MEMPHIS, Tenn — There was supposed to be a neighborhood cleanup on Saturday at an empty lot in the Parkway Village neighborhood.
But when volunteers got there, it was so much worse than they imagined and the group went to clean up a different illegal dumping site.
Long-time Memphis activist Patricia Rogers says the 3.3-acre property at 4525 Knight Arnold Road is the worst case of illegal dumping she has ever seen.
“It's just an unbelievable mess,” she said. “I've never seen anything like this pile-up in all the history that I've been living here in Memphis.”
Rogers says she was the one who coordinated the cleanup with Councilman Ford Canale until they realized how massive an undertaking this would be.
“They need to bring in some bulldozers to get all of these tires, solid waste and garbage out of here,” she said.
For people living in the area, it’s not just an eyesore, it’s a safety hazard.
“It makes our neighborhood look bad,” said local mother Shannon Brounson. “Our kids could get hurt when they’re walking back and forth to school and they run over there and play on them tires.”
Neighbors claim the property also has its share of snake nests and rats.
Rogers said she spent two years petitioning the Memphis Division of Public Works to cut the lot’s overgrown grass, which they did in December, 2022.
That only revealed the true scope of the problem.
The tall grass surrounding the property kept it hidden from the road, covering up the piles of tires, entire couches, old pianos and who knows what else.
“You never know, there could be a dead body over here,” Rogers said.
City Code Enforcement has issued a notice of violations to property owner Gateway Memphis LLC (located in Arizona). They are also due in Shelby County Environmental Court.
“Out of town owners, most of them do not come to environmental court,” Rogers said. “The judge doesn't find them, he doesn't put them in jail, so this is what you end up with.”
The city needs to wait for an environmental court ruling before it can step in. Meanwhile, Rogers and others call for a crackdown on those actually dumping the tires.
“They need to fine these people for dumping these tires out here,” said Brounson.
“They need to find out and keep records on if they are disposing their tires properly, if they're taking them to the proper location,” Rogers said. “I think that's a big issue, that they have not been monitored.”
Gateway Memphis LLC is due in environmental court on January 31st.
Oakville Baptist Church is set to buy the property from the Shelby County Landbank, but can’t takeover until October.