NEW ORLEANS — A trash heap at an apartment complex in New Orleans East is getting out of control, according to a resident that lives there who called for the pile to cleared away.
In the pile is an air-conditioning unit, piping, and bricks - it's not a garbage dump, it's Carmel Brook Apartments.
Pastor Tommie Robinson lives directly opposite this heaping pile of debris and trash, he told Eyewitness News it needs to go.
“This needs to move. This has been here for four, going on five months. This needs to go, ASAP,” Robinson said.
“Every morning and every evening to look at this type of rubbish. I am just fed up with it,” Robinson said.
He now refers to the heap as 'Mount Trashmore.'
“I didn’t move here for this no, I didn’t move here for this,” Robinson said.
In March, the building caught fire. Officials ruled the building as a total loss.
Pastor Robinson said nearly five months later, the pile is now giving off an odor.
“Now it's starting to smell,” Robinson said.
With piles of tin and timber strewed over what was once a tennis court, Pastor Robinson said the mound is now home to rats.
City Councilman Oliver Thomas said nothing has been documented to the council.
“I shouldn’t have to be out here to say this is disgusting,” Thomas said. "When you have a mess, ya pick up ya mess, this is their mess, pick it up.”
The councilman called the heap disgusting.
“This is unfortunate, people that do stuff like this, or allow stuff like this to happen, not only are they disrespecting our city, they’re disrespectful to the businesses and the complexes they represent and god dammit they’re disrespectful to themselves,” Thomas said.
Councilman Thomas said the next step is taking apartment complexes to court, and holding that rent money until conditions are livable and the messes are cleaned up.
Until then weeds will continue to grow in a festering heap of debris and garbage.
Eyewitness News reached out to the apartment complex and is waiting to hear back.