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Residents urge action on parking, dumping and nuisance bar during public comment
Summary
Residents told council about blocked driveways, abandoned cars, dumping under rail lines and missing street signs; a neighborhood block-captain cleanup program offered to help. Councilors and police were asked to follow up.
Several Chester residents used the public-comment period March 11 to press the city for enforcement and neighborhood support on parking, dumping and blight.
Sherry, who lives on Seventh and Hardwick, described a nearby bar she called a nuisance that she said routinely blocks her driveway and generates congestion: "They park right in front of my house" she said, calling for residential or tow-zone signage. The mayor and city staff urged residents to call 911 for immediate enforcement and to speak with the police commissioner after the meeting for localized follow-up.
Other commenters raised neighborhood infrastructure concerns. A long public comment from Mr. Brown Williams cataloged potholes, buildings in disrepair and uneven distribution of street repairs across wards. Olivia Smith reported a missing street sign at 19th and High Street, urged removal of dead trees and requested cleanup in a dumping-prone spot under a railroad track. She asked when ARPA money expires; the mayor said ARPA funds must be spent by the end of the year.
Community volunteers presented a positive, proactive response: Michael Lewis described an expanded block-captain program partnering with the state affiliate Keep Pennsylvania to supply signage and cleanup equipment; the program offers small quarterly stipends ($500) and aims to recruit volunteers to adopt blocks.
What the city advised: for parking and safety concerns residents were directed to call 911 for enforcement and to follow up with the police commissioner; staff said some signage or tow-zone designations may be evaluated. Block-captain organizers offered to coordinate with the Chester Housing Authority and tenant councils to sustain cleanup work.
