Litter, overgrowth inspires volunteer clean-up on service road leading to synagogue in Fieldston

What do you do when the sidewalk is covered head to toe in vegetation and garbage for years without anyone wanting to take responsibility for it? Angel Ortega, superintendent at Briar Oaks and senior north regional shop steward 32BJ, and several others took out the chainsaws and machetes and did it themselves.

The sidewalks along the service roads north and south of Henry Hudson Parkway have been left untended for about four years, Ortega estimates, with neither New York City government or Fieldston Property Owners Association seemingly taking responsibility.

“There’s freaking walkers avoiding it because of the overgrowth,” Ortega said. “They don’t want something to jump out and try to bite them. You don’t know what’s in there.”

Ortega, a second generational super, grew up in the South Bronx and has lived in Riverdale for about 15 years. Having lived in low-income housing, he wanted to be involved with community work. As someone who lives at a co-op along the highway and a representative of the local 32BJ, he knew he had to do something about the sidewalk that had people walking in filth to the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale.

“I want to make a difference,” Ortega said. “I want neighborhoods to flourish and maintain their beauty, and not look like people are going to be scared to drive into.”

With donated machinery from Peter Kelly of the Dogwood condominium, Ortega, 57, and a small group volunteered their time to clear up the sidewalk on Wednesday, Aug. 9. It was a community effort by 32BJ, with everyone donating their free time to clean up.

Ortega, Juan de Luna, and Eddie Pichardo spent five hours on the North service road sidewalk, which is about a half mile long, using lawnmowers, trimmers, string trimmers (or Weedwackers), machetes, and chainsaws to eradicate the mess. In addition they painted over graffiti on four street poles.

“I never worked here,” Pichardo said in Spanish. “This is my first time.”

Pichardo came on his day off from his day job as a builder. As for de Luna, he said though he’s never done this job before, he’s done similar work in his home country the Dominican Republic in Santiago. He took on the line of work from his father.

Despite the act of kindness from the volunteers, it does raise questions about who is responsible for cleaning the sidewalks. On the day Ortega and the others cleaned, several New York City Department of Transportation arterial maintenance trucks could be seen driving right past the mess.

According to the DOT’s website, sidewalks, curbs, and roadways are owned by the city. However, it is a property owner’s responsibility to clean up their sidewalks. This is because of a pair of bills then Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed into law in 2003 to reduce the city’s liability to pay for accident claims coming from improperly maintained sidewalks.

As a result the burden of cleaning up the sidewalk should fall under the Fieldston Property Owners Association, who has several properties over the hill in front of the sidewalk. Under the Adjoining Landowner Liability Bill, building owners are held liable if they fail to comply with the maintenance of their sidewalks. The association did not respond for a comment.

According to Vincent Gragnani, Press Secretary of the NYC Department of Sanitation, “The properties on Delafield Avenue are responsible for the sidewalk in front and in back of their house.”

It was around the time of the pandemic that Ortega started to notice the sidewalks weren’t being cleaned.

“Some regional guy was like ‘Wait a minute, what is this?’,” Ortega said. “Then he put two and two together and (said) ‘Oh, that belongs to them.’”

Ortega said he reached out to Councilman Eric Dinowitz several times regarding the untended sidewalks and never received an answer. The councilman did not respond to request for comment by The Press.

“I wanted him to, you know, if he wants to get involved and get some glory on it,” Ortega said. “You know how politicians are, they want to get a good picture. He never called me.”

After Dinowitz got wind of what was going on, a truck was sent to pick up garbage, according to Ortega. Though it was not nearly enough not to compel Ortega and the others to take care of it themselves.

Ortega anticipates an all-out fight with the Fieldston Association and the city, unless Dinowitz and council members take it to the council in city hall and say “wait, a minute, why are these people exempt? These sidewalks belong to them.”

“You own this? Beautiful, I love it, more power to you,” Ortega said. “But that comes with you keeping it up.”

Ortega believes the Fieldston Association has to carry its weight on the issuing of cleanup.

“If we’re mandated to do it, why aren’t they?” Ortega asked of the Fieldston Association.

At the end of the day Ortega and his men had a total of 15 fifty-gallon bags filled with bushes, brush, and garbage. Even then there was still work left to be done. 

“Eventually it needs to be taken care of on a regular basis,” Ortega said. “Hopefully this attention will bring action. Maybe they’ll pay me once a month and I’ll get it done.” Someone’s gotta step up to it.”