Baltimore church calls on city to clear lot of dumping debris

OUT. SHE’S LIVE THERE NOW. TOMMIE WHAT DID YOU SEE? WELL, YOU KNOW, I’VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH CITY AGENCIES ALL DAY, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THIS ILLEGAL DUMPING IS COMING FROM. THIS LOT I’M STANDING IN NOW. A DECADE AGO, IT WAS A GRASSY LOT. NEARBY CHURCHES USED TO USE THIS FOR BLOCK PARTIES, BUT RECENTLY MOUNDS LIKE THIS HAVE BEEN GROWING AND THEY’RE ONLY GETTING WORSE. WE’VE MADE A NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS TO CLEAN IT UP, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT’S WORSE NOW THAN EVER. SAINT MATTHEWS NEW LIFE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH SITS ALONG EAST 23RD IN NORTHEAST BALTIMORE, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CENTURY OLD PARISH IS THIS A ONCE EMPTY LOT? AFTER ROW HOMES WERE TORN DOWN MORE THAN A DECADE AGO. NOW, ACCUMULATING PILES OF DEBRIS AND TRASH FROM ILLEGAL DUMPING, DUMPING SOIL, CONCRETE, ASPHALT AND OTHER DEBRIS ON THIS LOT. REVEREND ANDRE BRISCO JUNIOR, SAYS NEARBY PARISHES, INCLUDING HIS USED TO HOLD BLOCK PARTIES ON THE LOT. BUT SINCE 2020, NEW MOUNDS OF REFUSE HAVE TAKEN THEIR PLACE. IT CONTINUES THE BLIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY, THE DECAY. AND AS WE’RE WORKING TO LIFT THIS COMMUNITY UP, TO CHANGE IT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ALL, TO HAVE A STRONG AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY, THIS REMAINS AN ISSUE. THIS REMAINS A CANCER, IF YOU WILL, AND IT LITERALLY KEEPS GROWING. HE FEELS THEIR EFFORTS TO CLEAN UP THE LOT HAVE FALLEN ON DEAF EARS, SAYING THEY’VE BEEN IN TALKS WITH VARIOUS OFFICIALS FOR YEARS AND ALL HAVE SAID, WE’RE WORKING. WE’RE CALLING MAYBE FINDING OUT WHO IS RESPONDING. AND TO DATE, WE’VE HAD NO WE’VE HAD NO NO RESULT. EVERY DAY YOU COME PAST HERE, YOU SEE THIS? THIS IS A MESS. PEOPLE HERE WANT TO SEE THE LOT CLEANED UP BECAUSE WE’RE TRASH SITS NOW. THEY SEE POTENTIAL FOR A COMMUNITY SPACE FOR THOSE WHO LIVE HERE. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE TREATED LIKE THIS. THIS IS A LACK OF RESPECT FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE CITIZENS, FOR THE CHILDREN. AND SO. SO HOW DO YOU GIVE PEOPLE HOPE WHEN PEOPLE ARE TREATED IN THIS KIND OF A REALLY DISGUSTING WAY? I FOUND OUT SOME INFORMATION TODAY. SOME OF THESE LOTS ARE OWNED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THE OTHER HALF ARE OWNED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY. I’VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH THEM TODAY. THEY SENT US A QUOTE. THEY SAY THESE LOTS ARE NOT BEING UTILIZED AND HAVE NEVER BEEN UTILIZED AS A REFUSE SITE BY THE CITY. DIRT WAS DUMPED ON THE LOT A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN DXDY BECAME AWARE OF IT. WE INVESTIGATED, BUT COULD NOT CONFIRM THE SOURCE OF THE ORIGINAL DIRT PILE. THEY GO ON TO SAY WE ALSO PLACED A CAMERA AT THE SITE OVER A SIX MONTH PERIOD, BUT DID NOT CAPTURE ANY CULPRITS. I’M TOLD THAT A DEMOLITION CONTRACTOR IS GOING TO BE HERE THIS WEDNESDAY AT THE LATEST TO CLEAN THIS UP, THEN THEY PLAN TO PUT UP A FENCE TO PREVENT ANY FUTURE ILLEGAL DUMPING FROM HAPPENING ON THIS SITE. WE’LL LET YOU KNOW IF THAT HAPP

Northeast Baltimore church calls on city to clear lot containing illegal dumping debris

