POWNAL — Residents at the Pownal Estates Mobile Home Park say the park’s well-water system has been down for more than three days, and they’ve had no success getting management to effect repairs.
The park, off Route 7 near Route 346, has experienced several other maintenance problems, as well, since a new park ownership group took over the 56-unit facility last fall. The park was formerly known as Alta Gardens Mobile Home Park.
Other problems include a lack of secure mailboxes, which had been provided for decades in the past, and a gravel road system that has numerous deep potholes, said residents Deborah and Norman Tifft.
They said that after the decades-old mailboxes became dilapidated, the new park owners attempted to install regular mailboxes at the entrance of the park. But that was rejected by the Postal Service, they said, as boxes could not be locked.
They added that a number of residents have disabilities or health problems that make it difficult to go to the Pownal Post Office on Route 346 for their mail — or to get bottled water.
TOWN CONTACTED
Deborah Tifft said she left a phone message with the Pownal town offices about the lack of water, but town officials said they didn’t receive it.
Contacted Wednesday, Rebecca Dragon, liaison to the Select Board, said she had only heard about a lack of water at the park after tenants apparently reached out to a local church asking for help with water.
Dragon said she spoke with Select Board Chairman and Zoning Administrator Michael Gardner, who had been contacted by the park owners.
“Late on Monday night, the owner of the park texted [Gardner], letting him know that a piece in their pump house was broken, and wanted to know what her requirements were/how to get water to her tenants temporarily while the pump house gets fixed,” Dragon said in an email. “He told her to call [Health Officer] Fred Miller.”
Dragon said later Wednesday that Miller spoke with the owners, “who informed Fred that there is a repair needed in the pumphouse, and it is being worked on currently. She asked Fred what the requirements were for water for tenants while the pumphouse is being worked on, and he gave her the appropriate contact at the state level to figure that out.”
The park office did not return a call Wednesday seeking comment.
The Tiffts said they know of no water being provided by the park owners.
“They never bothered to tell anybody,” Deborah Tifft added. “We didn’t get any notices or anything.”
The water system has been down several times in the past, they said, but usually there was a notice provided of needed repairs.
According to state rental housing health code pertaining to mobile home parks, “Owners of dwellings, rooming houses and rented mobile home lots with short-term deficiencies in water quality or quantity must provide occupants with an alternate, adequate and accessible supply of water for drinking and sanitation until a regular source of water is made available.”
Jim Therrien writes for Vermont News and Media, including the Bennington Banner, Manchester Journal and Brattleboro Reformer. Email [email protected]