HOUSTON – Residents living near the intersection of Buffalo Speedway and Holmes Road are growing increasingly frustrated with the ongoing neglect of their neighborhood.
A combination of discarded trash, broken items, and general debris has turned the area into an eyesore, prompting calls to the city’s 311 service for help.
However, one resident says the city’s response has been slow or nonexistent.
“They tell me they’re going to escalate it to a supervisor never got a phone call never got a text,” Donald Smither, a nearby resident, said.
The area, which sits just south of NRG Stadium and next door to the Texas Medical Center’s planned 500-acre expansion site, has become a dumping ground for unwanted waste, most notably: Tires.
Despite the complaints, the city continues to struggle with a backlog of unresolved issues. According to the 311 service, there are thousands of open complaints at any given time, many of which remain unresolved for weeks or even months.
For residents living near high-profile locations such as NRG Stadium and the Texas Medical Center, this lack of action is especially troubling.
“If this was an area like Memorial or River Oaks, I believe this issue would have been resolved quickly,” one local said, referencing the city’s more affluent neighborhoods.
City response (Solid Waste Department):
“This location is a chronic dumping area. We just had crews in this area about 2 weeks ago cleaning. We do not have equipment to collect dirt, but we will be going through this area next week to collect the tires and any other debris in the area. The property owner has received citations in the past and SWM continues to work with the community to report suspicious activity or violators of illegal dumping.
“SWM will continue to monitor this location, but would encourage residents to keep a watchful eye on this property and report violators to HPD Environmental Investigations Unit 713/525-2728or Crime Stoppers 713/222-8477.”
