THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022 Page 15 City demands action from Water’s Edge Apartments landlord By Adam Swift M ayor Brian Arrigo is demanding action from the Connecticut-based landlords of the Water’s Edge Apartments on Ocean Avenue, site of a fi re that displaced residents on June 21. The fi re broke out on an outside deck on the 11th fl oor, and two residents were rescued by fi refi ghters from a unit on that fl oor. In a demand letter sent to The Carabetta Companies in Meriden, Conn., Arrigo encouraged someone from their offi ce to provide support for the residents displaced by the fi re. “Although we have been unsuccessful since Tuesday (June 21) to address these issues together, it is my wish that we work together to ensure that the tenants who are now homeless because of the fire find suitable and temporary shelter until such time that it will be safe for them to return to their residences at your property,” stated Arrigo. The mayor stated that if Carabetta does not respond immediately, it will give him no choice but to use city resources to conduct a thorough investigation of all Carabetta properties in Revere to ensure compliance with all fire, building, sanitary and health and safety codes. Arrigo stated the city would also take steps to ensure that all uses are in compliance with the city’s zoning ordinances and confi rm that all taxes and fees are paid to date. “Please note that if the city is forced to provide shelter for your unfortunate tenants, the City will fi le a lawsuit in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover from you all costs incurred by the City, including legal costs, for providing shelter and assistance for your tenants,” stated Arrigo. In addition, Arrigo stated that none of the tenants of the apartment complex have been contacted by the company to help guide them through the insurance process. “Your inaction to date is highly irresponsible, unprofessional, and quite frankly, immoral,” stated Arrigo. “I prefer to avoid litigation, but as Mayor of the City of Revere I have a moral obligation to assist my constituents in a time of crisis in whatever way I can help.” In an even bolder move at Monday night’s City Council meeting, Councillor-at-Large George Rotondo fi led a late motion asking the mayor to investigate the feasibility of taking the Carabetta properties by eminent domain for the purpose of converting them to aff ordable housing. “This is a great motion, believe it or not,” said Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky. “Carabetta Properties are the worst landlords in the city of Revere. They are totally irresponsible; they just had a fi re at 370 Ocean Ave., and they Planning Board does not support change to laboratory biosafety levels Chairman: Agreement means less residential, more industrial By Adam Swift C ompared to the uproar at Monday night’s City Council public hearing on a proposed ordinance to reduce biosafety levels for life sciences and medical buildings in the city, Wednesday night’s Planning Board hearing on the same issue seemed to escape notice. On Monday night, City Council President Gerry Visconti cleared the City Council Chambers after some members of the audience became unruly on the hearing on the ordinance he proposed along with Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna. With HYM proposing a large life sciences complex at the Suffolk Downs development, Visconti and McKenna are looking to drop the maximum biosafety level allowed for labs in the city from the current level three to a more restrictive level two. The Planning Board on Wednesday voted not to recommend a change in the current ordinance. No one spoke in favor or in opposition to the proposed amendment at the Planning Board’s public hearing. The proposed ordinance must still go before the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee before the full council takes the deciding vote on the subject. BIOSAFETY | SEE Page 17 have not done a thing to help the people – zero – and they should be ashamed of themselves.” Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri agreed that the properties are not kept up at all. “When the city asks them to step up and take care of issues, they completely refuse,” he said. “They don’t put their elevators into standard and they are willing to pay fi ne after fi ne instead of keeping their properties to the standard that their residents deserve.” Rotondo said any other property in the city that has had so many faults – from the fi re to the elevators to other compliance issues – would have been shut down. “Everybody I speak to regarding those properties say not nice things about the landlords,” said City Council President Gerry Visconti. “That’s disheartening: to hear that they have [been] in a fi re and nothing is being done by the landlord.” AUTOTECH $$ CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! $$ Does not have to be running! GET YOUR VEHICLE SUMMER READY! 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