A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number #24-47, regarding the garbage chute at 1 Leighton Street

City of Cambridge Peter McLaughlin Inspectional Services Department Commissioner 831 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 To: Yi-An Huang, City Manager From: Peter McLaughlin, Commissioner of Inspectional Services October 2, 2024 Re: Awaiting Report #24-47 – Garbage Chute at 1 Leighton Street, Cambridge Crossing In response to the above Awaiting Report, the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) provides the following. Number 1 Leighton Street is a 22-story high rise residential building, built in 2006 at Cambridge Crossing. It accommodates approximately 400 apartments. The facility is serviced by a garbage chute system, that provides for recycling and trash disposal. The system was built in accordance with Massachusetts building code requirements. The following is a brief chronology of the garbage chute issues that have been brought to the attention of the Inspectional Services Department. 1/22/2021 In response to a resident complaint about garbage chute issue, ISD met with the building management company to discuss how they anticipated repairing the system. The building management engineer acknowledged the issue and informed ISD personnel of a plan to handle trash while awaiting repairs. The plan included sending cleaners to each trash room three times per day to collect trash. 2/1/2021 An ISD inspector visited the building unannounced. No issues were found related to trash rooms. The chute system was still not operating properly. Management Company personnel at the building explained that repairs were complicated but that they anticipated replacing system parts in the next week. Cleaners continued to service the trash rooms three times per day. 2/19/2021 ISD conducted another unannounced inspection and met again with the property manager. At that time the trash chute was shown to be operating but the recycling chute was not working. Cleaners were still servicing the trash rooms three times per day. 2/22/2021 in response to a resident calling City staff in multiple departments, arrangements were made for a meeting with relevant City staff to visit the site. Staff from ISD, Community

City of Cambridge Peter McLaughlin Inspectional Services Department Commissioner 831 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 Development, Fire department and The Office of the Housing Liaison all meet on site. No building code violations were found. 4/28/21 ISD conducted an additional inspection and found trash accumulation in the trash rooms on 21 of the 22 floors. A sanitary code citation violation was issued 5/5/21An ISD inspection found no issues 2/1/22 An ISD Inspection found a continuing failure to maintain the garbage chute system and the Management Company is again cited for a sanitary code violation. 2/28/22 Another unannounced ISD inspection of the trash rooms and chute system is completed. Some trash was found on the floor of trash rooms. Management indicates that they are continuing to clean the trash rooms three times per day. 3/16/2022 ISD filed for a court hearing against the management company for a failure to repair the garbage chute. 5/24/22 The Management company advises ISD that they expected that the chute system will be repaired on 6/9/22. 6/16/22 The Management company indicates that the chute is repaired but that the deflector (deflecting trash to one side of the chute and recyclables to the other side) is not working properly. 6/18/22. Greystar informs ISD that a new deflector has been ordered. 7/2/2022 Management company contacts ISD to notify the department that work on the deflector would begin in second week of July. 7/26/2022 ISD contacts the management company to find out when the work will be completed. The management responds there are supply chain issues in getting the necessary parts but the are continuing to pursue the final repairs., Given the backlog of cases before the district court, the complaints against 1 Leighton Street were continued until March 2023 at which time, given the evidence provided specific to repair work at the property, the case was withdrawn by the City. The Inspectional Services Department has not heard any complaints about the garbage chute system in the building over the past two years. Nor has the department been informed of any concerns about trash or rodent activity in the building. However, because of this council order ISD has again been in contact with the building management

City of Cambridge Peter McLaughlin Inspectional Services Department Commissioner 831 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 company and expects to revisit the property to further investigate the chute system in the immediate future.