Displaced Sanitation Trucks Are Now East Village's Problem

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Precious parking spots in lower Manhattan are being set aside for sanitation trucks. It's a story CBS2 first reported on Tuesday night.

Reporter Dave Carlin attempted to get an explanation on Wednesday.

Garbage trucks that used to be parked during the overnight hours near the Hudson River are now in the East Village.

Angry residents say they are lined up and smelling up the neighborhood.

"It's a new problem," Tom Walker said. "Now, we have garbage trucks because they can't park where they used to park."

MORE: Garbage Trucks Take Over Residential Street In East Village

Residents and business owners first noticed signs blocking off one side of 10th Street for half the block between First and Second avenues for Department of Sanitation use only.

Then came the trucks and the odors, and who knows what later.

"I'm wondering if the rat situation is going to go up," East Village resident Chris Cino said.

CBS2's Carlin tried to speak to some sanitation drivers, but got nothing more than head shakes and a "no comment."

A supervisor would not talk on camera, either.

One of the main reasons for the lack of communication is the loss of a lease on 30th Street. The parking garage sits empty. All the sanitation trucks that used to be housed there were removed to make room for new construction, Carlin reported.

And there is a reason the block of 10th Street and also parts of East 26th and 60th streets were chosen. They are near small sanitation offices where employees can use the bathroom.

Residents, merchants and a delivery man who had just received a ticket wanted to know how long it will be this way.

"Temporary becomes permanent," "Lenny" the deliveryman said.

CBS2 wanted an explanation from the city why there was no contingency plan for the loss of the garage, even though it knew about it for months. Sanitation department officials would not discuss it on camera, but told Carlin other city leaders were warned this could be a problem.

There is no current deadline for fixing this.

"They can accommodate themselves somewhere else," resident Liz Masoomian said.

For now, residents are stuck with the trucks.

Sanitation department officials also told CBS2 other city agencies will need to help them as they search for a new garage.