TAKING ACTION: Canarsie neighbors demand action as growing sinkhole tops depth of 4 feet
The sinkhole on East 95th Street has grown significantly over the past week, according to neighbors, who say repeated calls to 311 have failed to bring a permanent fix.
More Stories
Residents on one Canarsie block say a growing sinkhole has become a serious safety hazard, damaging cars and raising concerns that someone could be hurt if repairs aren’t made soon.
The sinkhole on East 95th Street has grown significantly over the past week, according to neighbors, who say repeated calls to 311 have failed to bring a permanent fix.
“There are children on the block,” said neighbor Yvonne Lewis. “They are all running back and forth and this is absolutely dangerous.”
Neighbors say the road continues to crumble, and some residents have already experienced damage to their vehicles.
“I sit on my porch and I hear big bangs, and I think some folks even had some damage to their car,” Courtney Sims said.
“I had a flat tire the other day,” said Wesley Blackman. “I had to pay $35 to get it fixed.”
LaToya Hicks said she has repeatedly contacted the city as the hole has continued to grow.
“We called and told them that the hole is getting bigger and it’s melting, and now that we have a heat wave, it’s going to probably melt even more, and they said it’s not an emergency,” recalled Hicks. "There’s nothing they can do right now.”
Residents say they have been caught in the middle as city agencies determine who is responsible for repairs.
“DOT came and DEP came, but they’re both blaming each other,” Sims said. “That’s whose responsibility. And that’s not good for us as citizens of the neighborhood. I mean, somebody’s got to take issue, you know, the issue of resolving it.”
The sinkhole now measures more than 4 feet deep.
Neighbors say this is the second sinkhole on the block in recent years and that another sinkhole farther up the street has been patched repeatedly over the years but has reopened dozens of times.
“It’s been a problem for the last 23-plus years, and it’s one hole after the other,” Blackman said.
“They just come in, patch it and that’s not what it needs because this used to be a swamp,” Robert Epps said.
The city’s Department of Transportation referred questions to the Department of Environmental Protection. After being informed that the photos of the sinkhole were taken Tuesday, DEP said it was sending a crew to investigate.
“I don’t know if it’s the neighborhood that we’re in, but it takes a long time for stuff to get done, and I don’t think that’s fair,” Hicks said.
“They need to rectify the problem,” said Blackman. “Assure us, because we are taxpayers, we are doing what we have to do. You do what you have to do. That’s my message to the city. Get it done.”
News 12 will update the story when the repairs are complete.
