To the Editor:

When I saw the news reports of this fire at Avalon’s Edgewater complex, I was struck by the apparent physical similarities of that design to what I have seen in the local papers re the proposed AvalonBay development here.

These fires demonstrate a very poor track record for Avalon and the resulting bad publicity will make the sale of their housing units much more difficult unless they can substantially improve the quality and safety of their construction.

Princeton should strongly support a tougher building code to ensure that people’s lives are not put at risk and that the problems of rebuilding after a disaster like this is not borne by Princeton’s residents. The cavalier attitude of Avalon’s management, is clearly reflected in their reported statement.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, AvalonBay Communities, which owned the complex, said it had been built “in accordance with the fire and safety codes applicable at the time. The purpose of those codes is not to prevent the building from burning down, but rather to ensure that there is sufficient time and opportunity for all occupants to exit safely in the event of a fire,” the company wrote. “We are grateful that everyone at Avalon at Edgewater was able to leave the building and get to safety without serious injury.”

It’s time to DEMAND that the codes PREVENT the building from burning down … that would be a lot safer and cheaper for all Princeton residents in the long run!

Sergio Suarez

Jefferson Road

Editor’s Note: The letter above was addressed to Mayor Lempert concerning the links Mr. Suarez sent to her about the Avalon at Edgewater fire. In her response she explained that AvalonBay’s plans are being reviewed by the New Jersey State Department Of Community Affairs; that they will be designed and constructed to meet all present day requirements under the N.J. Uniform Construction Code along with the International Building Code; that municipalities are not allowed under state law to set their own special building standards; that one thing which can be done is to advocate for stiffer building code standards at the state level, where Governor Christie is calling for a review of construction fire codes. The mayor also noted that the town’s construction official reports that no parts of the construction plans have been approved for this site yet.