DETROIT – Some neighbors on Detroit’s east side are raising alarms about mounds of dirt and construction debris left in the roadway along East Canfield near Mount Elliott Street.
It’s an issue community organizers say has been ongoing for months.
“We’ve got a lot of complaints,” said Mrs. Dee of Grassroots Detroiters, a neighborhood advocacy group that has been documenting the piles. “Some people have almost gotten hit crossing the street. There have almost been accidents here.”
Residents and organizers say the piles, a mix of dirt, sand, and broken concrete, have been left in the road, blocking portions of a two-way street and creating hazardous conditions, particularly when it rains.
“We weren’t sure exactly who was doing it, but we started to notice, like the beginning of summer, end of spring, that they were coming and piling up different piles of concrete, dirt, sand down East Canfield, which is a fire route,” Mrs. Dee said.
“This is a two-way street, and look what we have to do,” said Mr. Dee as he watched a line of cars maneuvering around the mounds of dirt.
Grassroots Detroiters say neighbors have been calling the group for weeks to report the dumping.
The organization has documented the debris and shared its concerns with city officials, and said similar dumping has been reported on nearby blocks.
A representative from the mayor’s office said that, according to the Department of Public Works, the dirt piles are related to repaving work on Mount Elliott Street between Gratiot Avenue and Warren.
The piles were reportedly placed on Canfield temporarily to support the repaving project.
The mayor’s office stated that city inspectors will ensure the removal of the dirt piles by the contractors who placed them here.
Neighbors said they want the piles removed as soon as possible.
Grassroots Detroiters is urging all contractors working in the area to halt what they describe as illegal dumping and address the associated safety risks.
“We can’t illegally dump. Why should you? This is a safety issue,” Mr. Dee said.