A massive lot in the middle of a northeast Baltimore neighborhood is growing into a garbage dump, according to residents and those work off East 23rd Street.Some said the issue has persisted for years, and recently, illegal dumping has reached a new extreme.”We’ve made a number of attempts to clean it up, but ask you can see, it’s worse now than ever,” said Greg Ault, a parishioner at St. Matthew’s New Life United Methodist Church.The church sits directly across the street from a lot that was once clear after rowhomes were torn down more than a decade ago. Today, it’s accumulating piles of debris and trash from illegal dumping.”Dumping soil, concrete, asphalt and other debris on this lot,” said the Rev. Andre Briscoe Jr.Briscoe said nearby parishes, including his, used to hold block parties on the lot, but since 2020, mounds of refuse have taken their place.”It continues the blight in the community, to decay. And, as we’re working to lift this community up, to change it for the betterment of all, to have a stronger and healthy community, this remains an issue. This remains a cancer, if you will. And, it literally keeps growing,” Briscoe said.He feels their efforts to clean the lot have fallen on deaf ears. Briscoe said they’ve been in talks with various officials about it for years.”All have said, ‘We’re working. We’re calling,’ maybe finding out who is responsible. And to date, we’ve had no resolve,” Briscoe said.”Every day, you come past here. You see this. This is a mess,” said Velma O’Neal, a community member.Residents want to see the lot cleaned up, because where trash sits now, they see potential for a community space.”People should not be treated like this. This is a lack of respect for the community, for the citizens, for the children. And so, how do you give people hope when people are treated in this kind of really disgusting way?” Ault said.WBAL-TV 11 News spoke with several city agencies about the illegal dumping, whose representatives said they are working toward accountability and efforts to get it cleaned up.The Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development sent a statement to 11 News, saying:”The site in question includes lots owned by both HABC (Housing Authority of Baltimore City) and MCC (Mayor and City Council). However, these lots are not being utilized and have never been utilized as a refuse site by the city. Dirt was dumped on the lot a few years ago. When DHCD became aware of it, we investigated but could not confirm the source of the original dirt pile. We also placed a camera at the site over a six-month period but did not capture any culprits. “At this juncture, DHCD has contracted with our demolition contractor to remove the dirt pile, and we plan to follow up that removal with the installation of a split rail fence to deter future dumping. The site was released to the demolition contractor in February. They initially delayed the removal to have the dirt tested. The contractor is mobilizing their equipment for work at this site and plans to begin removing the dirt pile no later than Wednesday of this week.”

BALTIMORE —

A massive lot in the middle of a northeast Baltimore neighborhood is growing into a garbage dump, according to residents and those work off East 23rd Street.

Some said the issue has persisted for years, and recently, illegal dumping has reached a new extreme.

“We’ve made a number of attempts to clean it up, but ask you can see, it’s worse now than ever,” said Greg Ault, a parishioner at St. Matthew’s New Life United Methodist Church.

The church sits directly across the street from a lot that was once clear after rowhomes were torn down more than a decade ago. Today, it’s accumulating piles of debris and trash from illegal dumping.

“Dumping soil, concrete, asphalt and other debris on this lot,” said the Rev. Andre Briscoe Jr.

Briscoe said nearby parishes, including his, used to hold block parties on the lot, but since 2020, mounds of refuse have taken their place.

“It continues the blight in the community, to decay. And, as we’re working to lift this community up, to change it for the betterment of all, to have a stronger and healthy community, this remains an issue. This remains a cancer, if you will. And, it literally keeps growing,” Briscoe said.

He feels their efforts to clean the lot have fallen on deaf ears. Briscoe said they’ve been in talks with various officials about it for years.

“All have said, ‘We’re working. We’re calling,’ maybe finding out who is responsible. And to date, we’ve had no resolve,” Briscoe said.

“Every day, you come past here. You see this. This is a mess,” said Velma O’Neal, a community member.

Residents want to see the lot cleaned up, because where trash sits now, they see potential for a community space.

“People should not be treated like this. This is a lack of respect for the community, for the citizens, for the children. And so, how do you give people hope when people are treated in this kind of really disgusting way?” Ault said.

WBAL-TV 11 News spoke with several city agencies about the illegal dumping, whose representatives said they are working toward accountability and efforts to get it cleaned up.

The Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development sent a statement to 11 News, saying:

“The site in question includes lots owned by both HABC (Housing Authority of Baltimore City) and MCC (Mayor and City Council). However, these lots are not being utilized and have never been utilized as a refuse site by the city. Dirt was dumped on the lot a few years ago. When DHCD became aware of it, we investigated but could not confirm the source of the original dirt pile. We also placed a camera at the site over a six-month period but did not capture any culprits.

“At this juncture, DHCD has contracted with our demolition contractor to remove the dirt pile, and we plan to follow up that removal with the installation of a split rail fence to deter future dumping. The site was released to the demolition contractor in February. They initially delayed the removal to have the dirt tested. The contractor is mobilizing their equipment for work at this site and plans to begin removing the dirt pile no later than Wednesday of this week.”

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2024-04-29 20:04:00

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