Camera, Wi‑Fi and accessibility upgrades underway at Green Ridge House; staff cite code compliance and rising utility costs

Green Ridge House management told the Greenbelt City Council at a budget work session that facility upgrades—including installation of new security cameras, building‑wide Wi‑Fi cabling, accessibility retrofits and other maintenance—are underway and funded in the proposed 2026 budget.

Why it matters: Improvements affect day‑to‑day safety, accessibility and resident amenities at a city‑owned senior housing property. Some items are required by county code; others are intended to improve resident quality of life and reduce long‑term maintenance costs.

Management said the property has purchased and is installing about 40 cameras and will add monitors in the management office to review feeds, bringing the site into compliance with Prince George’s County requirements for similar facilities. One onsite manager said, "We have about 40 cameras on‑site now," and added that staff still need to label and configure monitors for full coverage.

Staff also described a Wi‑Fi project: cabling is in progress and two major components remain on order before installers can activate building‑wide service. Management said Wi‑Fi will be offered as a shared amenity to reduce residents’ individual costs, and they will coordinate with other properties to model implementation to avoid overload.

Accessibility work includes selective replacement of carpet with laminate flooring in vacated handicap units to improve mobility for residents using wheelchairs and rollators; staff said they perform these conversions as accessible units become available. Other recent upgrades included a full renovation of the on‑site management office, replacement of an obsolete KeyTrak key management machine, and ongoing window replacement as needed.

Staff flagged rising utilities and insurance costs: they projected roughly a 4% increase in utility expenses in coming budgets and reported that insurance premium increases had been material in recent years. In response, managers said they are purchasing some equipment early to avoid tariff‑related price increases and are reviewing contract changes—for example switching elevator service vendors—to control recurring costs.

Maintenance and service‑contract changes noted at the session included a new pest‑control contractor with a biweekly service schedule, and a change to a different elevator service provider (Alcon) after prior vendor sub‑contracting issues. Staff said turnover and vacancy work generally takes 15 days to complete and that DHCD rules require leases to start on the first of a month, which affects move‑in timing.

No formal action was taken; staff will continue installation and return to council with budget proposals and timing for larger capital phases.