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Residents of Reston condo report no air conditioning, personal units not allowed
Residents at a Reston condo community say they are facing a troubling reality this summer: no air conditioning, and no clear short-term solution.
RESTON, Va. - Residents at a Reston condo community say they are facing a troubling reality this summer: no air conditioning, and no clear short-term solution.
At Vantage Hill Condominiums, homeowners and tenants say rising temperatures are already causing concern, with some fearing their homes could become unlivable in the months ahead.
Many residents say the lack of cooling poses serious risks, especially for vulnerable populations in the community.
Community members concerned
No solution in sight:
"We’re concerned because there are many of us that are young parents and seniors in the community. The property management has flat out told us, they posted on all of our doors that we cannot install temporary A/C units regardless of our situations," said Jackie Shapiro, a resident of the community.
"People are expressing fear for their life if something is not done about this," said Andrew Rudd.
"My concern is my wife is nearly 90. We’ve enjoyed good health we are active. I don’t want something like this to interrupt that momentum," said Robin McCann.
"It takes a lot out of you as you get older, that heat robs you of your energy," said Charlene McCann.
"My other concern outside the heat is mold growth, so I mean, without air-conditioning, the drywall is gonna start molding it’s gonna make our units inhabitable," Shapiro added.
"I really hope that there can be some pressure put on so that we can expedite this process. There’s no need for this to take over a year to," Shapiro said.
"I need to feel that people are putting their heads together and some kind of solution-driven mode so that something can look as if it’s surfacing that can bring us some relief," McCann said.
No central AC and no temporary fixes allowed
The backstory:
For decades, the community relied on a central cooling system run by RELAC, serving more than 600 homes around the Lake Anne area.
But that system shut down last year after years of breakdowns, leaving residents without air conditioning.
A notice posted by the condo association says there will be no central A/C this summer.
Residents say they also cannot install their own systems yet because the buildings do not have the electrical capacity.
Even portable or window units are not allowed, due to concerns about overloading the system.
The association says it is working on a long-term fix, including major electrical upgrades, but that project is not expected to be completed until spring 2027.
In the meantime, there is no approved temporary solution — leaving many residents wondering how they will get through the summer heat.
Some consider leaving — even temporarily
What they're saying:
"Like my dog actually he’s an old dog I’m actually gonna have to take him to Family and another state because he couldn’t survive this sweltering heat," said Andrew Rudd.
"When we all know the things happen but don’t just dump it and that’s what it is they’ve dumped us with we’ll see how you’re gonna do this well I don’t have another place to go," said Robin McCann.
County says options are limited
Big picture view:
Fairfax County supervisor Walter Alcorns office says their ability to intervene is limited because the issue falls under a private condo association but the county can offer resources.
The office also said the latest update from property managers indicates a load test could happen as early as this week to determine whether temporary individual A/C units may be possible.
The property management group has not yet responded to requests by Fox5 DC for comment.