Lack of Response from Grove a Real Tragedy: 9.24.2012

You’ve likely heard it said that it’s the little things in life that mean the most. The flip-side of this sweet, needlepoint-worthy phrase is that the Devil’s in the details. A series of unforeseen – but not unforeseeable – problems and unmet – but not unreasonable – expectations are ruffling the feathers of several tenants of The Grove, a new student housing complex near the University of Maine.

Approximately 600 students had high hopes for what it would be like to live in the new apartments. Initial plans indicated a slightly elevated level of luxury from what many students were used to – people flocked there for the stylish, spacious accommodations that were advertised.

Unfortunately, what some of these dissatisfied renters have found is that their new digs hardly delivered the promised height of decadence. On the contrary, issues with defunct appliances, construction detritus and what now looks like an escalating mold problem have left a few feeling slighted.

It can’t be said that UMaine students are presumptuously seeking a self-indulgent standard of living, though some have scoffed at the discontent that is beginning to surface. Structural issues that may constitute safety hazards are legitimate cause for complaint, but the more reprehensible offense has been the lack of response to some of the residents’ concerns. While some students have reported having their reported issues promptly addressed, others have been brushed off or ignored entirely.

The Grove management’s passive attempts to pacify students come, sadly, as no real surprise. One might expect that in the wake of some bad press they’ve received in recent years, Campus Crest – The Grove’s parent company – would have improved their customer service protocol, in the interests of saving face with what remaining schools might still favor their facilities’ facades.

Before mildew at The Grove sent a spore-sensitive student to the hospital, there was a much more widely publicized issue with Campus Crest constructions that infamously left tenants seeking medical attention. Last year in Texas, three students were hospitalized for three or more days as a result of stepping out onto the balcony of a second-story apartment that collapsed under their weight. Rather than accept responsibility for poor integrity of the design, Campus Crest somehow deflected blame onto the students, saying that the porch was meant for decorative purposes only — another egregious example of poor communication, exacerbated by the existence of a door leading out to the faux, but fully accessible, landing. Further, their failures to create a satisfactory forum for discussion left Washington renters in a pinch in 2007, forcing students to find alternative housing while construction crews finished finessing the lodging that had been leased to them months prior.

Maybe the negative reports on the quality of life in The Grove can just be chalked up to a new system still working out its bugs, or maybe they’re symptoms of a bigger problem that’s working its way further into the foundation. In either case, if Campus Crest wants a quick, easy and cheap way to improve morale, they had ought to start consistently responding to complaints — better yet, to do so in a manner that demonstrates some accountability and encourages their residents to expect eventual headway.