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A Bed-Stuy Eyesore That Nobody Cares About
By The Changeling | September 14, 2007
From time to time I get emails or have conversations with Bed-Stuy residents about various quality of life issues that are not being adequately addressed by the proper city departments and neighborhood leaders.
A Bed-Stuy resident recently sent me some images of a lot near his home that has been strewn with all sorts of litter and debris for well over a year. The lot is located on Throop between Jefferson and Hancock, and for some reason he hasn’t been able to get it cleaned up even though he’s appealed to the city councilman, the community board AND 311.
His most recent plea for assistance came in the form of a letter:
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 14:36:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: [Email redacted]
Subject: Fwd: District 36 Resident With Sanitation Issue
To: vann@council.nyc.ny.us
CC: cphillips@cb.nyc.gov
Dear Councilman Vann,
I am writing to to request your assistance in resolving an ongoing sanitation issue in our district. There is a large and growing dump site just three blocks from your office. I wrote to your office regarding this issue 10 months ago and also filed a complaint with the Community Board (complaint # N4606). It was eventually cleaned up, but the dumping started again shortly thereafter. I have attached three images, one shows the dump site as it appeared last year, a second picture of how it looks as of this morning, and a map of its location.
I have seen men locking and unlocking the the dilapidated gate, and I often see a van parked in the lot, so someone is using the property. This is not just unsightly and a health issue; kids play nearby and that lot is a crime scene just waiting to happen.
I have cc:’d Ms. Phillips email address at the Community Board. Ms. Nyack helped me on this issue last year.
This would not be allowed to occur on the Upper West Side. Why do the residents of Bedford-Stuyvesant have to put up with this?
I can be reached at [phone number redacted] if you need any more information. Below is the email I sent to your office last year.
Thank you for your help,
[Name Withheld]
Here’s another letter that he sent 10 months prior to the above email:
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 23:37:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: [Email redacted]
Subject: District 36 Resident With Sanitation Issue
To: vann@council.nyc.ny.us
Dear Mr.Vann,
My name is [name withheld] and I am a resident of your council district. I live at [address withheld]. I am hoping you can help clean up a pile of garbage that has been accumulating in a lot next to 535 Throop Street. It’s just two blocks north of your offices.
I have attached two images, one shows the pile’s location (marked with an x) and the other is a photo of the pile itself. The lot is apparently city property. Not only is this unsightly, but it’s also a safety hazard for children that play in the area.
Feel free to contact me at this email address or at [phone number redacted] if you have any questions.
Thanks in advance,
[Name Withheld]
Greenest Block in Brooklyn?
While I’ve never seen this particular lot, Bed-Stuy has so many trash-strewn lots that I’ve had the opportunity to see many others like it. How is it that the same neighborhood that received top honors in the Greenest Block in Brooklyn Contest has to deal with these eyesores? What do we have to do to get the powers that be to enforce the laws that impact quality of life in Bed-Stuy?
What does a resident have to do to get help around here?
September 14th, 2007 at 7:48 am
There was a lot like this around the corner (on Garvey & Greene). It would get cleaned up and then the accumulation would begin all over again. Finally they (the city? the owner?) made a gate + wall of chipboard and padlocked it. I don’t think dumping is happening any more (can’t see over the wall to make sure)
I’ve also seen dumpster-laden trucks cruising the pre-dawn streets looking for convenient illegal dumping access. It makes me furious!
September 14th, 2007 at 8:15 am
Yeah, this is something that really needs to be taken care of in this neighborhood. Like the resident above said “this would not be allowed to occur on the upper west side.”
September 14th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Ugh. That’s gross. I hate north brooklyn because of lots like this. The owner should forcibly be made to clean it out and turn it into a community garden!
September 14th, 2007 at 10:12 am
Jeremy seemed to be instrumental in getting the trash lot next to his house in Bushwick cleaned up:
http://bushwickbk.com/archives/97
i think his main weapon was 311.
September 14th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
There’s a lot behind the building next door to me that is being used as a dump/”home” for some homeless people (as well as a planter for about 15 gigantic pot plants that they’ve been growing for months.)
