News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Maintenance costs continue to increase at Cookeville’s Willow Heights development, meaning budget challenges for Highlands Residential.
Highlands Residential Services Executive Director Dow Harris said costs have gone up an estimated $20,000, dropping Willow Heights bottom line from $36,000 last year to only $4,000 this year. Harris said copper pipes underneath concrete slabs continue to leak.
“We were told by the engineers that when Willow Heights was built that the copper that’s used to plumb was not as good or it was inferior to other coppers that we’ve got copper in the ground for 50-60 years,” Harris said.
Harris said all the water meters and copper pipes on the property have been replaced except the pipes underneath concrete slabs. Harris said the board will have to further look into the issue to see what can be done to address the leaks.
“How do we solve that issue without tearing out all the slabs and everything in every unit,” Harris said. “I don’t know what the answer to that is going to be but I think that is definitely driving up our costs, the water loss, the expense with that and the expense to find the leaks, and the maintenance costs to fixing those leaks.”
Harris said with the increased spending for maintenance the board will look through the work orders to see if any other issues are plaguing the property. Harris said Willow Heights could end up being renovated.
“Willow Heights is getting some age on it,” Harris said. “It’s never had any rehab, you know I think we started renting Willow Heights in 2001. This is 2025, I mean it’s 24 years old. It may need some I don’t know if it’s roofing or if it needs to be remodeled or what that is but our maintenance history will tell us a lot about that.”
Harris said the leaks have impacted the utility bills for tenants. Harris said however Highlands Residential Services is reimbursing tenants for the added cost caused by the leaks.
