Abner Brown asked KHOU 11 to help find a solution after he said 311 closed his case without doing anything about the dumpster. “It’s very frustrating.”

HOUSTON — An 83-year-old Northeast Houston resident says a massive, rusted commercial dumpster has sat behind a church for months despite repeated complaints, and now neighbors want it gone.

Abner Brown, who has lived in the neighborhood for 56 years, told KHOU 11 he first noticed a large truck behind St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in early August. Days later, a 20-foot dumpster was sitting in the right-of-way by a city drainage channel, filled to the brim with trash.

“I’m seeing old plasticware, construction material, someone’s old wooden fence,” Brown said while walking the site with KHOU 11’s Michelle Choi. “How could they be so brazen? That’s bold.”

Brown said he reported the issue to 311 on August 7. The case was closed two months later, but the dumpster was never removed.

“It’s very frustrating,” he said. “You try to keep your neighborhood up and encourage others to do so, and then this happens, and when you call to remedy the situation, nothing happens.”

The dumpster sits between the church’s fence line on  Calgary Lane and a concrete drainage area, in the middle of a residential block. Brown said illegal dumping has plagued nearby Hirsch Road for years and wants stronger enforcement and cameras at chronic hot spots.

“What I’d like is for the city to find out who this belongs to and, regardless of who it belongs to, get it out of here,” Brown said. “Think if you’d want that dumped in your front or backyard. Why not take it to a legal depository?”

Houston residents can legally dispose of heavy trash at the city’s six Neighborhood Depository & Recycling Centers at no charge. Proof of residency with a current photo ID and a utility bill with the matching address is typically required. Contractors and commercial businesses are not eligible to use the residential depositories.

Suspected illegal dumping can be reported to 311. Include the exact location, cross streets, description of items, vehicle information if available, and any photos or videos.

Brown says he loves his neighborhood and wants it treated with respect.

“Just have more pride,” he said. “If we keep this up, people’s attitudes and health will be better served.”

KHOU 11 reached out to Houston Public Works on Wednesday about the reported site. A city spokesperson said Wednesday afternoon they were checking on it. 

We’ll update this story when the city provides more information.

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