Down in the dumps

A heaping mound of trash might be an appropriate sight for a landfill, but it’s quite unwelcome at the entrance of a neighborhood park.

Especially to John Wierzbicki, of the 1700 block of South Fourth Street, who said his block has been getting "dumped on" for the past four years.

What’s worse, little is being done to rectify the situation, he maintained.

The offending refuse is piled at the entrance to Dickinson Square Park, Fourth and Morris streets. Over the years, the curb outside the park has been transformed into a short-dumping site, Wierzbicki said.

Workers from the Department of Recreation collect the trash from inside the park and deposit it curbside each week. However, the problem stems from individuals adding their own trash to the site, apparently thinking it is a sanctioned dumpsite.

"When I left for work this morning, there was no trash on the corner and, when I come home, I guarantee there will be 25 bags out there," Wierzbicki, who works in New Jersey, said on a recent weekday.

The resident contended the hazards are environmental as well as unsightly.

"I’m concerned about the children in the area who have to pass by this dump," said Wierzbicki, 50.

Other neighbors have joined him over the years in complaining to the city, but most seemingly have become resigned to the situation, he said. Wierzbicki, who lives in a third-floor apartment in one of the buildings closest to the park, continues to make phone calls and send e-mails to city departments.

While trash bags are a staple at the park site, he said larger, more obtrusive items such as rug remnants, washing machines, dryers and cans of hazardous waste also gather there. The debris can pile up as high as 6 feet, and foul odors waft into his apartment, Wierzbicki said.

"It’s also not uncommon to find drug paraphernalia at the site," he added.

Short-dumping can occur for a number of reasons, but most people do it to avoid the cost of legal trash disposal, said Cynthia Hite, public-relations officer for the Streets Department.

Construction material and items left over from home clean-outs make up the majority of short-dumping debris, she said.

The act not only defiles the neighborhood, but the city and taxpayers pay for the additional cleanup, said Hite.

Wierzbicki places much of the blame on the Department of Recreation, which, he claims, deposits the trash curbside every day — not just before trash day.

"It’s a park, and it’s going to have trash," said Wierzbicki. "Yet, you need a place to contain it, whether it’s going to be a Dumpster or something else."

The resident also claims he has witnessed Department of Recreation trucks off-loading debris that had been gathered at other locations. The debris then sits there until Friday, the designated trash day, he said.

"I hate how I look out my window only to see a pile of someone else’s trash," he complained.

Ed Jaskowiak, District 10 manager for the Department of Recreation, responded that park employees do not haul the trash to the curb until trash day.

"There is a seasonal caretaker, and he keeps [the trash] in one location and hauls it to the curb one day a week," said Jaskowiak.

The Streets Department advises individuals who spot someone short-dumping to report the license plate number and vehicle description to the Police Department’s Neighborhood Services Unit.

Short-dumping locations on the street or sidewalk can be reported to the Streets Department Customer Affairs Unit.

The department offers many authorized sites — called Sanitation Convenience Centers — around the city that accept household rubbish and recyclable items for a fee.

However, Wierzbicki said the city must do more to break the cycle of short-dumping. Even a simple improvement such as a sign could help, he believes.

"There used to be a no-littering sign, but now that’s long gone," he said.

His greatest concern is that tires dumped by "backstreet mechanics" and other toxic substances create a fire hazard.

"I saw a 5-gallon metal drum there once," said Wierzbicki. "I know there wasn’t Play-Doh in there."

Jaskowiak said the Streets Department has its own police officers, who sometimes inspect short-dumping sites. These sanitation police will inspect bags, look for an address and cite the individual for the crime.

But Wierzbicki said the criminally messy Dickinson Square Park site is not getting the attention it deserves.

"My main contention is that this is not some isolated spot," he complained. "This is an intersection, and a residential intersection to boot."

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Report short-dumping sites on the street or sidewalk to the Streets Department Customer Affairs Unit at 215-686-5560. If you witness illegal dumping, call the Police Department’s Neighborhood Services Unit at 215-685-3097.