Resident manual: Welcome, Unit Maintenance, Building Maintenance, Security, Waste & Recycling, Disaster Preparation

May 2019 - by Susanne Hutchinson, Nancy Kuta, and Palmer Raible (updated by John Ashenhurst September 2023)

The Metropole 

Resident Manual 

Welcome

Interior Unit Maintenance

Condo Building Maintenance

Security

Waste and Recycling

Preparing for a Disaster

Welcome to The Metropole!

The Metropole is a self-managed building with 30 residential units and 2 commercial units. ​There is no on-site manager or custodian available.​ We are a community sharing common spaces and must take responsibility for keeping our surroundings safe and well-maintained. The Metropole is your home, and everything outside your hallway door (the common areas) is also your property. As there is very little space between you and your neighbor, a higher level of respect and courtesy is necessary to maintain a friendly and pleasant living environment. We must all do our part. If you spill coffee in the elevator, or your bag of garbage leaks, take the time to clean it up. Wait for the garage door to fully close before driving away. A little effort on all our parts will ensure a pleasant, secure environment and enhance property values.

In this manual, created by your neighbors, you’ll learn about emergency and disaster preparation, plus building maintenance and procedures. Please take the time to read this, and don’t hesitate to ask your board members any questions that you may have. We’re glad to have you here and hope you will love The Metropole!

For information about the Metropole Board and CWD Group, our management company, see the Board section of this site.

Tip:​ Consider adding your board members’ numbers and CWD Group to your phone contacts under “Metropole Group.”

Interior Unit Maintenance

All residents are responsible for maintaining the interior of their unit according to the CC&Rs. These include:

• Annual maintenance of fireplace unit. Information for scheduling this with Sundance will be made available in early fall. (Other vendors servicing the Heatilator (Heat ‘n Glo???) brand may also be utilized.)

• Recommended annual maintenance check of washing machine hoses. Inspect dishwasher and refrigerator water hoses.

• Annual changing of smoke detector batteries.​ ​After installing new batteries, push the test button and allow the alarm to sound 2-3 times. This will reset the electronics. The detector may chirp several times over the next few minutes as it resets.

• Annually add a cup of water to the drain near your water heater as needed to avoid escape of sewer gases.

• Know your individual unit water shut-off location inside the storage area on the Mezzanine Level. Pulling down the indicated lever shuts off your water and the water to the other units in your stack. No special tool is required. A step ladder is available in the mezzanine storage room if needed. When you shut off the water to your stack, you need to notify the other residents. You must notify a board member before you have plumbing work done. Once work is scheduled, a board member will notify those units whose water will be temporarily shut off.
  If you suspect a water leak, immediately: Call the board president. Call other board members until you reach someone. Call CWD Group so they can send ServPro.

Plumbing Repair

Everyone should know how to turn off the water inside their unit in case of an overflowing toilet, a leak under the kitchen sink, or a clothes washer leak. The repair of any plumbing fixture must be done by a plumber to prevent water damage to your unit and units below you.

Bathroom Faucets and Toilets

Should repairs or servicing of faucets or toilets be necessary, the water supply valves will need to be turned off. There are two valves for each sink, one cold and one hot. These valves are located under the sink. There is only one valve for the toilet located behind the toilet. These valves are the push-pull type. Since it is necessary to pull the round button-type knob outward, caution must be taken to not pull the entire valve out of the wall. To prevent this from happening, hold the chrome or painted cover-ring against the wall as you pull the button-type knob. To turn the water back on, just push the button-type knob toward the wall.

Kitchen Faucet and Dishwasher

The valves are located under the sink. The cold water shut-off valve for the kitchen sink is the same button-type knob as in the bathrooms. Follow the same procedure as for the bathroom faucets and the toilet.

The kitchen hot water and dishwasher shut-offs are on a single valve with two-handle traditional turn-type valve. One handle turns off the hot water to the faucet, and the other handle turns off the water to the dishwasher. There is no harm turning them both off.

Hot Water Tank

There are two shut-off valves for the hot water tank. Both have red lever-type handles. One valve controls the hot water leaving the tank and the other valve controls the cold water coming into the tank. The cold-water supply line has a painted metal two-gallon bottle that is installed upside down on a “T” off the cold-water supply line. The other valve is for the hot water. To shut off either valve, turn the handle until it stops. If you suspect a leak, turn off the cold water valve, and call a board member immediately.

