Property cleared after public health emergency declared in Melrose area
Crews continued a cleanup on April 4 at a property at 617 N. Martel Ave. in the Melrose... A public health emergency was declared at a property in Melrose, California, on April 3 due to high trash and debris piled high in the front and rear yards. The city declared the situation an imminent public health and safety hazard and issued an emergency order for the site to be cleared. The property is owned by an elderly man who collects discarded items from the community and stores them on his property. Crews removed over seven tons of waste from the property and are working on a long-term solution.
Published : a month ago by Edwin Folven in Health
Crews continued a cleanup on April 4 at a property at 617 N. Martel Ave. in the Melrose community after the city declared a public health emergency at the site the previous day due to trash and debris piled high throughout the front and rear yards.
Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, 5th District, visited the site on April 3 and said the situation was unacceptable. The city declared it an imminent public health and safety hazard and issued an emergency order for the site to be cleared.
“This to me is a public health emergency. This is a fire hazard, and I worry about the individual there, this place catching fire, him losing his life, the quality of life that is compromised for these neighbors,” Bass said.
The home is owned by elderly man who collects discarded items throughout the community and stores them on his property. Crews have been removing heaps of trash. The city is formulating a plan to address the situation over the long-term. As a short-term solution, the cleanup is expected to continue until the outdoor areas of the property are clear.
“City crews worked to remove more than seven tons of waste from the property and are back to continue working until the job is done,” Deputy Mayor of Communications Zach Seidl said in an April 4 statement.
Topics: Social Issues