Off-campus block grapples with mounting trash

It's always trash day on the 3900 block of Pine Street. And while the block is known as a convenient location to live off campus, it has also become associated with the trash and refuse that is piled along the curbline seven days a week. "Garbage was piled up to the window of our apartment once," explained College junior Andrew Amsterdam, a resident of the block. "A dumpster load of it was in front of our door." While city officials, landlords and students have different opinions about the street's problems with trash collection, everyone agrees it is an eyesore. "It is a pretty messy looking block a lot of the time," said David Hochman, treasurer of the Spruce Hill Community Association. "The extreme high density of houses there creates a significant problem." Several students said a lot of the problem lies with homeless people who rummage through the trash. The trash is then scattered, and city sanitation workers do not collect any garbage that is not bagged. But Ruth Ricci, a property manager for Campus Associates, said much of the problem lies with students not following directions. Ricci said that all Campus Associates tenants on the block are notified of their obligations upon moving in, and trash regulations are posted in the vestibule of their buildings. She added that in extreme cases, landlords occasionally trace loose garbage back to students by reading addresses on envelopes. The tenant then receives a fine. College sophomore Stephanie Bosch objects to this solution, however. "Students use plastic bags," she said. "It's the norm. I don't see anyone dumping garbage out their windows." Ricci also said the city is partly to blame -- especially recently, when the winter weather hindered regular collection. She said the current situation "has nothing to do with students, has nothing to do with management -- it's the city." Amsterdam says he does not blame the city, though. "I don't think the city is responsible," he said. "They do their job, that's all you can ask. "I think the city should issue citations to landlords," Amsterdam added. In fact, Amsterdam praised much of the city's handling of the situation. Early last semester, he said he filed a complaint with the city when the problem outside his building became acute. He said the problem was dealt with quickly, although no long-term changes have occurred. And Amsterdam lodged a complaint against his landlord, Marianna Thomas Properties, on the issue. Among the other suggestions to deal with the problem is to have more than one garbage pick-up each week. "Increasing rubbish collections is not an option," Deputy Streets Commissioner Clarena Tolson said. "There are more units than city services can accommodate. "We'll have our people look into it relative to education and enforcement," Tolson added.