Someone Help!! Bring Us Clean Air!

This is a letter I wrote to our City Councilman, Seth Yurdin, a few weeks ago. This ongoing battle between us condo residents and the 520 Club started last October. I was immediately aware of the cigar and cigarette smoke in our building, which has been allowed to continually worsen over the past 4 months. We filed formal complaints with the DOH, which have been forwarded to the City Solicitor's office. Nothing is being done.
The bottom line is that someone issued permits to this guy allowing him to have smoking in a residential building. It was irresponsible and unfair, and nothing has been resolved, likely due to how connected the owner of the club is, and the depth of his pockets.
Meanwhile, we are under siege, being polluted against our wills.

I've spoken with people from New York, where they actually have a policy in place requiring elaborate ventilation systems to be in place before such establishments are issues such licenses. Apparently Rhode Island does not have similar concern for the health or well-being of its citizens.

Someone help!


Dear Seth,

I want to impress upon you how detrimental and wrong this is to us as residents of this building. That a man can open an establishment which causes air pollution in the homes of condo residents is wrong on so many levels - it's a failure of government policies involved in the issuing of licenses and permits, a failure of the enforcement process, and a failure of emergency measures to stop the situation.
I am quite frustrated as what seems to be happening is the old Rhode Island passing of the buck, or responsibility in this case, among the condo board, the DOH, and the city government.
The end result is that everyone is telling me that the complaints have been received and they are working on it, but the smoke continues to fill our hallways, homes, and lungs.
I have been sick for 3 weeks, and cannot shake this respiratory illness. My boyfriend was in a similar predicament but miraculously was free of any symptoms upon leaving for a business trip, where he breathed clean air.
I have spoken with other residents here and we are feeling quite powerless. It is so unfair on so many levels. How long must we endure this injustice?
Something needs to bring an end to this now. It's so unfair.

What else can we do? To whom should we turn but the government and those agencies that are supposedly acting with our best interest in mind?

I recognize I am very vocal and impassioned about this. It is a huge issue that I feel is not being given adequate attention.
Please help.

Stephanie