Locals want community to clean up

Sanitary District 6 is the largest special district in the state, and provides services to 36,000 homes in Elmont, Franklin Square, North Valley Stream, Garden City South, Lakeview, South Floral Park, West Hempstead and a portion of Malverne. But some local residents say the district, as well as local residents, aren't doing enough to keep the community clean.

Nearly 40 residents came to the Elmont East End Civic Association’s June 7 meeting, held at the Elmont Memorial Library, to discuss their concerns regarding code enforcement and trash pick-up with Brett Rose, a sanitary inspector for the Town of Hempstead’s Department of Sanitation — the guest speaker for the East End Civic’s monthly meeting. Residents spoke with Rose about several issues regarding trash and junk pick-up, as well as the general cleanliness of Elmont.

One major code enforcement issue in the community, many residents said, is some residents’ neglect to cut their grass properly, and/or keep their lawns free of trash. Town homes located on Johnson Avenue in Elmont are frequently surrounded by garbage, residents said. Other residents said they have neighbors who fail to put trash out the night before a pick-up, and instead put it out several days before, causing garbage to be blown from one yard to another.

Rose said that the community needs to pay more attention to the district’s pick-up schedule. Flyers are sent to District 6 residents periodically, he said, explaining trash and special pick-up schedules, which sometimes change around holidays. “You’d be shocked by how many flyers go out that are ignored,” Rose said.

Rick Roney, an Elmont resident, said that a neighbor who owns a home near Benson and Rosser avenues recently let a portion of grass on his property grow to nearly 22 inches. The problem was recently taken care of, after Roney called the office of Sen. Jack Martins (R-Elmont), but Roney said that the area near his home, located near the corner of Rosser Avenue and Werns Place — an area just north of the Beth David Cemetery that he calls the “Forgotten Avenue” — is blighted in many other ways.

Due to the frequency of long grass, brush and trash in the area, Roney said, pedestrians often dump garbage there.