BALTIMORE — A massive trash pile behind a Belair-Edison home sat for two years despite repeated 3-1-1 complaints and more than a dozen city citations.
Alvin Blake, who lives near the property on Lyndale Avenue, said the debris began accumulating during an eviction.
"They put a few things in the yard. Then after that it just started, you know, every day there was just more debris," Blake said. "Look, you can see it's almost coming out of the gate now."
"Where do you think it's coming from?" asked WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii.
"I have no idea. I think most of it probably came out of the house. I just don't, I have no idea," said Blake.
City records show Baltimore inspected the property roughly 14 times since 2024, citing the owner for bulk trash, high grass and weeds, trash accumulation, and unsanitary conditions. Photos show the trash continued to grow between visits.
"The neighbors and other people had called about, you know, when are they going to clean this mess up? Nothing," Blake said.
Neighbors eventually contacted their local council members. Blake said a bobcat was sent to the property but could not reach the debris because of steps, then the city never returned.
"That's been over a month," Blake said.
A spokesperson for the city Department of Public Works said the solid waste team was not able to access the property earlier due to accessibility issues, and that a supervisor was sent out to investigate and determine the best course of action.
"I hate to say this, but if this had been any other community, I think we would have gotten results a lot quicker," Blake said.
The cleanup ultimately came through community action. Rita Crews, president of the Belair-Edison Community Association, and Delegate Caylin Young, representing District 45, organized a cleanup over the weekend with Project Serve and the Living Classrooms Foundation, while the city scheduled its own trash removal for Monday.
The property owner did not answer the door when WMAR-2 News attempted to make contact.
For Blake, the issue goes beyond one pile of trash.
"Belair-Edison is really a nice community. It's a nice community. Families are starting to to come back, and we just want to see it prosper, and we want to maintain and improve the quality of life here," Blake said.
Residents who spot trash or illegal dumping in their neighborhood are encouraged to report it to 3-1-1. Those not seeing results are advised to contact their city council member. Fines for illegal dumping can reach $50,000, with penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment.
According to 3-1-1, a housing inspection request for trash and debris on private property takes around 10 calendar days to resolve.
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