City workers who cleaned up illegally dumped construction debris behind Valley Greene apartments have completed only half the job – leaving a large pile of trash covering a steep hillside that slopes toward Fairmount Park.

Now, after the promised cleanup from the City’s Community Life Improvement Program (CLIP) on Jan. 10 left a significant amount of trash behind, residents are left wondering when the job will be finished. 

"I think there's about a ton left that's down the hillside," Susan Schaefer, a Valley Greene resident, told the Local. "I think the city did an admirable job considering the terrain – but didn't finish the job."

The Local reached out to CLIP spokeswoman Keisha McCarty, who told the Local that their office is aware of the remaining debris. 

“The debris is not accessible from the trail. Because of its precarious location, appropriate equipment will need to be secured to remove it,” she wrote in an email.  “Arrangements are being made to secure the equipment so the removal can take place now that the weather is breaking.”

The problem first became noticeable in November when dying vegetation revealed mounds of trash underneath. From contractor waste and furniture to restaurant supply bins, several large piles of debris dotted the grassy hill between Valley Greene apartments, Alden Park, and a section of the Wissahickon with a trail popular among mountain bikers.

"When I bought the apartment, one of the reasons I wanted it was because of the view. You looked out and onto a backyard that was woods and brush land," resident Nick Mulcahy told the Local. "It's abundant with wildlife. It's got all sorts of birds, and I see deer out there regularly. I've seen a fox sleeping on top of the trash heap on the mattress."

Valley Greene residents then witnessed a man drive a U-Haul truck down their gravel driveway, turn, and dump a large pile of construction debris onto the forested land behind their building. He then accelerated rapidly, spraying gravel onto their property as he sped away. Mulcahy reported this incident to police.

Residents began coordinating their response, contacting 311 and local elected officials. After hearing nothing, they turned to the press, alerting the Local to the issue in December.

The Local then contacted Mayor Cherelle Parker's office along with multiple departments, who responded within hours. Senior Director of Communications Sharon Gallagher took action, involving five departments – the Mayor's Office, Parks & Recreation, The Office of Clean and Green, Licenses & Inspections, and the Managing Director's Office – to investigate the situation.

"Under Mayor Parker's overarching goal of Philadelphia becoming the Safest, Cleanest and Greenest City, with Access to Economic Opportunity for All, city departments are working in collaboration with various quasi-governmental agencies and nonprofits to employ proactive, intergovernmental, holistic strategies that address every quality-of-life issue, including illegal dumping prevention and remediation," Gallagher said.

The City sent workers to determine if the trash had been dumped on Alden Park property or the park. If found on private property, CLIP has the authority to clean it up and bill the property owner.

In fact, the trash had been dumped on property that belongs to Alden Park, a 775-unit apartment complex at 5500 Wissahickon Ave. – once the site of the historic Strawbridge estate and now owned by New York-based LC3 Capital Partners. Valley Greene, though smaller than its neighbor, is surrounded by Alden Park-owned land, including the area directly behind Valley Greene that's visible from both properties.

So the City's Community Life Improvement Program (CLIP) dispatched workers with trucks and loaders on January 10 for the promised cleanup. They removed several large piles but missed all the debris along the hillside, which remains highly visible from the nearby park.

The remaining trash is visible from Valley Greene's side lot and residents' windows facing the back of the property. From park trails, the debris stands out clearly as the hill rises higher than much of the surrounding parkland. Large pieces of wood, metal, and even a toilet remain scattered on the steep hillside, making cleanup challenging without proper equipment.

While the dumping occurred on Alden Park's property, Valley Greene residents say they're bearing the consequences and still wondering when the job will be finished.

Margaret Taylor, a Valley Greene board member, says that while she cannot see the trash from her window, many neighbors have reported significant debris left behind, with potential new dumping occurring.

Taylor believes the City would not have taken action if Schaefer hadn't leveraged her connections. "We called the City and we called our council people, and nothing got done until Susan got involved," Taylor told the Local. "None of it would have been done just from a call to the city, it was only because she knew how to network with enough people."

According to a 2020 study commissioned by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and prepared by Burns & McDonnell, "nine cities in Pennsylvania spend more than $68.5 million annually on prevention, education, abatement, and enforcement efforts to address litter and illegal dumping throughout their respective communities."