Debris and garbage was removed from an illegal dumping site on Farragut Road in East Flatbush thanks to the efforts of Councilmember Farah N. Louis (D-Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Marine Park, Flatlands, Kensington), City Council 45th District Candidate Anthony Beckford and his “Not In My Backyard Community Cleanup” team, and the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) with an assist from local small business DPH Property Maintenance Service over this past Indigenous People’s Day weekend.
On Friday, October 9, Louis led a cleanup of the abandoned car wash on the corner of Farragut Road and Utica Avenue, a culmination of an interagency walk-through that she organized last Monday, said Louis.
“It is unacceptable for the Farragut Road corridor to be littered with construction debris, junk and garbage from countless individuals and businesses. This behavior will not be tolerated. I am committed to working more closely with our interagency partners to keep our beautiful community clean and safe for all. I look forward to the other corresponding agencies joining us on the journey to transform this abandoned site from an illegal dumping site into a beautified pathway into our manufacturing and industrial business zone (IBZ),” said Louis.
Louis said the DSNY, Department of Buildings (DOB), and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) saw the “magnitude of the chronic problem” and proposed to work toward a more permanent solution.
Louis said she’s also working with the Department of Finance (DOF) to locate the property owner and allocate funds for regular maintenance of the area under the NYC Cleanup Initiative.
“With the additional budgetary cuts due to our city’s COVID-19 response, the Department of Sanitation cannot shoulder the responsibility of cleaning this corridor alone. We need the support of local residents and small business owners to help identify the illegal dumpers through the use of video surveillance and hold them accountable,” said Louis.
On Saturday, October 10, Beckford, his team, community members, DSNY and DPH cleared out the rest of the trash on the section of Farragut Road between Utica Avenue and Kings Highway and surrounding affected areas.
“I would like to thank the Department of Sanitation for assisting with the removal of the heavy debris on Friday, which allowed my crew and I to do a thorough cleaning of that area on Saturday,” said Beckford.
Beckford said that before the COVID-19 outbreak there were already disparities that the community endured. The cuts to the sanitation budget, said Beckford, minimized service and allowed the already problematic area on Farragut Road to go untouched and for illegal dumping to go unchecked.
“I will be expanding this cleanup to various parts of the district and welcome all community members to get involved. I will also be working with various community members who have volunteered to help monitor areas like the Farragut Corridor, so that we can catch the illegal dumpers, hold them accountable and continue our mission in beautifying our community,” said Beckford.
Beckford said he’s also working to set up community meetings to figure out a way to transfer ownership of the abandoned car wash to the city so that the community can decide an alternative use for the property.
