Private Units

Utilization [DC Article 10], [BY Article 7.5]

General: [DC Article 10.1]: “Other than the two commercial units, the loft units shall be used for residential purposes or for office, professional, or studio purposes. Such units may be used for retail purposes only on a by-appointment-only basis. No uses shall be permitted that generate noise such as to disturb units for residential purposes.”

Specifics: [BY Article 7.5]: The reference bylaw article covers a wide range of utilization requirements, many of which are covered in other areas of this document. Refer to the Bylaws for the specifics.

Maintenance [BY Article 7.1 (a)]

General: All maintenance and repairs to any unit shall be made by the owner who is responsible for keeping such unit in good condition and repair, and shall do all redecorating, painting and staining which may be necessary to maintain the good appearance and condition of the unit.

Windows: Maintenance and repair of windows are the full responsibility of the owner, with the exception of exterior window washing.

Radiators & Internal Steam System: Management shall maintain radiators in Loft Units in good and quiet working condition and charge the cost of such maintenance to the Unit owner.

Other Items: Unit owners are responsible for the maintenance, repair, or replacement of windows, doors and any plumbing, heating or air conditioning fixtures, telephones, water heaters, fans, lighting fixtures and lamps, refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, or other appliances and accessories that may be in, or connected with, such owner's unit.

Protect Common Elements: Owners/tenants shall not modify or damage any common system or element running through the unit. If damaged, repairs will be at the owner’s expense.

Sound Insulation: The walls between units and common areas are insulated. Owners/tenants shall not do anything that compromises that insulation.

Common System Repairs: Management may repair or replace (at ISL's expense) portions of common elements (e.g., utilities) within units if deemed necessary in order to keep the common elements in good condition and working order.

Enforcement: If a unit owner fails to maintain his/her unit and that failure adversely impacts common elements, adjacent units, management may repair a unit’s elements at the owner’s expense.

Keying

Locks to private units are the responsibility of the owner. Neither Board members nor management keep spare private unit keys (unless an owner makes special arrangements) and there is no building "master key.”

See the Security section for information on securing keys, fobs, and garage door openers.

See Building Systems, the Access Control article and Garage article for background on the systems involved.

Steam Heat

The first floor commercial units and all those on the north side, west side, southeast corner, and penthouse are heated by the building’s steam system. The operating costs of this system are allocated to steam heat users only, via a heating surcharge on the monthly HOA fee, proportionally based on owned square footage of heated spaces.

Control: The radiators are controlled using the wall-mounted thermostat in each heated unit. The building’s thermostat system uses a controlled air supply, so a hissing noise will be heard as the thermostat turns on and off. Air through the thermostat operates the air-operated valves on each radiator. When the thermostat sends a call for heat, the air-operated valves allow steam to enter the radiator.

Noises: A stronger hissing noise occurs as steam fills the radiator. As the steam travels through the radiator, it cools and water condensate is created; it circulates back to the boiler via the piping on the opposite (from the steam supply) end of the radiator. The main riser pipes that feed the radiators expand and contract as they heat up and cool down, and the tapping and clicking noises they make are normal. The boiler’s hours of operation vary with the season. During the summer months the boiler is off.

Precautions: A few precautions concerning the steam radiators:

Do not place items on top of the radiator which cannot withstand heat (plastics, plants, etc.)
Use caution when placing stereos, furniture, rugs, etc. near radiators and pipes, as they may be damaged if leaking occurs.
Dust build-up on radiators can cause odors when radiators get hot.
If any leaks or abnormal noises occur, please notify Management.

Manual Control: In addition to the thermostat-air-controlled valve on each radiator, there is a manual valve which can be used to shut off the radiator—regardless of the signal from the thermostat. If the thermostat fails to provide the control desired, it is possible to manually control it with this manual valve, provided the steam valve is open (thermostat calling for heat).

Warning: If the building’s control air supply should fail, the thermostat-air-controlled-valves OPEN; i.e., heat is supplied regardless of the thermostat setting. Therefore, if the resident plans to be absent for an extended period, it is recommended that the manual valves be closed to prevent unit over-heating in the somewhat remote chance of a control-air failure. While the resident’s space will cool, residual building heat should prevent a serious temperature drop.

Storage Units [DC Art. 10.4]

ISL has storage units on the first floor and on the east end of some of the hallways. These are owned, platted spaces.

Owner Responsibility: As a privately owned deeded space, owner’s are fully responsible for their maintenance and use. They may be used only for storage of legal materials/items.

Ownership/Sale: Units may be owned only by the owner of a commercial or residential ISL unit, and may only be used by the owner or tenant of ISL. Transfer by or among ISL owners shall be accomplished by deed or by other form or real property conveyance instrument. Notify management immediately upon any such transfer.

Keying: Storage unit locks and keying is the owner’s responsibility.

Construction [DC Article 15], [BY Article 7.2], [BY Article 8.2 (f)]

ISL Bylaws have very specific requirement augmented by appropriate, ISL Board approved rules. Refer to this site's Construction in Units section for details.

