Why Did Roof Blow Off Waltham Condo Complex?

City officials are working to determine why the roofs, which were renovated in 2007, were blown off of two buildings at the Glen Meadow condominium complex during Hurricane Sandy.

While officials know that the storm's high winds blew the roofs off of buildings 8 and 11, they are trying to determine why the five-year-old rubber membranes, which are only part of the roof, ripped off, along with the framing structure, Acting Building Inspector Patrick Powell told Waltham Patch in an interview. He said an engineer will review the buildings and try to determine a more specific reason.

Powell said he searched his records for prior building code violations at the site, but found none. 

Repairs to the site began on Oct. 30 and they are hoping to move the 25 families evacuated from both buildings back into their apartments as soon as possible, Powell said. 

Also, the Building Inspector's office plans to evaluate all the roofs of the complex's 10 buildings to determine whether they are sound, Powell said. Any necessary repair work will be performed on the roofs. 

The incident began at 5:20 p.m. Monday when Waltham firefighters responded to the site and found the roofs of both buildings had been at least partially torn off, according to Waltham FIre Lt. Michael Murphy. The firefighters had been at the site at 4:15 p.m. as well.

The Building Inspector's arrived later and deemed both buildings unsafe. Authorities evacuated 25 families, who were able to find temporary shelter, according to Murphy. The fire department cleared the scene at 7 p.m., Murphy said.