Dear Westvillage Apartment Manager,
I am aware that there are challenges that apartment managers, like you, face in the normal course of lease management. I am sure that you have received different correspondences relaying diverse subject matters, ranging from addressing complaints, responding to suggestions, and acknowledging that there are changes that need to be undertaken. My letter falls in the last category.
Westvillage Apartment has been strongly recommended by friends when I first moved to Davis. I recognized that Westvillage provides great environment to study and play; since its amenities included study rooms, gyms and pools. Likewise, it is acknowledged as a Zero Net Energy community by employing revolutionary energy efficiency measures and meeting energy demands through on-site solar power generation. As such, Westvillage exemplified a perfect place for living. However, my friends who rent apartment units at Westville relayed several concerns that need to be address. These concerns involved the monthly rental fee, parking issues (permits, allotted spaces, and allowable time limits), and inconsistency in patrolling parking areas by security supervisors.
When I moved to Davis in 2012, I remembered inquiring from the Westvillage Manager on the monthly rental rate for a two-bedroom apartment. I was informed that it was $900 which included free PG&E and internet. Currently, I was informed that the rental fee is $1100, representing a $200 increase or 22% increase. Statistics on rental rates across San Jose or San Francisco would reveal that Davis’ rent is cheaper. As a person who moved twice from one apartment to another in Davis, rental information in the area have not risen by $200 in two years. In Aggie Square Apartment, for instance, the owners increased the rental fee for $20 in past two years. Therefore, in order to attract more people and to make the residents glad to stay, I strongly believe that Westvillage should re-evaluate increases in rental fees which were reflected to be considerably higher when compared to apartments within the same locality.
Concurrently, there are issues in parking that could be improved. The issue stems for the issuance of parking permits. Tenants are advised to secure either the apartment’s parking permit, where students could take the school bus to ply the special bus line between school and Westvillage apartment. Otherwise, tenants apply for a campus parking permit, if they have their own vehicles. Most students living here have their own car and somehow they have to park on the side way because they cannot have both campus and apartment’s permit at the same time. If they buy the campus’ parking permits, they have to park the cars on the side way and move the cars every 2 hours. On the other hand, if they have the parking permits of the apartment, they would have to take buses to school, even when they in a hurry to catch an exam. As such, I am convinced that some coordination with the school should be forged to enable students residing in Westvillage apartment to secure both parking permits, if and when justified. Addressing this issue would make Westvillage apartments more attractive to current and future potential tenants.
In terms of issues pertaining to parking spaces, Westvillage has rooms for improvement. There are apartment units which could accommodate two vehicles to be parked but using a vertical alignment. This parking approach means that if the vehicle which is parked inside wants to go out, the outside vehicle must move out first. The current arrangement inconvenience owners of vehicles at the outer portion who had to be called to move their vehicles to enable the other vehicle to go out. Therefore, in my opinion, the parking structure should be redesign by enlarging the parking lot, or by removing the greenbelt to accommodate more parking spaces.
When it comes to allowable time limits for parking, Westvillage restricts parking of vehicles on the side way to a maximum time fame of two (2) hours; otherwise, parking tickets would be issued for violating this policy. The time limit is too restrictive, especially when guests or visitors had to park their vehicles at the wee hours of the night. As such, management could look into the option of extending the time limit to more hours, say six hours. Those who get to park their vehicles for less than the six-hour time frame could be given discounts. The proposed strategy of providing rewards through discounts would be viewed as a more constructive action than imposing a penalty for violating such a short allowable time frame for parking.
Finally, it is commendable that Westvillage is very secure since security supervisors patrol the parking area regularly. However, there were reports that some of the supervisors were inconsistent in patrolling parking areas. According to the residents living in Westvillage, the supervisors usually go on patrol in Ramble and Solstice three to four times per day, but barely go to Viridian. As observed, they will use chalk to mark the rear wheel before giving tickets when vehicles parked beyond the two hour limit. Most of the vehicles parked in Ramble and Solstice had chalk marks for violating the two hour limit; while no chalk marks were seen in Viridian. As such, management should verify and confirm the inconsistency in patrolling of these assigned supervisors to ensure that safety and security of all vehicles are ensured.
Overall, these proposals and relaying of concerns were communicated to persuade Westvillage management, owners, and stakeholders that these issues should be urgently addressed to serve the best interests of the tenants and the members of the local community. The areas identified: monthly rental fee, parking concerns, and inconsistency in patrolling parking areas by security supervisors are relevant to be improved to exhibit commitment of the management and owners to social responsibility. Addressing these concerns would enable Westvillage to gain a more positive image and be more attractive to current and prospective tenants. I am confident that my advice would assist you in sustaining a wonderful community through exuding the best living condition in Davis.
Sincerely,