Utilities

Sewer: Reasonable care should be exercised to insure no objects, paint, chemicals, hazardous, and/or illegal materials enter the building’s sewer system. Not only are the building’s piping systems subject to damage and associated repair costs, but there is the potential liability associated with illegal sewer discharges. Any damage caused by stoppage of waste pipes or overflow of bath tubs, showers, toilets or wash-basins within a unit, plus any problems associated with the original failure, will be the responsibility of the owner.

Water: Water is distributed and supplied to the entire building via a single metered service. Cold water is a shared cost utility, covered by HOA fees.

Each unit has a water heater, so the cost of heating water is assumed directly by the owner/resident via electric utility charges billings.
WARNING: Owners should routinely check the trays under the water heater to make sure they are not leaking; they could leak for a long time without being aware of a problem since the tray SHOULD drain. Also, the trays could also rust out and the result of a leak could cause significant damage. (Note: original water heaters from 1989, are at the end of their lives, so if they haven' been replaced in the interim, they are at risk.
WARNING: Unless subsequently installed by an owner/resident, there is no single master water shutoff for a given unit. There are standard specific sink, water-closet shutoffs, but a failure of distribution piping in a unit requires the shutoff of a common riser to vertical blocks of units which requires intervention by Management. Consequently, in the event of distribution piping leakage, or if a planned shut-off for approved plumbing contractor work, Management must be contacted so the work can be scheduled and affected unit owners notified in advance.

Electrical: The building’s electrical service is supplied by transformers located in a secure area of the basement garage level.

The building’s main distribution is a 3-phase 120/208 volt system; however, unless specifically changed, panels in most units are SINGLE PHASE ONLY. IT IS IMPORTANT, therefore, before ordering major electrical equipment (like stoves, hot water heaters, etc.), to check your available phasing (single or 3-phase) and voltage (208 or 240). A 240 (only) volt rated appliance will not work efficiently at 208 volts, and may even be damaged by operating at the lower voltage.
Each unit is serviced through its separate meter. Each unit is billed, based on use, directly to the resident by the serving power company, PGE.

TV Cable: TV cable distribution wiring within the building is presently the property of the serving cable company, Comcast. Consequently, all service problems are the responsibility of the cable company. ISL pays a monthly fee for this cable usage and basic monthly service. If additional levels of service are desired by an individual resident, that occupant is responsible for securing same from the supplier and funding those additional elective services.

Telephone: Telephone distribution wiring within the building is a common element, owned collectively by the owners in ISL. Telephones, telephone utilization devices, and individual telephone services are the responsibility of each resident.

Exterior Appearance [BY Article 7.5 (e), (f), (h)]

Windows: No items shall be placed outside of the unit’s windows; i.e., air conditioners, TV or radio antennas, satellite dishes, signs, bird feeders, sports equipment, garments, rugs, laundry, towels.

Common Areas: Similarly, no items shall be placed or hung in or on exterior facades, upper level decks, stairwells, and the like.

DO NOT throw anything out of the windows.

Signs [BY Article 7.5 (h)]

No signs may be attached to the outside of the building or displayed to public view in unit windows, except signs placed on or in the windows and doors of Commercial Units, or signs otherwise approved by Management and in compliance with historical preservation and other governmental regulations.

Noise

The walls enclosing units installed in 1989 for the conversion from warehouse to apartments had relatively good noise control design. However, noise transmission can still occur if sound levels become excessive. Additionally, the concrete exterior walls and interior floors are very good sound transmitters. Refer to the Resident Responsibility section of this site for specific noise rules.

Odors [BY Article 7.5 (c)]

Residents shall not engage in businesses or activities which create noxious or offensive odors beyond their units. See Construction in Units for rules related to construction.

Insurance [BY Article 8]

Coverage: As specified in the Bylaws, ISL’s insurance provides relatively extensive coverage to the structure and, at present, includes flood and earthquake insurance. Coverage includes all fixed documented, recorded and approved improvements and build-outs, consequently, it is imperative that owners comply with the requirements of the Bylaws and this handbook (see Construction in Units, Section IV).

Items Not Covered: The policy does not, however, cover the contents of your unit or your vehicle, visitor and/or guest property, or personal liability. Owners or tenants are ultimately responsible for determining the degree of personal coverage desired beyond that provided by ISL. Examples include considering private insurance coverage for personal property and possessions, for vehicles, and for potential liabilities associated with common area or adjacent unit damage resulting from actions by guests, contractors, or failed utilities within your private unit.

Owner/Tenant Responsibilities: To insure ISL coverage, owners/residents, their family, guests, contractors, etc., shall not store any unsafe products, be in violation of any law or regulation of any governmental authority, or engage in any activities which may otherwise compromise the overall safety of the ISL building, compromise established insurance coverage, or increase insurance costs for same. [BY Article 7.5 (j)]

Hold Harmless: ISL is not responsible for any loss or damage to property of residents, guests and visitors, delivered, placed or left on upper level decks, common areas, hallways, parking areas, building lobby or any other common area in the building.