DETROIT – Living on Morrell Street on the city’s southwest side for over 20 years, Marco Peralta says he and his neighbors feel forgotten.
“The city don’t listen to you, but I mean, we’re here,” he said.
From his home and down the block, neighbors said they’ve had enough. A mountain of garbage lined the sidewalk — a dresser, wig, old shoes, boards, paint cans.
“It’s like toilet paper and… it looks like pillows -- old pillows,” Peralta said. “Every day. It’s the first thing you see -- all this garbage.”
But that’s not all. Besides the three piles of concrete, there are more problems.
Just steps from the trash and busted cement was a ripped-up sidewalk, more jagged walkways with half-done work, potholes, and massive overgrowth. And behind the thick weeds, neighbors said they’ve had to witness people having sex and using drugs.
“You report it to the city, and I mean, a lot of times they don’t listen to you,” Peralta said.
But that changed just one hour after Local 4 made a few calls Thursday, July 3.
Paint cans and trash were hauled off. Potholes were patched, and sidewalks were covered. It’s a start.
“I love you guys,” Peralta said, waving from his truck.
Another neighbor watched and waved as DTE cut a pipe and filled a hole with asphalt.
So, what’s next?
The city said there are still piles of concrete that need to be removed, but that will happen next week, as the piles are heavy and large. The overgrowth will also be addressed next week. The city said it is a private lot and they must contact the owner.
According to DTE, the work on the sidewalk was part of the company’s project to upgrade its natural gas lines across the region to ensure continued safety and reliability.
Normally, DTE said, that section of sidewalk would have already been replaced with new concrete, but crews are working with the railway company to run a connecting line under nearby tracks. In the meantime, a smoother, temporary patch was put down.
Can it be easier to report?
The city wants to remind neighbors: if you’re dealing with similar issues, you don’t have to just call or look at trash, overgrowth, or damaged sidewalks.
The Improve Detroit app lets you report problems, track progress, and even upload photos to alert the city directly.