Meridian at Sutton Square

I have lived at meridian for three years now, and the first year and a half were lovely. Last summer, a new office manager took over; since then, the standard of quality took a nose dive and continues to decline. The office sends a very clear message of “don’t bother us, we can’t / won’t help”. The shades are permanently drawn on the office windows, creating a dark and unwelcoming vibe. Emails to the office manager go unanswered. Blast emails from him to the community take the tone of a condescending lecture. It took us a solid year of asking to get fresh mulch for the complex’s dog park, and that only happened after a resident reached out to higher management. There is a very real problem with residents not cleaning up after their pets, even leaving visible pet waste on sidewalks. Most concerning to me personally was certain security changes (lapses); when I expressed my concern to Brannan, his response was that these changes were made so “residents did not bother the office asking for help.” Most alarming of all, recently a gun discharged within an apartment, but days passed before the office reported the incident. My advice to new residents is to procure your own security measures such as a doorbell camera. Not all of the issues are the office’s doing; the company who owns / manages the property has undertaken cost cutting measures that directly impact the quality of living here. They changed cleaning services and now the lobbies and hallways are cleaned less thoroughly and less often. We are also down to just one full time maintenance person, who tries his best but can’t keep up with a property this size. Damages to walls and bad smells in the hallways are seemingly permanent fixtures.

As a former resident, I found the on-site management team to be welcoming, professional, and genuinely committed to the community. Unfortunately, it often appeared that the people managing the property had limited authority to make the day-to-day decisions necessary to effectively serve the residents they knew best. Instead, decisions seemed increasingly influenced by apparent liability concerns and the complaints of a small but vocal group of residents. This creates a slippery slope where the loudest voices receive the greatest consideration, often at the expense of the broader community. What makes this particularly disappointing is that the community itself has tremendous potential. It is made up of residents from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives who could contribute to a genuinely inclusive and welcoming environment. However, when a vocal minority is repeatedly elevated above the majority, division inevitably follows. Even the many well-planned and engaging community events could not overcome that growing divide. Community-building efforts can only go so far when residents perceive that some voices matter more than others. My criticism is not directed at the property staff, who appeared to be doing everything within their power to support residents while operating under significant limitations. Rather, it is directed at a corporate structure that seems unwilling to trust the judgment of the very people it hires to manage its communities. Hawthorne has capable people on-site; the challenge is that they do not appear empowered to fully utilize their experience and firsthand knowledge for the benefit of the community they serve.

I commend that the grass is being promptly cut. nevertheless, the plants and shrubs around and in front of my apartment and around the pool and other areas are all over grown. I was expecting these to be trimmed in spring but now its summer and it is not done.