Basically, there’s a house in front with a little side alley into the backyard (visable and accessable from the street.) The backyard is basically a concrete lot, and behind it but still on the property is a totally broken down house that a few people live in. It has no electricty and judging by the fact that I see them emptying water our of it when it rains, I imagine it leaks also. There is a door but no windows.
The people who live there steal stuff (I would imagine, judging by all the stollers and bikes they have) and basically just stash it all in that yard. They dismantle it sometimes, they “build” things out of it (usually at around 6AM which is noisy and horrible) and they sometimes even burn stuff back there.
I’ve called 311 at least 10 times- they sometimes have furniture and stuff back there and it gets rained on, then baked in the sun…it seems like a health hazard, and I’ve seen tons of rats running around. 311 never seems to respond. I have also called the regular police when they start fighting nd throwing bottles at eachother , and the cops do usually come but I’ve lived in this building for a year and it hasnt improved at all. My bedroom window is basically right into that backyard and it smells, is an eyesore and is effecting the quality of life for the whole building (they make SO much noise its unbelievable.)
If anyone has any ideas what to do about this, please let me know. It’s been terrible having an entire summer without my windows open.
September 14th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Carmen, that sounds like insanity. Is ANY law enforced in Bed-Stuy? I visited the 79th precinct webpage to see if they had an email and they don’t. They do have a community affairs phone number that I called and I asked them to respond here on the blog to the concerns we’re all raising. Given that they don’t have emails or a real website or anything, I’m not sure they know what “the Internets” is and I’m willing to bet most of them never even heard of a blog.
September 14th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
What in the good name of gentrification is happening? A garbage strewn lot in Brooklyn? Shocking! How long have you lived in this city/neighborhood? And what makes you think Councilman Vann will spend his time on this? Ask Charlie Barron, he is running for Borough Prez, maybe he could get the hipster vote.
September 14th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
that building next door is a known crackhouse. i think the owner owns both that lot and the crackhouse. it’s right across the street from the hair salon i go, too. perhaps vann should deal with the fact that the house on the right is a crackhouse first? garbage later???
September 15th, 2007 at 8:06 am
Charles Barron? I’m not sure if he’d be of any help. He’s too busy naming streets.
I’ve noticed that *some* of Brooklyn’s politicians remind me of Alderman Fred C. Davis from the old “Good Times” sitcom from the 70’s. Alderman Davis would show up, make a few phony promises, smile and then mispronounce Wilona’s name (remember how he would call her Wilomena?). Meanwhile the Evans family would be left dealing with no heat or no hot water or a broken elevator, none the better despite the alderman’s promises.
September 15th, 2007 at 10:28 am
You are correct that is exactly who Charles Barron reminds me of…i was having an argument about him yesterday with my sister.
September 15th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Liz, that explains a lot. There are obviously a whole spectrum of issues going on with that trash site AND the adjacent building. It has gotten to the point where I cross the street rather than walk past the mess (and the hair salon is a welcome bright spot).
I sent Changeling these pictures in the hope that a bit of publicity would prompt our public officials to act. In addition to the emails, I’ve called 311 several times.
Thanks for the help!
September 18th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
So many of us are dealing with the same issues(s)on our respective block, but its hard to be a “voice” of one! There is an empty city-owned lot on my block which has been used as a dump. Every three months or so, santitation workers show up and cleans it out. It occurred to me that they may not be all that interested in doing anything about the dumping situation, as it provides a nice bit of overtime pay!!! You said you wrote letters to Al Vann’s office, have you tried going there and speaking with his assistants?? I have written letters too, no response, but on a different matter, I made an appointment, went to this local office and the matter was resolved with his assistant. We do alot of talking about what other people are not doing, but when it comes down to it, the people who lived in the neighborhood have to be proactive in what is going on and its up to us to make sure that our local politicians are listening to our needs. I have been trying without success to get my neighhors to organize its block assciation which would address issues like this one. What we need is one entity of residents (watchdog) to address these type of issues.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Bedstuyliving, I am going to do just that. I will keep everyone up to date on how it goes.
It’s good to know there are people who think like I do.