Bathtub/Shower

There is no water shut-off valve for the bathtub or the shower in the units. Shut-off valves for each stack of units are located in the Mezzanine storage room. Find the clearly marked shut-off valve for your unit stack. It will be a lever type valve located on the ceiling. Remember once you shut off the water for your stack, you must notify the other units in your stack and a board member!

Fire sprinkler heads

These can be lightly dusted, but do not paint them, hang anything from them or allow furnishings or textiles to touch them. Sprinklers are tested annually, with advance notice to residents.

Ladders & Carts

Ladders in multiple sizes are available for residents to borrow. Contact a board member for access. Two hauling carts are available to move groceries and other items. They are located just inside the garage entrance. Please clean them if necessary, and return them promptly after use.

Unit Decks and Patio Areas

Your deck or patio area is yours to enjoy and maintain. Units with patio areas are responsible for maintaining the planters at their own expense.

Units with decks need to be mindful of securing what is placed on the deck. Please do not leave bottles, cans or other items on the deck where strong winds can sweep them onto the street or patios below. Per the Metropole Rules and Regulations, only electric or propane BBQ devices are allowed on a deck or patio. As with the roof, please limit noise after 10 p.m. on your deck or patio. Be aware that when windows are open, noise from your unit will carry and may disturb nearby neighbors.

Electrical Circuit Breaker Panel

Each unit has a panel that contains switches (circuit breakers) that control the electricity to all circuits within the unit. The panel may be located behind a door, in a closet or hallway, and will be about 5 feet above the floor. It will be grey in color unless it has been painted. Inside are individual circuit breakers. The circuits are labeled. The toggle-type switches have a number printed on the tip of the toggle, usually 15, 20, 30, or 50. These numbers represent the maximum amperage (the amount of current that the circuit can carry). The breakers are also labeled ON and OFF which is difficult to read. Some breakers are ganged together meaning that these breakers are to be turned ON or OFF together.

If the power goes off for only part of the unit (for example, lights in some rooms, some outlet plugs), go to the circuit breaker panel and try to reset the breaker.

To turn a breaker OFF, just push the switch to the OFF position. Breaker switches are stiff and require some effort to turn ON or OFF. To turn a breaker ON, push the toggle to the full OFF position, then push the toggle to the ON position remembering it will be stiff.

The yellow “Test Button” breaker is a bedroom circuit. It can be reset by pushing the toggle switch first OFF then ON, the same as the other breakers.

Occasionally a breaker may trip (turn itself OFF) for no apparent reason. You may not see which circuit tripped because it turned OFF inside the breaker without moving the toggle switch. To discover which circuit has tripped, wiggle the toggle. If it wiggles slightly it most-likely is OFF. To turn it back ON, first push the switch to full OFF. Then push the switch to the ON position. IF AFTER TRYING TO RESET TO THE ON POSITION, THE BREAKER TRIPS AGAIN, SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP.

Electrical outlets with Ground Fault Interrupt function

Kitchen outlets have an additional breaker (Ground Fault Interrupter-GFI) built into the plug itself. If any outlets in the kitchen do not work, they may be reset by pushing the reset button located on the face of certain plugs. The plugs that do not have a reset button are still connected to one that has a reset. Try them all if needed. If this fails, go to the breaker panel.

Bathroom electrical outlets also have a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) with a built-in breaker like the kitchen.

The master circuit breaker for the unit is located in the electrical room at the P1 level. There is no one switch to turn everything OFF in the unit. Although individual circuits can be turned OFF at the breaker panel, the panel itself will always have electricity until the master breaker is turned OFF.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS TO THE CIRCUITS. CALL FOR AN ELECTRICIAN.

Whole House Air Circulation System

Each unit is equipped with an air circulation system which is located in the closet housing the washer and dryer. The controller looks like this:

Setting it on auto allows the air to be exchanged through the vent in the ceiling.

For the whole-house fan to work properly, several window vents must be open. Window vents are located on the inside of the window frame at the top. To open the vent, push the bar to the left.

Condo Building Maintenance

Advise a board member and CWD Group of any emergency maintenance issue. Keep calling until you reach someone.

• If you think you have a gas leak, open your windows, call 911, and leave your unit.

