Bedford Park neighbors demand growing pile of trash spilling onto sidewalk be cleaned up
The mess, which includes clothing, furniture and household waste, has been accumulating for over a month.
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Residents in Bedford Park are calling for action as a growing pile of trash spills onto the sidewalk in front of a multifamily home on East 205th Street.
The mess, which includes clothing, furniture and household waste, has been accumulating for over a month.
“You can’t just walk by this. This is not a quality of life,” said Elizabeth Quaranta, a nearby resident.
Quaranta and others say the trash has now overtaken parts of the sidewalk, creating a nuisance. “Last night, it took a turn where the trash was over there—you couldn’t even walk past the retaining wall,” she added.
Enrique Ramos, another neighbor, called the situation unusual for the typically clean street. “All the landlords, everybody does their part to keep it clean, so this is actually very unusual to me,” Ramos said.
The Department of Sanitation has issued multiple violations to the property, citing a "dirty area" and exposed waste. Fines for these violations range from $50 to $300. Despite the penalties, the garbage pile continues to grow.
When Quaranta confronted the property’s resident, she said she was met with hostility.
“I spoke to him this morning. He told me to mind my business—this is my business; this is my community,” she said.
News 12 reached out to the property owner but received no response. The Department of Sanitation confirmed that property owners are legally required to keep their sidewalks and 18 inches into the street clean. It added that the situation would be escalated if not resolved soon, which could lead to a city-ordered cleanup and billing the owner for the costs.
“We need this picked up now, not in a few weeks. The holidays are here,” said Quaranta.
