Europe
Admiral's housing problems cause ruckus in Naples
By
Stars and Stripes July 23, 2013
Sandra Jontz jontz.sandra@stripes.com
Stars and Stripes July 23, 2013
Villa Nike has served as the residence for the NATO commanding officer of Southern Europe since 1952. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
Villa Nike has served as the residence for the NATO commanding officer of Southern Europe since 1952. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
Villa Nike is plagued by extensive water damage throughout the house -- from the main entertaining and dining rooms to the private bedrooms and bathrooms. Water seeps into the home through walls, windows and doorways, in spite of the numerous repair jobs performed on the house over the years. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
The piano room has not been used for formal functions because of water damage to both the walls and hardwood flooring. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
Metal braces and patchwork used to reinforce the basement and foundation of Villa Nike are starting to crumble. U.S. Navy officials don't know when the work was performed. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
Villa Nike is plagued by extensive water damage throughout the house -- from the main entertaining and dining rooms to the private bedrooms and bathrooms. Water seeps into the home through walls, windows and doorways, in spite of the numerous repair jobs performed on the house over the years. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
A wooden slat from the flooring Brandy Clingan used as her office damaged by water intrusion. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
Water damage and erosion, possibly caused by exposure to salt water in the atmosphere, is evident in the garage area of Villa Nike. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
Corner tiles show cracks where the pool at Villa Nike is slightly sunken. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
Many tiles on the patio and around the pool at Villa Nike have cracked or buckled. Engineers are trying to determine whether the villa might be "slipping" off the Naples hill on which it sits, or if the property is "settling" and thus causing the tiles and walls to crack. (Sandra Jontz/Stars and Stripes)
NAPLES, Italy — Villa Nike is no longer a residence that’s fit for a king, or even an admiral.
The villa, with its majestic views of the bay of Naples, Mount Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri, had been the residence of the highest-ranking U.S. military member in southern Italy for the last 62 years.
That is, until last week, when Adm. Bruce Clingan and his wife vacated the 12,000-square-foot mansion in the wake of suspected structural problems, identified three months ago by Italian naval engineers, water damage and other problems.
Engineers were investigating whether the villa might be “slipping” off the hill on which it sits. Possible structural damage was noted in 2007, and crews installed the mesh metal and braces in the basement to mitigate problems.
Clingan, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Force Command, moved into a much more modest, 2,600-square-foot Villa Capri located, not in downtown Naples, but about 20 miles inland on the Gricignano support site military base housing, also called “fortress America.”
While the U.S. government does not pay rent for Villa Nike, which is owned by the Italian government, it does pay annual maintenance, utilities, security and pest control costs, said Capt. Eric Gardner, chief of staff for Navy Region Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia. The 2013 fiscal budget for Villa Nike was $313,500.
Although the Clingans opted for more modest housing on base, their move has created a mini-controversy in Naples because it displaced the current base commander, Capt. Scott Gray, and his family of six, a dog and a cat.
A nearly identical villa on base was vacant at the time of the Clingans’ move, but leaders chose to relocate the Grays because Villa Capri “was the best of the five houses and had the most representation value for a four-star (admiral),” Gardner said.
The Navy spent $27,000 to upgrade the communications equipment and some maintenance work at Villa Capri, and $4,000 in moving costs to relocated the Clingans and the Grays.
The Grays opted to move to a vacant four-bedroom, on-base apartment instead of into another vacant villa so housing assignments for incoming officials would not be disrupted.
“We applaud him for doing that,” Gardner said.
Capt. Gray and his wife, Candy, referred requests for comment to Navy Region Europe officials.
The Clingans’ relocation has occurred just as a biting Pentagon report to Congress surfaced, highlighting the millions of taxpayer dollars spent to house general and flag officers in high-end homes, villas and mansions.
The 57-page report, as cited by the Los Angeles Times, stated that housing for three Naples-base admirals violated the military’s rules on living quarters, including Villa Nike.
In an email statement to Stars and Stripes, the Navy said that instead of displacing current residents, a decision was made to allow them to stay for the duration of their tour and then terminate the leases.