• If the garage door does not open/close with your remote, it can be manually operated. Refer to the printed directions on the wall by the garage door, or contact a board member for assistance.

• If you are in the elevator and it does not move, try pressing the floor button again until it lights. If this fails, press the open-door button to exit the elevator. If you accidentally press the emergency call button with an armload of packages (it happens!), please wait for the call to be answered and let the operator know that all is ok. If you are stuck in the elevator, and without your cell phone, press the emergency call button. Otherwise, call 911 as they can come rescue you quickly.

• If you are having furniture or appliances delivered, advise the board president of your delivery date so that the protective elevator pads can be put in place.

• For security reasons, neither the garage door nor the entrance door may be left open or unattended during a move or deliveries.

• The roof garden is a lovely respite from the urban world, a place to enjoy and share. Please follow the rules of use as outlined in the CC&Rs. Do not bring pets into the area. Abide by the posted hours. Do not walk on the fenced-off roof area or detach irrigation hoses. Be mindful of people living below and keep noise under control.

• Exterior window washing is done twice annually, with advance notice to residents. Deck doors are not included. Arrangements can be made for residents to pay to have these cleaned, and/or to have their interior windows done at the same time. Unit access will be required for interior window cleaning.

• Fire alarms and sprinklers are tested annually, with advance notice to residents. Unit access is required for alarm and sprinkler testing. Each floor has two fire extinguishers located at each end of the hallway. Two fire alarm pull switches are located on each floor by the stairwell doors.

• Dryer vents are scheduled for cleaning every other year. Unit access is required.

• You can vacuum the exterior grate of your dryer vent to remove excess lint.

Security

Security is important to us and is everyone’s responsibility. If you are new to the building, please make an effort to introduce yourself to your new neighbors so that we won’t keep asking you who you are.

The outside call system can be used by guests or delivery people to contact residents. The phone number(s) you use is provided to the management company to program the system. When a visitor arrives, they identify the owner on the call system box and the telephone number is automatically dialed. The resident may unlock the lobby door by pressing “9” on their phone. The visitor may enter the lobby but not operate the elevator. The resident needs to meet their visitor in the lobby for elevator access. Positively verify the visitor before you press “9” and unlock the lobby door. Please don’t permit access to unknown visitors or delivery people of other residents.

Access cards, fobs and codes are obtained from CWD Group. Each card or fob has a specific number which is registered to the user by the management group. Keep your access code confidential. If your card or fob is lost, please report it immediately to CWD Group so it can be deactivated. Do not provide entry to people you don’t know. If you do, please escort them to the unit they are visiting. It is recommended that you always keep your unit door locked and any valuables in your car out of sight.

In the event of a power outage, the lobby door and the hallway gates will not be locked. The garage door will be in whatever position it was in when the power went out, but it can be operated manually. Refer to the directions posted or contact a board member.

Intruders can enter through the garage door by tailgating a vehicle entering or leaving. Please wait for the gate to fully close when entering or leaving the garage. The same for the lobby door.

If exiting the parking area via the door next to the garage door, please make sure the door securely shuts behind you. Note that snow and ice build up can prevent the door from closing completely.

Notify CWD Group or the board president immediately of a lost garage remote, access fob, or card or any common door entrance key. A fee of $50 will be charged for replacing an access fob, and an additional fee if the mezzanine level or exterior door lock needs to be re-keyed. There is also a fee to replace a lost garage fob.

Please provide a spare key for your unit to be kept in a locked safe used only by board members. This is necessary so that we can access your unit in the event of an emergency.

More complete information can be found in Section 6 of the Metropole Rules and Regulations which you should have received when you purchased or rented your unit.

Waste and Recycling

The Metropole is required by law to recycle and also to compost food scraps and yard waste. A garbage dumpster (large green) and two recycling dumpsters (large blue) are located in the trash room on P1. The food and yard waste container (green) is located outside on the cement pad next to the parking ramp. Waste management posters are available from any board member, online (Seattle Public Utilities), and one is posted in the trash room.

Please follow these guidelines:

Garbage

• Put trash in a bag and place it in the green dumpster even if the dumpster is temporarily found outside. The dumpster is put outside Sunday afternoon for pickup on Monday. It is returned to the trash room on Tuesday.

