a government agency Tuesday about the condition of the parking lot after a snowstorm a few days ago. (Courtesy of Myers Commons resident)

In an interview, Travis said the parking lot conditions made it difficult for residents to get to their cars. She said many tenants have mobility issues.

The apartment complex falls under the federal low-income housing tax credit program. Under that program, a certain portion of the housing is reserved for low-income people in exchange for tax credits to developers.

Because of the government program, Travis emailed the Illinois Housing Development Authority on Tuesday.

"Since last Friday many of us have not been able to leave the building or use our cars due to so much ice and snow in our parking lot," she said.

In response, Andrew Field, the deputy director of communications, said the agency would contact the property manager to try to remedy the issue.

On Tuesday afternoon, a person answering the phone at Myers Commons said "everything was fine" now with the parking lot. He said the company was "swamped" during the storm Friday. The person declined to give his name.

In an interview, Alderman Eric Gustafson, whose ward includes Myers Commons, said he drove to the apartment complex Tuesday to assess the situation. He said the company did a good job clearing the lot, but he said snow was still piled up between the cars.

"That makes it difficult for people who are older," he said. "They are doing the best they can with the plows. You'd have to get somebody out with a shovel."

He has been in communication with Travis. At first, he said, the plowing was an issue at Myers Commons.