Piles of broken and discarded tents, bicycles, walkers and shopping carts under the Oak Street Bridge have nearby Richmond residents running in circles to get it cleaned up.
The unsightly dumpsite, on River Drive, near River Road and Garden City Road, is a daily scene for local residents, said Alisa Mellis, who has lived in the Tait Waterfront neighbourhood for the last three years.
Mellis told the Richmond News discarded items such as bike frames began appearing almost a year ago and have increased significantly in the last six months. This is a potential “safety concern” for the community, Mellis said.
“It just keeps accumulating and no one is doing anything about it,” she added.
She described the area as “dark and uncomfortable” despite the new developments in the area.
“It used to be just an industrial area and it’s getting worse. Ideally, it needs to be cleaned up. It’s more of a safety and fire hazard than just us being uncomfortable.”
Richmond city spokesperson Clay Adams explained to the News the garbage site is not city property. Instead, it is under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
However, the city is working with the province to “address the situation as quickly as possible,” said Adams.
