North Port Cleans Up Dump Site
By GEORGE McGINN, The Sun, Port Charlotte, Fla.
Jan. 3–NORTH PORT — Public Work’s crew were hard at work late last week cleaning up the city-owned Chamberlain Dump site.
“I am very pleased with how fast the city responded,” said Vincent Danise, who lives directly across from the site.
Residents became concerned again after the site, which had remained dormant for two years, started showing recent activity.
Two years ago, the city ran a landfill and a bulk waste drop-off center on its property on Chamberlain and Price boulevards. Residents complained the site was impacting their quality of life.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection shut down the site, and the City Commission voted to terminate further activities.
North Port Commissioner Dick Lockhart said the Chamberlain Boulevard site has always been used as a landfill, going back at least 18 years.
Danise told Public Works Director Branford Adumuah that two years ago, the city installed a nice fence, added trees, “beautiful hedges and bushes,” and flowers. Since then, the Road and Drainage district has not maintained the site.
“And now they (plants and flowers) are all dying,” Danise said.
Danise said the fence is falling over, and has not been oil-treated since it went up in January 2005.
“The guys used to come by with the water truck, and made this place look nice. Now look at it. And now the Dumpsters are back,” Danise said.
The city spent two days moving all containers back to where former Public Works Director James Bursick promised they would be.
Danise said a crew of about 20 city employees worked all day Friday cleaning up the area and fixing the fence. The new piles of dirt and concrete have been reduced so they’re no longer is an eyesore.
Adumuah said the city is willing to look into whether the Dumpsters have to be at the Chamberlain Dump site.
Julie Bellia, assistant to Adumuah, said she would have the containers washed out and disinfected so they don’t smell.
Danise said he left messages at City Hall for Adumuah, but never got a call back.
“If I had gotten your messages, I would have come out here and addressed all your concerns,” Adumuah said.
Danise said he is worried that he will lose $20,000 to $30,000 from his house if he were to try and sell it because of the site across the street.
At a meeting last week with Danise, Adumuah worked out an action plan to address the concerns.
Adumuah promised to relocate all the containers back at least 300 feet from the fence. The fence will be fixed, and treated and stained. Additional trees and landscaping will be done to make it fit into the rest of the residential neighborhood. And the landscaping will be maintained.
Road and Drainage Operations Manager Bill Vest suggested bringing the vegetation out and making the area look like any of the unimproved lots.
“This way, that will prevent the trucks from using making turns here,” Vest said, adding that there would be less room for them and discourage them.
“Make sure it looks like we live in North Port, not in a dump,” Danise said.
Adumuah said that people need to call him when there are problems.
“Today we are more efficient, responsive, and more customer-oriented,” Adumuah said, adding they do not want situations, like the Chamberlain Dump site to grow into larger problems.
The city has moved all the containers, fixed and treated the fence, and cleared out the landscaping to the area again is starting to look good. The city is scheduled on Tuesday to place a berm and bring the landscaping out so the area will blend into the neighborhood.
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