Cited for safety and building violations, possibility of criminal charges

By Andrea Gregory

An investigation by city officials has left a metal scrap dealer cited for several safety and building violations. The company is facing fines and the location could be closed. And the owners of Atlas Metals may be looking at criminal charges for allegedly housing and receiving stolen goods, say city officials. The criminal investigation is ongoing.

The problems inside 475 Columbia St. were revealed on July 24. The Neighborhood Impact Team (NIT), a group comprised of city officials and local authorities, including  Somerville Police, was joined by Cambridge Police in an inspection of Atlas Metal based on allegations of criminal activity.

Atlas Metal did not return a phone call by The Somerville News  presstime.

According to Somerville Police Sergeant Steve Carrabino, authorities have reason to believe Atlas Metals may be in the business of purchasing stolen materials and currently could  be housing hot goods. Police say they have ‚Äúreasonable evidence,‚Äù and plan to follow through with a full investigation before bringing charges against anyone who may be involved.

“Complaints will follow in the near future most likely,” said Carrabino, explaining that the police plan to file criminal complaints with the courts rather than make an arrest.

The alleged charge of receiving stolen goods could be a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the dollar worth of the evidence. Both the misdemeanor and felony charge carry possible jail time if convicted.

Although no charges have been filed to date, the company has already been found guilty of conducting business in a building deemed hazardous and unsafe by the inspectors who toured the premises.

Carrabino, who has been a member of the NIT since February, said the safety problems found at the location would likely have gone overlooked if the other disciplines had not gone to the site along with law enforcement.

The NIT was created through an initiative of Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. Once a week, health, building, fire, police, council on aging and other city personnel meet and discuss properties that require some looking into. The team then travels together, and the results are aimed at the overall safety and well being of the community, said Curtatone.

“It’s been an extremely useful tool,” said Curtatone. At the end of the day you want to keep people in compliance. The Neighborhood Impact Tem, in its existence, has definitely impacted the community and the quality of life positively.”

“We all have our own specialties. When you put us altogether, we are pretty effective,” said Carrabino.

What local inspectors found was an unsafe workplace inside a building that is not up to par, according to the NIT. Many of the problems were in plain view from missing exit signs and lack of proper lighting to exposed electrical wiring.

“As soon as we entered the building, it was clear that there were numerous violations of several important codes, ”Superintendent of Inspectional Services George Landers said in a release. “Our inspectors found significant bowing of the second floor due to the excess weight of literally tons of equipment stored haphazardly, not to mention exposed wiring and electrical materials that had been physically damaged.”

The building has been called “too dangerous” for firefighter to enter in the event of an emergency. Somerville Fire Lieutenant Bob MacLaughlan has instructed him men to stay out of Atlas Metal.

“In the event of an emergency, the conditions of the building and the manner of storage inside would make it extremely difficult to safely respond,” said Somerville Fire Lieutenant MacLaughlan. “Due to the present conditions and lack of protection devices, we’ve instructed our officers and firefighters not to enter the building in the event of a fire. It’s just too dangerous.”

MacLaughlan said the business owners have begun to make headway in rectifying the safety issues noted by the fire department. However, even with close to 70 percent of work done that was deemed necessary by MacLaughlan during the inspection, the building is still not safe enough for firefighters to enter if the building were to catch fire, he said.

Acccording to the city, Atlas owners have agreed to meet the safety standards and correct problems discovered by the NIT. Also, the business owners have been asked to apply for a certificate of occupancy, since it was discovered they were operating without one. City officials are expecting owners to meet all building code and fire regulations. The NIT plans to keep an eye on the site and revisit the property while business owners work to bring the building into compliance.