Since removing the washing and drying units from each Longwood Landings apartment units to a centralized laundry facility in fall 2017, residents have voiced complaints in the form of a petition that had 110 signatures calling the attention of Resident and Commuter Life (RCL), the Lancer Card Center and Caldwell and Gregory.
Kristan Wun, account manager for Caldwell and Gregory, the Residential and Commuter Life (RCL) and the Lancer Card Center held an open house for residents to voice their complaints on Tuesday, March 13.
With about 15 students present, main concerns included dryers not working properly, funds to purchase laundry cycles, residents clothes being stolen, laundry left unattended for a lengthy amount of time and small amount of washers and dryers.
Maggie Gallaher, who started the petition, explained to the representatives that she started the petition to spark action rather than “offend anyone” and has now been thrown away anonymously.
Jean Wilwohl, director of housing, stated the RCL office never saw the petition, only heard of it.
“I sent someone from my staff down to look here (Longwood Landings laundry room) but it wasn’t here,” said Wilwohl.
Caldwell and Gregory services all of Longwood managed housing with washers and dryers.
Located on each machine is a QR code that can be utilized when a machine isn’t working properly to notify a Caldwell and Gregory representative, according to Wun.
Wun advised students to voice their concerns to Caldwell and Gregory as well as the Lancer Card Center as their information is posted around the space.
“We didn’t know everything that was going on,” said Lancer Card Center Director Crissy Sampier.
Once reported, Wun said the maintenance technician comes to look at the problem as he is mostly on Longwood’s campus.
“I have nothing against the washer, but with the dryers, I would always set it to high then come back an hour later and my clothes would only be half dry,” said Tamera Edley, a Longwood Landings resident.
Each resident receives $96 per semester to purchase laundry cycles for $1.50 per wash and an additional $1.50 per dry, according to Sampier.
“I’m not paying for laundry extra (cycles),” said Chris Belote, a Longwood Landings resident.
Sampier responded to contact the Lancer Card Center and ask for a refund after showing the need to add additional time to the dryer.
According to Wun, an additional five minutes have been added to the dryers to accommodate for a poor venting issue that will be looked into further this summer.
Kir Wachsnann, a Landings resident, said her biggest issue she has with the space is the “lack of surveillance”.
“I had my clothes thrown around and my time stolen and nothing was done about it,” said Belote.
Sampier responded with plans to install two cameras to monitor activity in the upcoming weeks.
“We don’t want this to be frustrating for students at all,” said Wilwohl.
When asked about adding more washers and dryers, Sampier replied the current space doesn’t accommodate for more washers and dryers and no plans to add any more.
Melinda Traylor, a Landings resident, voiced concerns with finding roommates to live in the Longwood Landings harder than in years past.
Traylor said, “People don’t want to live in the Landings because of this (the laundry room)."
Longwood students and officials congregated in the laundry room beneath the Longwood Landings apartment complex for a forum with Caldwell and Gregory.
Longwood students and officials congregated in the laundry room beneath the Longwood Landings apartment complex for a forum with Caldwell and Gregory.
