Tenant speaks out about Lakeside

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November 8, 2009

By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG The Press Republican Sun Nov 08, 2009, 11:01 PM EST

PLATTSBURGH — During the last few weeks, Mike Ducatte has been watching what seems like a flurry of activity at Lakeside Apartment complex.

"There has been a tremendous amount of work being done there. The place is going through a whole new makeover."

Ducatte has lived in the complex on and off for about 10 years and returned to the building about a year ago after being unable to find another place that accepted his pets.

For him, the complex is a place he can call home for now, and he remains optimistic about the changes ahead after the building's owner, Collin Niemi of Montreal, was slammed with 37 violations earlier this year.

"I think the management is trying everything they can to fix this place up," Ducatte said. "And I think it's time for credit to be given where credit is due."

He said the building has already undergone several cosmetic changes, such as coats of fresh paint, roof repairs and parking-lot improvements, which was ordered by the city as officials work to address years of plaguing problems there.

"We became very aggressive in approaching the owner of the building to comply with many of the violations that we found unacceptable," said Mayor Donald Kasprzak, who initiated the crackdown efforts after weeks of legal research on the matter.

Kasprzak, along with City Police and officials with the Building Inspector's Office, toured the apartments in August and publicly spoke out about the "unacceptable" conditions there.

"We have regularly been checking with the progress ... and we still monitor on a weekly basis whether the owner is complying with the changes and corrections that we directed him to make, and at this time he has been cooperating and on schedule."

Kasprzak said he began actively working to address the problems after hearing countless complaints from neighbors and city residents, as well as out of concern for the tenants.

He plans to continue monitoring the progress and said more improvements are needed at the 120-apartment complex.

"We will ensure that the owner will comply with the demands that are expected from the city," the mayor said.

As the cleanup efforts continue, Ducatte said the main problem he is hoping to combat is the negative public perception of the lakefront property, which is assessed at $1.8 million.

"I feel like I'm being stereotyped. Not everyone there is bad or a troublemaker. I don't bother anyone and keep to myself, and the people that I do talk to are all good people.

"The whole place has a reputation, and it shouldn't be that way. There's only a small handful of people who start the problems."

He said "it's not the best place in the world, and it's not the worst" and hopes the repairs will ease some of the public criticism about the complex.

"I don't have a problem with the place. It's a roof over my head, and it's what you make of it."

E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at: avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com