• All styrofoam is garbage. Packing peanuts must be bagged. Some shipping offices accept styrofoam peanuts.

• Some bags like potato chip bags cannot be recycled. Put them in the garbage.

• Pet waste, cat litter, and diapers must be bagged before being placed in the garbage.

• Dishes, food-soiled foil, CDs and DVDs, and alkaline batteries are examples of garbage.

• Refer to the Waste Management poster for additional examples.

Recycling

• There are two dumpsters for recycling in the trash room. They are put outside Sunday afternoon for pickup Monday. They are returned to the trash room on Tuesday.

• After removing contents, flatten all cardboard boxes, even small ones. It would be helpful if flattened cardboard is put in the blue dumpster on the left, and loose recycling is put in the blue dumpster on the right.

• If recycle materials are transported in plastic bags to the trash room, dump the contents into the dumpster. Do not toss the bag in the dumpster. Reuse the bag.

• Do not put single plastic bags in recycle. Many plastic bags can be bundled into one bag and tied off, then recycled. Single plastic bags will clog the machinery at the processing plant.

• Clean paper, clean plastic containers, glass bottles with lids attached, cans, and scrap metal can be recycled.

• All recycle materials should be clean and dry.

• Refer to the Waste Management poster for additional examples.

Food Waste & Yard Waste

• The food and yard waste container is green and is found on the cement pad next to the parking ramp. It is picked up next to the curb on Tuesday.

• Use a compostable bag, newspaper, or simply dump the food loose into the container. Do not dump regular plastic bags into the container.

• Examples of compostable items are: meat, dairy (not liquid), cheese, bones, shells, produce, house plants, coffee, tea bags, greasy pizza boxes, and uncoated paper plates.

• Shredded paper should be put into a paper bag and placed in with the food and yard waste.

• Small compost containers are available for your use. Ask a board member.

Cooking Waste

• Keep fats, oils, and grease out of the drain to avoid clogging the drain pipes. Pour cooled fats, oils, and grease into a covered container and dispose of it in the garbage.

• Avoid using the garbage disposal as much as possible, especially for foods like potato peelings, which are high in fiber, to avoid clogging the under-the-sink drains.

• Scrape dishes into your food compost container.

Hazardous Waste

• Hazardous waste such as CFL bulbs, Ni-Cad batteries, propane canisters, medications, harsh chemicals products, etc. require hazardous waste disposal.

• Refer to the Waste Management poster for information about disposal of these materials.

• Additional information can be found online: www.HazWasteHelp.org

Disposal of Usable Goods

• There are two charities near the Metropole. Goodwill is at NW 65th and 8th Ave. NW. Value Village is at NW 85th and 15th Ave. NW.

• Alternatively, scrap cloth, usable clothing, and household items can be placed in the green plastic tub located in the trash room. Items will be donated to charity.

Preparing for a Disaster

In the event of a major disaster, it is likely that Seattle City Emergency Services will be overwhelmed. Roads may be impassable and bridges may be down. The City of Seattle recommends being prepared to be on your own. There are some excellent resources and tips at www.seattle.gov/emergencymanagement. The CWD Group will not be able to assist. Prepare to be on your own for a week or more.

If you experience an emergency, please call 911 for police and fire assistance. Each floor has two alarms and two fire extinguishers located at each end of the hallway. If the fire alarm sounds, it is recommended that residents lock their unit and leave the building as quickly as possible by the stairwells and assemble across the street. The elevator is sent to the first floor for the fire department and will not be available to residents. If you are unable to walk down the stairs, seek shelter in the stairwell until the firefighters arrive to assist you.

Start with personal preparation by preparing a Disaster Kit

There are many examples available online and this list doesn’t include each individual’s needs. However, here are some basic recommended items to consider your health, medical and sanitation needs.

• Water One: gallon per person per day for drinking, food preparation & sanitation. A three-day supply is a recommended minimum. Replace every six months. The water in your hot water tank may be used if you have a hose to connect to it.

• Food: A three-day supply of non-perishable food that requires no cooking and very little water. Include ready-to-eat canned meats, fruit, vegetables, juice, powdered milk, peanut butter, granola bars, trail mix, vitamins, cereals, etc. Include pet food and water if needed. Rotate stored food every six months.

