PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WVEC) — A perimeter fence was built around the London Oaks Apartments in Portsmouth, and residents aren’t happy this is how the complex used its money.
TRG Management Company, which owns the property, told 13News Now residents were not notified about the fence before construction began back in August, but now the fence circles the 296 unit complex. Management met with residents Monday night to talk about the decision.
The President of the Portsmouth NAACP, James Boyd, attended the event.
"The first thing she said when she came into the meeting is the fence is not going anywhere. It's a prison, it's an eight-foot fence, it's unprecedented. The first thing she said when she came into the meeting is the fence is not going anywhere,” said Boyd.
Management explained to residents why they built the fence. They said it would reduce foot traffic in and out of the complex, but Boyd was frustrated.
"The main thing was a crime, and then we got the other answer of its aesthetically pleasing,” said Boyd. “Not only a barrier in terms of physical but psychological, resources, things that the community could come in to help a community that is suffering, this image is bad."
Resident Ciarra Whitehead questions the fence decision because she believes the complex should have used the funds for the interior of the units.
"They took all the regular lights out to order LED lights when they didn't have enough money to fund for the LED lights. My bathroom light was off for three months, my son almost got electrocuted because I had a lamp inside the bathroom. Why not get a loan to do what's inside these units?” said Whitehead.
Other residents like Sonja Williams said some of the issues in the complex are very dangerous.
"Our problem with the gate is you got funding for that, why didn't you get funding for the necessities we need inside of our units. At least 70 percent of the homes have mold and mildew issues, to the point it's airborne. We have some women who haven't had air conditioning all summer, and all they can tell us if they're getting to it,” said Williams.
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