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Monocacy neighborhood raises safety and sanitation concerns over riverside encampment
Summary
A Monocacy HOA president told council the tent encampment by the canal and railroad tracks is expanding, creating litter, fires and safety concerns; councilors directed the resident to city departments and staff promised follow‑up.
Elizabeth Correll Pizarro, president of the Monocacy Homeowners Association, told Bethlehem City Council about an expanding tent encampment between the canal and the railroad tracks near New Street Bridge that she said is increasing litter, illegal dumping and safety concerns for nearby residents.
Pizarro said dumpsters provided near the site fill in two to three days and that mattresses, shopping carts and garbage are increasingly visible in the neighborhood. She also described encounters between residents and people in the encampment, including a person entering a fenced yard; and she cited open‑flame cookfires and propane use as potential public‑safety hazards.
Council and staff response Mayor Reynolds and staff said department heads were present and that residents may contact the city’s sanitation, health bureau and police department for follow‑up. Staff asked Pizarro to share contact information with the clerk so departments could follow up directly. The meeting did not include a formal motion or emergency action on the matter.
Ending: Officials offered to connect Pizarro to the appropriate departments for follow‑up on cleanup, enforcement and potential social‑service referrals; the council meeting did not result in an immediate vote or new ordinance on homeless encampments.
