HOA Suggestion Box

This Brooks Tower forum topic is a place for residents to discuss suggestions that would make Brooks a better place to live for all. Participating in this discussion is not an official way to submit suggestions to the HOA, but a place to discuss possibilities with fellow residents.

In addition to discussing ideas here, it is suggested that you submit your suggestions by visiting the Brooks Tower Management Office and/or attending the Annual Homeowners Meeting.

Comments ...

The answer to the treadmill is that they created too much noise for the loft units located below the exercise room. We had treadmills in the beginning but after many attempts to silence the pounding noise they were removed and replaced with quiet elliptical machines. There were residents that would use the treadmills in the middle of the night.

For maintenance on the machines you might talk with Phil Castillo or Nancy Brock.

Can we keep one stairwell exit door (Curtis St. side) always open and not locked? The exit leading to the front desk area is enclosed so it is unlikely that a criminal, etc. would enter. Currently, I believe these doors only open if there is a fire.

I think you are referring to stairway exits, not the Lobby/Building Entry Doors. When I first moved in in 2000, I thought it was very strange and restrictive that we could not use the stairs as a secondary means to elevators to get in and out.

What causes the false alarms?

Can those who cause the false alarms be fined?

If we got rid of the stairwell door fire alarms altogether, wouldn't there be much less disruption?

Was there a law at some point in time requiring all high rise stairwells to have alarm door exits? What is the status now?

I have worked in a few high rises around Denver, and the stairways are not tied to fire alarms. Are we still required to have a fire alarm at stairwell exits?

The benefits I could see to remove the stairwell alarms would be less false alarms, and allowing residents to use the stairway to enter and exit.

If it is a security issue, maybe an additional access reader at the stair entrance would solve the case.

The Fire alarm system at Brooks Tower is rather old, it IS required that there be a fire alarm per city Code. As for the false alarms.. its just one of the many joys of living in an apartment building, now matter how tall or short it is.

I was actually informed that the doors must be alarmed if they are locked, but do not need to be alarmed if they are unlocked... or something to that effect. Essentially, I was told by building management that we could keep the door by the front desk unlocked and un-alarmed if building management chose to do that.

I may have misinterpreted something on this, but that was my understanding...

Thanks

I agree that the stairwells should be unlocked. It would encourage healthy living and reduce the elevator usage.

Has there been any discussion on putting in a hot tub? I am a new owner and unless I am mistaken, I didn't see one on the pool deck. I would think that the benefit would outweigh the costs on that one and everyone would enjoy it. Let me know as I'm sure it was brought up before.

Part of me is a little hesitant about personally getting in a single hot tub that is shared among people living in 530 condo units, but that's just my own reservation. I think its a great idea overall as I'm sure many people would enjoy it.

We have plenty of room on the pool deck for a very large hot tub. Also, the pool area is locked early and video monitored, so you'd think we would avoid a lot of questionable behavior and late night noise wouldn't be an issue. This would also be a very inexpensive improvement relative to the kinds of expenditures the board has been authorizing in recent years.

However, I wouldn't get your hopes up. They don't seem real receptive to taking suggestions from just anyone at Brooks Tower. A number of people have brought up the lack of recycling in the building, in the 2006 Homeowners Annual meeting and on this forum, over the last twelve months and the board has taken no action that I know of.

Good suggestion though, keep up the good work!