RICHMOND, Va. -- A resident of the Fan neighborhood in Richmond is growing frustrated as a pile of trash continues to overflow near his West Grace Street home.
Ken Martin says something needs to be done about the mess.
“This is a nice neighborhood. It shouldn’t be so trashy,” said Martin.
Empty liquor bottles and smashed up glass are located right next to the alley that runs behind Martin’s home. Trash can be seen piled high and spilling over into the street.
Ken Martin
“They treat their backyard and our alleys like it’s their own personal trash dump,” said Martin. “I don’t know if people don’t care but after living here 30 years. It really gets old.”
Martin says the eyesore makes his area look blighted and he’s worried that others will think they can dump their trash there too.
Martin had enough, so he contacted CBS 6 Problem Solvers to get some answers.
CBS 6 took his concerns to Richmond Department of Public Works Director Bobby Vincent.
“We have cited numerous properties in the 2600 block of West Grace Street, and we will continue to do so and remediate accordingly until we have it rectified,” said Vincent.
Vincent says now that the city is aware of the complaint, his department will take care of it.
CBS 6 Problem Solvers also contacted a property manager for some of the apartments on West Grace Street. That manager said the property switched to a private trash company more than a year ago.
So, the city trash and recycling cans don’t belong to them. He added that their tenants use a trash service that picks up in front of their building.
They believe since it’s such a high traffic area, people walk through the alley and throw garbage into the trash bins.
Now, Martin hopes his plea will fall on the right ears and he hopes it will prompt others to be more neighborly and considerate when dumping their trash.
You can report trash issues in the City of Richmond by calling 311 on your mobile phone or 804-646-7000. A request for service can also be made online with RVA311.
CBS 6 News is working for you. Click here to email a tip to the CBS 6 Problem Solvers. Be sure to leave us your name, phone number and detailed description of the problem. You can also leave a message by calling 804-254-3672.
Need help? Contact the CBS 6 Problem Solvers.
