Colorado Commons

Buyer beware, for Colorado Commons Condominiums with interior Bradford White Water Heaters, they are installed directly on carpet with no drainage to an approved location contrary to California’s Plumbing Code. Make sure you raise this issue with your home inspector during the home inspection process and get your Colorado Commons Condominium’s water heater fixed before you close escrow. This will become an issue in the future as the almost 10 year old building complex continues to age. Water heaters, unfortunately leak and most people have experienced a water heater failure in their lifetime.
For those interior water heaters, with no drainage, when they fail they will damage not only your unit, but possibly the units below, which could potentially result in a lawsuit by your neighbor to recover damages for failing to maintain the water heater. The damages caused by a water heater leak could be very costly. In the interests of proper disclosures, I hope this helps prospective Colorado Commons Condominium buyers and that it is brought to the attention of their home inspector during the inspection process. Make sure you get the Seller to fix this issue, because in reality do you want to foot the costs for those repairs to bring it to code when you go to sell the unit down the line? or for any damages due to a leak? or have a fire caused by the water heater? For everyone’s reference please find the applicable codes below and the manufacturers recommendations:
The 2013 California Plumbing Code Section 507.4:
507.4 Water heater safety pans. Each water heater located in an attic, furred space, living area or other location where leakage would result in damage to the building or its contents shall have a safety pan with drain. Safety pans shall be metal and be nominal two inches in diameter larger than the water heater, with a minimum depth of two inches. The drain pipe shall be three-​quarter inch trade size minimum; shall terminate outside the building foundation or, where this is not practical or possible, at another location approved by the building inspector; and shall have a continuous minimum slope throughout its length of one-​quarter inch, per foot away from the water heater.
Please also see the 2010 California Plumbing Code Section 508.4 and the 2007 California Plumbing Code Section 508.4. See also California’s adoption of the 2001 uniform plumbing code.
The Manufactures instillation guidelines for Bradford White Water Heaters provides as follows:
Carpeted Instillation Issue and potential fire hazard:
The manufacturers’ specifications for placing the water heater on a carpeted surface state as follows: «If the water heater is to be installed directly on carpeting, it shall be installed on top of a metal or wood panel (or equivalent) extending beyond the full width and depth of the appliance by at least 3 inches (7.6 cm) in any direction or, if the appliance is to be installed in an alcove or closet, the entire floor shall be covered by the panel.» That is located on page 9 of 32 of the manufactures guidelines and contains the following bold hazard warning: «Failure to adhere to these installation and operating instructions may create a hazard to life and property and will nullify the warranty.»
Lack of Required Drainage Issue:
With regards to the issue of the lack of drainage on the water heater at the Colorado Commons, the manufacturers specifications are as follows: «This water heater must be located in an area where leakage of the tank, water line connections, or the combination temperature and pressure relief valve will not result in damage to the area adjacent to the water heater or to lower floors of the structure. When such locations cannot be avoided, a suitable drain pan must be installed under the water heater. The drain pan must have a minimum length and width of at least 4 inches (10.2 cm) greater than the diameter of the water heater and must not restrict proper combustion air flow to the water heater. The drain pan, as described above, can be purchased from your plumbing professional. The drain pan must be piped to an adequate drain. The piping must be at least ¾ inch (1.9 cm) in diameter and pitched for proper drainage.»
Bradford Water Heaters provide their manuals on their website as a courtesy.

Genuinely disappointing experience trying to get any help. Both my girlfriend and I are professionals (Research Scientist and HR Generalist), and have been looking for apartments. We encountered Michelle Helm twice and received absolutely NO SERVICE. When asked about apartments she gave 1 – 2 word sentence response with pretty much NO inclination to do business with potential customers. If this is how management deals with potential tenants I would not want to experience living here.

Noticed it’s a very well maintained community! Tentants here are friendly people in general, few with cute dogs too, which is super awesome for people living in this community, fits right in for Old Town Monrovia. Tenants are complaining how the management kept on randomly raising their rents by $ 100 – 300 /​mo in the past year. Oh, Did bumped into few pregnant women from China living all together at one of the units, said they are temporary living here for 2 months until given birth, then will move out and other pregnant ladies will move in again :-/.?

My family and I were lucky enough to lease one of the 3 bedroom flats at the Commons. We moved from a 3000 sq. ft. home with a 2 car garage and an acre and have not missed anything. The Colorado Commons is beautiful and well run. The apartments (flats/​townhomes) are spacious and amazing inside and the residents are friendly and respectful of everyone and everything around them. The grounds are well kept, and the homes are maintained perfectly by the management company. There is always someone available to take care of an emergency, or even change a light bulb! It is easy living in a downtown setting and we have enjoyed it thoroughly!
Call Michelle in the office for an appt. She is so sweet and helpful and if there isn’t one available check back often! That’s what we did. I have owned 4 houses in Monrovia, this is the first one I have called home.

Two stars because the apartments did look decent and clean from the outside (which is all I got to see). ZERO stars for the customer service. I walked into the leasing office to inquire about the complex and was not even acknowledged. Michelle was on the phone when I walked in; on a personal call that CLEARLY could have taken place at another time. She looked at me, didnt even smile, urned her back and continued on with her conversation. She didnt even have the decency to say «One moment, I’ll be right with you.» When she finally did get off the phone, she wasn’t helpful AT ALL. I asked all the questions, she gave very short, one-​word answers and didnt bother to volunteer any extra information about the apartments. She basically told me to visit the website to view the floor plans and get additional information. I’ve been apartment hunting for about a month now, having spoken to at least 6 or 7 leasing agents and Michelle was by FAR the worst that I have encountered.