What was supposed to be a quick fix has turned into an almost yearlong headache for tenants at Clason Point Gardens in the Bronx, where a “temporary” waste yard stuffed with overflowing trash bins has taken over a parking lot and, residents say, turned it into a pest playground.
Tenants report rats, roaches and a stomach-turning stench creeping into yards, basements and walkways after it rains. Sandbagged fencing that was supposed to keep the piles contained has failed during storms, they say, leaving trash and debris spilling out. Residents want NYCHA to clear the garbage and hand the lot back to the community.
“That’s why we’re now overwhelmed with rats. It has to stop,” tenant Melvine Savater told reporters. Tenants told News 12 The Bronx that NYCHA originally said the setup would last about three months, but the bins have now been sitting there for roughly 11 months. Neighbors also told reporters that shreds of deteriorated sandbags clogged a nearby storm drain, which they say made flooding worse during heavy rain…