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Residents and businesses urge faster action on Cherry Street encampments, citing fires, waste and safety risks
Summary
Multiple residents and a local business owner told the committee that repeated fires, toxic smoke, needles and broken glass at Cherry Street encampment sites have made nearby properties unsafe and urged more timely response and sanitation infrastructure.
During the public-comment portion of the July 6 Ithaca City special committee meeting, residents described persistent safety and sanitation problems at the Cherry Street/Keuka Inlet encampment area and urged the city for more effective responses.
Sadie Benson, introduced by the chair, said she has lived on Floral Avenue for more than 30 years and has seen worsening camping and frequent fires that she described as giving off “black smoke.” “They're burning something toxic, black smoke,” Benson said, and asked how future interventions would avoid repeating the failures she associated with prior sites such as Art House and Ask Terry.
A nearby resident introduced by the chair as Lisa Strayer said she has called dispatch repeatedly for weekend disturbances, reporting screaming, yelling, fires and drug paraphernalia. “There are needles on the ground over there,” she said, and described broken glass and mangled bicycles that make walking dogs or to nearby stores unsafe.
Zach Wynne told the committee that sanitation and public-safety problems persist despite prior relocations, and he asked how the city will supply bathrooms and handwashing, pointing to other cities that have sanctioned encampments with infrastructure. Wynne also alleged a string of deaths at a local housing site: “Another person died recently at the Asteria last week, and by my account, that is 7 deaths at a minimum in the building, many overdoses,” he said. The committee did not provide corroborating data for the death count during the meeting.
Kevin Cornacio, who said he runs Precision Filters at the terminus of Cherry Street, said his business shares security footage with authorities and offered to keep participating in meetings.
Chief Kelly urged residents and businesses to continue reporting incidents to police and said calls help guide the city’s policies and procedures. Staff member Kanesh described a recent cleanup at Cherry Street that was cut short after a dog-bite incident forced DPW to leave before finishing cleanup near the inlet; he said outreach workers attempted voluntary transitions and that some people refuse county Temporary Housing Assistance (THA) because they would have to pay a portion of income to access it (Kanesh said he believed the portion to be about 70% and offered to verify the exact number).
What happens next: the committee encouraged written comments to the clerk, asked staff for more precise numbers on shelter eligibility and deaths cited in public comment, and agreed to invite additional stakeholders to future sessions.