• First Aid Supplies: Include sterile bandages and gauze pads, adhesive tape, antiseptic, thermometer, latex gloves, sunscreen, tweezers, needle, scissors, OTC drugs such as pain reliever, anti-diarrhea meds, Syrup of Ipecac to induce vomiting, laxative, moistened towelettes, and lubricant or petroleum jelly.

• Clothing and Bedding: A complete change of clothing and footwear per person. Recommended are sturdy shoes or work boots to protect feet from broken glass and sharp objects, heavy work gloves, rain gear, blankets or sleeping bags, tents, hats, gloves, thermal underwear, and sunglasses.

• Tools & Supplies: Suggested are mess kits, cups, food utensils, battery-operated radio with extra batteries (a crank-operated radio is even better), flashlight, LED lantern, headlamp, cash in smaller bills, can opener, knife, pliers, duct tape, heavy plastic to cover broken windows, aluminum foil, solar charger, plastic garbage bags, fire extinguisher, paper, pencil or marking pens.

• Sanitation Supplies: Include toilet paper, hand cleanser, liquid detergent, personal hygiene items, plastic bucket with tight fitting lid, disinfectant, and chlorine bleach. Kitty litter can be used in your bucket to soak up waste.

• Special Items: Consider your specific needs, such as extra eye glasses, and don’t forget entertainment such as books and games.

• Important documents: It is recommended you digitize or make copies of important documents and store them in more than one location. These might include driver’s license, passport, insurance policies, photos, etc. You can take photos of these documents to store on your phone or in the cloud. Include photos of your unit’s contents for insurance purposes.

This is a minimum. You may want to include additional items.

Have a plan for getting in touch with family members. Communication lines may be down. Have a contact person out of state. Text messages will go through, but calls might not.

Be informed. Radio FM 97.7, AM 1000, National Weather Service Radios. Download a Red Cross App.

What to Expect During a Major Earthquake

Because we live in an earthquake-prone area, it is imperative that we are at least minimally prepared for one. These can happen at any time without warning. When one occurs, you have 3 to 5 seconds to take whatever action you can before the shaking dislodges things. Falling objects will be your greatest danger. Tall furniture like bookcases and dressers should be secured to the wall. Shelves or framed paintings over the bed could fall during a night earthquake. DO NOT run to a doorway or outside during the shaking because of the risk of being hit by falling objects and debris. Hallways are relatively safe, as are doorways with no door. (Doors may swing wildly open and shut.) Avoid injury by getting under a table. Hold onto a leg so that the table cannot shift during the shaking. If no table is close-by, kneel down so your body is lower than heavy furniture like a couch or upholstered chair. This will help break the fall of falling objects. Face away from windows. Protect your eyes and neck.

Earthquakes at night present additional hazards. Expect the electricity to go off. Keep a flashlight handy, and sturdy slip-on shoes by your bed to protect your feet from broken glass and debris. Expect loud noises and dust. When the shaking stops, it will get quiet and the dust will begin to settle. Tend to injuries such as bleeding. Put on a jacket and take your cell phone and your emergency kit with you as you go outside and away from the building.

Evacuate if you smell gas, if there is obvious building damage, or if fire and smoke are present.

Once you are safe, assist others. Expect aftershocks. Turn on your radio.

Earthquakes affect large areas and quickly overwhelm first-responders. Expect to be on your own and prepare. Check on and help your neighbors if you can.

Other Emergencies

• Power outages

  • Flashlights

  • Elevator will not work

  • Lobby doors will not lock

  • Keep fridge closed

  • Gas grills - never use indoors!

• Inclement weather

  • Freezing temperatures - let a faucet next to an exterior wall drip, and open the cabinet underneath

  • A snow shovel will be kept in the lobby for use during periods of snow accumulation. If you can, please help to clear the walkway in front of our building as needed.

  • Keep the P1 door by the elevator closed.

• Water Leaks

  • Call board president. Call other board members until you reach someone.

  • Call CWD Group so they can send ServPro.

• Fire - If you experience an emergency, please call 911 for police and fire assistance. Each floor has two fire extinguishers and two fire alarms located at both ends of the hallway. If the fire alarm sounds, it is recommended that residents lock their unit and leave the building as quickly as possible by the stairwells, as the elevator will be locked down, and assemble by the driveway. If you are unable to walk down the stairs, seek shelter in the stairwell until the firefighters arrive to assist you.