trash and unkempt grass in front of Lula Bagel & Chikas at Nostrand & Lincoln

Mister_CB3

I've noticed there's a big accumulation of garbage and unmowed grass in front of Lula Bagel & Chikas, right by the select bus stop at Nostrand & Lincoln.  Who would be responsible for cleaning this up? It's pretty foul.  

Or should I let the city know somehow?

crownheightster

I would recommend 1) complaining to the Community Board 8 Manager, 2) emailing Laurie Cumbo's office, and 3) making a complaintt through 311

whynot_31

Usually the business owner is responsible for cleaning the sidewalk right in front of their business.

I wonder if that is the case when MTA and DOT add a median with some grass.

deedee

I agree that you should report it to 311.

Mister_CB3

Ok, thanks everyone. I reported it to 311. 

Dawndew

Kinda surprised that LULA is not involved since it reflects on their entrance. If it were my business I would garden it. Why the hell not! It could only benifit the aura of hipness like what is happening along Franklin Ave planters.

tsarina

I have personally gone to clean it up at one point and Lula does try, but there are so many pigs on nostrand that just dump their garbage on the sidewalk that it is an ongoing problem.  

Flatfix

Yeah what's with the litter in CH? Soooo much all the time for years.

Mister_CB3

no response from 311 yet FYI

bklyn50

Now I'm one TO preach if provoked. I am my block's block association president, and I know that I will pick up stray pieces of garbage, remove glass bottles from near parked cars and care for tree pits. Why is it that only one person, Tsarina, took the time to clean up; anybody heard the phrase: "Don't curse the darkness, light a candle."?

Wake up people.
If you want a better community, it starts with you!

homeowner

I feel sorry for the property and business owners. The city decides that they want to put landscaping there, and while owners can say they don't want it, unless there is a specific enumerated reason (ie. "there is a disabled person living here that needs direct access to the curb") the city will put it there against the owners wishes. It then falls on the business/property owners to keep it clean and free of debris. Sanitation will come through and ticket them but, I for one would be pissed if I was expected to cut grass because some geek in DOT decides that "grass would be nice" with no plans as to how it would be maintained. Lula Bagels didn't sign a lease knowing that they would be responsible for landscaping and having that added to the responsibility of the business owner just sucks.

bklyn50

Spoke w/the proprietor this morning. He has done landscaping in the green space in front of his business, and does the required cleaning in front of his business. He says that after 7pm, Nostrand Avenue functions as a wild wilderness. He also noted that he hasn't seen "The Doe Fund" during this summer.

I contacted CB8; they were aware of this problem and contacted various agencies.
NYC/Parks: This is DEFINITELY NOT their problem.
NYC/DOT:   They pointed at the other agencies, said this wasn't their problem.
NYC/Sanitation: Said that as the trash is more than likely coming from the SBS Bus traffic, that this is more than likely a DOT or MTA problem.
NY/MTA:  The state agency claims that they ARE NOT responsible for keeping this space clean and points to other agencies.

I was able to contact City Councilpersons Laurie Cumbo and Robert Cornegy's offices in hopes of their using their "bully pulpit" to wrangle the agencies to take responsibility.
Lula Bagel is in the 35th CD (Cumbo) and Cornegy is the Chairperson of the "Small Business Services" committee. The proprietor has contacted CB8.

Hopefully, government will find a way to work.

bklyn50

NYC/Sanitation, as a courtesy, may take extra care with this corner. The real problem lies in the fact that citywide schooling will begin within the next two weeks, and the ridership will go back up to peak levels. This problem isn't unique to this corner; it is occurring all over the city wherever surface transit meets commercial strips.

Hopefully government will find a solution and apply it liberally everywhere necessary.
Contact your city and state politicians if you want a chance at action.

whynot_31

Google must have taken this shot the day after the green space was created ...no litter to be seen.

tsarina

took the time to clean the pit last saturday.  beats waiting in line for my bagel.  Collected a bag of weeds and garbage. Oh yes and that fancy gravity knife! SWEET!  There was a group with ACE on their t-shirts that used to clean up the tree pit.  But sometimes we can be the solution to a problem.  will post the picture later.

bklyn50

As per the "Office of Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo"

As per our earlier phone conversation here what ACE was able to tell me. The service for last year’s contract had ended on July 3^rd 2016, and we were waiting on the renewal of contracts to gauge when services could begin anew. We will recommence services on both Nostrand and Franklin avenues on 9/26.

 

 

Matthew Pitt

Constituent Affairs Liaison

Office of New York City Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo

Government works; you just have to take the time to find out what's happening and why.

whynot_31

ACE is similar to the DOE Fund.

 http://www.acenewyork.org/helping-the-homeless/maintenance-services/

Barnstormer

Are we really that surprised, though? This is New York City and people are slobs. This greenery is gray area of "not my problem." If it bothers you that much then organize a group to "sponsor" it and clean it up weekly like they do with the highway. Waiting for the government agencies will get you nowhere.

mr. met

Barnstormer said:

Are we really that surprised, though? This is New York City and people are slobs. This greenery is gray area of "not my problem." If it bothers you that much then organize a group to "sponsor" it and clean it up weekly like they do with the highway. Waiting for the government agencies will get you nowhere.

Other neighborhoods in NYC (and even nearby in Brooklyn) manage to not be littered with garbage.

Walking to the subway on Franklin every morning is disgusting.

Barnstormer

The grass is always greener....er...the streets are always cleaner

whynot_31

Other communities being cleaner is likely a combination of factors:

1. People littering less.
2. People paid to clean up others' mess (active merchants associations)
3. Less foot traffic.

South of EP, there is an active merchants assoc on Nostrand and I see less litter there.

TVK

My husband and I are the owner of Lula Bagel and have been small business owners for over 10 years in NYC.  Various businesses we have owned have been outside bus stops. Over the years we have shoveled snow, cleaned poop, and trash in the interest of beautifying our own business, as well as creating a sense of community pride in the neighborhood.  We do our best to keep the SBS bus stop as clean as we can, picking up trash from the seating area, hosing off the sidewalk, weeding and even planting in the garden.  We are very involved owners and it upsets us that people think to blame Lula Bagel for the trash situation.  As mentioned in an earlier post ACE will be resuming near the end of September, and this should help a lot in keeping it cleaner as it looked better in July when they were on board.  I am on a positive note impressed by how much community action has happened around this little plot of land, maybe we could plant some herbs!!

Flatfix

@TVK right on! Keep it up. This CH is full of of litterbugs like no other hood. I see old and young tossing trash on sidewalk or out a car window every week somewhere. Strange way to show their pride!

Mechanical_Whispers

I walk my dog twice a day, and there is new trash each time. (I know this because I need to steer my dog away, or else she will need medical attention). It's disgusting, and in no way does it show pride in one's neighborhood. Trash tossed on the ground, when a trash can is 5 feet away!