Maple Pointe reopens

After being displaced from their homes for two days, the residents of Maple Pointe Assisted Living in Rockville Centre welcomed the end of their ordeal on the evening of Feb. 21, when the building was reopened.

Residents were evacuated early in the morning on Wednesday, Feb. 19, due to a leak in the roof of the facility caused by a broken boiler valve. According to Maple Pointe officials, water cascaded through parts of the building, forcing the maintenance staff to shut down the furnaces and power as a precaution and making it clear to Fire Chief John Thorp that the building had to be evacuated.

Early, incorrect reports cited fears of a collapsing roof due to snow accumulation, and helicopters were seen hovering over the facility as early as 6:30 a.m. last Wednesday.

“We’re glad that no one was injured during the incident or the evacuation, and thank our wonderful staff for making things as comfortable as possible for our residents during the evacuation,” said Tom Kranz, director of communications for Chelsea Senior Living, Maple Point’s parent company. “We’re very grateful to the many Rockville Centre first responders who came quickly on the morning of the 19th, and to the village officials who were on scene over three days to make sure our building was safe for the timely return of our residents. It’s reassuring to know Maple Pointe is located in such a caring community.”

Many of the 132 residents were temporarily moved to the Sandel Senior Center, while others were picked up by family members. When it was clear that residents would not be able to return on Wednesday, some were taken to Chelsea facilities in Plainview and Forest Hills, and others to local hotels.

Residents were finally allowed to return last Friday, more than 48 hours after they were evacuated. “Maple Pointe is still under repair, but at least we are home,” Tammy Marshall, the facility’s executive director, posted on Facebook after it reopened. “We are all so very thankful.”