Edison, NJ – A dozen apartment buildings within the Evergreen Meadows complex on White Birch Road were declared unsafe on Friday, August 9th, after two separate ceiling collapses occurred within a week. The collapses have displaced from approximately 280 units, leaving residents in a state of uncertainty.
Construction code official John Soltesz noted alarming structural issues within the buildings. “You can see where the sheetrock is bowing and the nails are pulling through,” Soltesz explained. “It’s failing, almost like it’s not being held up there. We’re finding that in every one of the buildings.”
This isn’t the first instance of such problems at Evergreen Meadows. A similar collapse occurred a couple of years ago, prompting officials to urge the management company to investigate the issue with a structural engineer.
Edison Mayor Sam Joshi took to Facebook to address the situation, stating, “Today we needed to declare the apartment complex of Evergreen Meadows, 11/12 buildings, approximately 280 units, an imminent hazard due to structural problems. Specifically, ceiling collapses. The public health and safety of our residents is of utmost priority.”
Joshi detailed the events leading up to the evacuation. A ceiling collapse on August 3rd prompted an unsafe structure notice to Garden Communities Management. However, another collapse on August 9th triggered a full evaluation of all 12 buildings, with 11 deemed unsafe.
“The management is really pathetic,” said resident Sudhir Garg. “The are really slow to respond. It looks like these buildings are really old, and every time we kind of pray that nothing happens to us, because you here a scary story of someone’s roof collapsing, and you’re like, am I the next one?”
The situation underscores the importance of proactive building maintenance and swift action when safety concerns arise. As displaced residents await a resolution, questions remain about the long-term safety and viability of the Evergreen Meadows complex.
