Advance/SILive.com investigation leads to removal of longstanding debris from Staten Island Street

STATEN ISLAND, NY – Rusting pipes, two-by-fours, barricades, traffic cones and an excavator bucket. While this equipment list might not seem out of place on a construction site, it could pose a problem if left on the road for an extended period of time.

For months, a small collection of building materials sat just on the side of a Staten Island street.

New Springville resident Cheryl Mojica said the pile of equipment was left across from her home, near the intersection of Draper Place and Travis Avenue, even though no work had been done since late February.

“I just don’t understand why they can’t clean it up,” said Mojica, who lives on Draper Place. “What’s the point of having trash on the street?”

Days after multiple inquiries from Advance/SILive.com, the debris on Draper Place has finally been cleared.

As Mojica explained, work began on Richmond Avenue in the spring of 2023. About half of the block between Travis Avenue and Knapp Street was used to store equipment during the day, while crews near 2222 Richmond Ave. were used at night. dug.

According to the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) permit management system, the work was performed by National Grid and stopped at the end of February. About a month later, Mojica said most of the stored equipment had been removed, except for the pile across from her home.

Aside from general frustration with the situation, Mojica said that under the right conditions, the equipment had become a hazard to the road. The frequent storms at the beginning of spring caused the material to blow all over the street, she explained.

“Sometimes we couldn’t even get out of our driveway. I mean, just clean up the trash already, you’re not working,” Mojica said.

After Advance/SILive.com contacted the DOT about permit requirements for storing equipment on the road, the agency sent inspectors and found the materials were placed two feet too far into the road.

“Road safety is our top priority, and it is important that utilities follow all rules when conducting subsurface work along our roads,” a DOT spokesperson said. “We inspected this site and cited the permit holder for violating the terms of the permit.”

When contacted by National Grid, the utility responded that the work in the area and associated materials would be carried out by an outside contractor. By Wednesday everything had been completely removed.

National Grid also said that while work in the area is ongoing, the company will take additional steps to maintain the area.