'I Feel Unsafe' Morgan Park Residents Upset About Trash Covering Vacant Lot, Say No One Is Listening To Them
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Only on 2.
A dumping ground for mattresses, trash and that's not all.
Neighbors living on a block in Morgan Park are fed up. They've been asking for help, but no one was listening.
Until now.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports from Morgan Park.
A baby car seat. Some shopping carts. A mattress. Cups as well as lots and lots of tossed trashed. That's what Shelia Thompkins sees on a daily basis, right next to her Morgan Park home.
"I have called the alderman's office. I have been downtown. I've called the water company, Streets and Sanitation, I have talked to supervisors, anyone who would listen, I have talked to," Thompkins said.
Diane Lee is the President of the 115th to 117th Church Street Eagles Block Club. She's lived across the street from the lot for about 30 years.
"We've been asking for help a long time and no one ever came down to cut these trees or none of that," Lee said.
Ida Flowers said she's lived next to the lot since 1972. Flowers, who calls herself 85 years young, said her daily walks around the block are met with these overgrown trees and weeds, making their way to the sidewalk and through parts of the fence that still remain up around the lot at 115th and South Church Street.
"I feel unsafe, walking down the sidewalk, because I walk everyday, mostly to get my exercise," Flowers said.
Thompkins shot video with her phone. It shows crews from the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation arriving on her block Monday.
She said they showed up to look at the lot next to her home because CBS 2 got involved.
"This is a safety issue, Thompkins said. "When they're using it as a dumping ground and we've told them that several times, and nothing."
Ida said she'd like to see all of these trees and weeds cut down. Streets and sanitation said they are working with the owner of this private lot now to get that down. The department will also be removing a mattress on Tuesday.