UPDATED 4:30 PM: San Marcos Fire Marshal Calls For Mandatory Evacuation Of Vie Lofts
In response to safety concerns about building stability and means of egress, the San Marcos Fire Marshal issued a mandatory evacuation order for Vie Lofts at 817 Chestnut St. today, Friday, Sept. 20.
City staff, along with apartment personnel, are going door-to-door to notify residents. Residents are encouraged to pack one bag including any medications, pets and valuables.
Anyone able to find lodging with friends or family for the night is encouraged to do so; however, apartment management will also be available to assist with alternative lodging.
Since the onsite apartment office will also be closed, residents may visit the San Marcos Police Department Auditorium at 2300 S. I-35 on Saturday or Sunday from 11 AM to 3 PM to visit with apartment management.
The evacuation for the 162 occupants was issued by the Fire Marshal based on consultation with the City Attorney, Planning & Development Services, Code Compliance, and the City Manager’s Office.
“Resident safety is of the utmost importance when evaluating a structure of this type,” states Fire Marshal Kelly Kistner. “We appreciate the cooperation of residents and their families as we address these life safety issues.”
The building will remain evacuated until further notice. Residents may call a recorded hotline at 512.393.8488 for current information or call the apartment management at 737.484.3930.
Vie Lofts issued the following statement regarding the evacuation from Derrick Milam, Co-Founder of Vie Management:
We want to reiterate that the safety of our residents at Vie Lofts at San Marcos is our number one priority. As a parent myself, I completely understand the concerns of other parents and residents and understand the inconvenience this is causing.
This decision by the city on Friday took me by surprise as well, as we have passed what we thought were all the proper inspections and have approved paperwork from our engineers showing the structural integrity of our building.
At the earliest time possible on Monday (even if we have to sit on city hall steps and wait for them to open) we will have a meeting with the City of San Marcos for clarification on why this was the only possible outcome on Friday.
Our goal is to understand why they expressed safety issues, fix anything they say isn’t safe immediately and have all residents back into their homes as soon as possible. If this doesn’t happen in a quick turnaround, we will address any lease concerns on a case by case basis.
Until we can confirm that there are no safety issues for our residents, they will continue to stay in temporary housing until we can ensure that they can safety. We will continue to be in constant communication with our residents and also update information at our dedicated recorded hotline, 737-484-3930.
~ Derrick Milam, Co-Founder of Vie Management
