Wednesday, April 19, 2000
Answers sought after Hilltop fire
Unsupervised child caused blaze
BY Allen Howard
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP — A $400,000 fire last week at the Hilltop Apartment complex, started when a 9-year-old boy tossed burning food on furniture, has caused talk of setting up a residents council in the housing complex.
“The fire was an accident that could happen any place,” said Greg Ruff, manager of National Realty Management, which owns the complex.
“I think we may need to set up a residents council to look at problems between management and the residents and to help residents manage some of their affairs. We are looking at planning after-school activities for the children. We don't want another situation where children are left alone with nothing to do.”
On the day of the fire, children were out of school on spring break. The boy was left home alone while his mother worked. No charges have been filed against the boy's mother.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Department is still investigating. “We still have some unanswered questions,” said spokesman Steve Barnett.
The Golf Manor Fire Department said the fire s swept through the frame structures, damaging three units and rendering nine others unlivable. No one was injured seriously, although several people, including three children, were treated and released from two hospitals.
But the fire has rekindled a debate started in 1994 between neighboring Kennedy Heights and Hilltop developer William Brisben. It started when Mr. Brisben decided to build the low-income housing instead of condominiums.
The Kennedy Heights Community Council was not pleased with the switch.
“This changed the complexion of things for us because suddenly we were looking at families with a lot of children,” said Kay Briggs, community coordinator. “Our main concerns were safety and how it would affect the stability of our community.”
“A fire of this magnitude, even though accidentally started, raises the question of how safe children are in a complex of low-income families. Kennedy Heights has a good record of working with a diversified neighborhood. That is why we are interested in working with them to start a resident council,” Mrs. Briggs said.
Mrs. Briggs said he council is now concerned about an agreement reached between the council and the developer.
“We settled some issues to allow the complex to be built, but we have not been on the best of terms with Mr. Brisben,” Mrs. Briggs said.
Both sides said that relationships have improved in the last year, however.
“Since a new manager came in (Mr. Ruff), things are better,” Mrs. Briggs said.
Part of the dispute concerned 120 feet of land at the end of Edgeview Drive in Kennedy Heights, next to the new complex. Mr. Brisben wanted to buy the land to build an emergency fire route. The council objected.
The council wanted ownership of the land. Its demands were:
ăBuild fewer housing units, add basketball courts, tot lots and a sizable recreation building.
ăBuild a brick fence between the complex and Kennedy Heights, and a protected pedestrian walkway along a 115-foot rise connecting the apartment complex to Kennedy Avenue.
Some of the demands were met. The developer built a wooden fence instead of a brick one and has provided monitors to watch for trespassers. The number of apartment units was reduced from 234 to 196, and the walkway and a bus stop were built.
An emergency fire route was built with a locking gate. The Golf Manor Fire Department keeps the key to the gate.
Golf Manor Fire Capt. Jim Puthoff said two of the responding fire departments had to use the emergency route.
“We didn't have any difficulty entering the complex,” Capt. Puthoff said. “One way was up the steep hill on View Pointe Drive, and the other way was through the emergency entrance.”
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