Union County Residents Frustrated By Unmaintained, Overgrown Property By Old Railroad Line
ROSELLE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Some Union County residents say they have been getting the run-around about who is responsible for maintaining an old railroad line that runs behind their homes.
Lori Sexton showed CBS2's Meg Baker around her mother's property on Columbus Avenue in Roselle. Their yard is manicured, but beyond the property line, the grass and weeds reach above a neighbor's fence, attracting bugs and animals.
"You can't even have a picnic in the backyard because critters come out here at night," Sexton said.
The overgrown area covers an old rail line. The tracks can be seen off Ninth Avenue.
"If it doesn't run, you need to clean it up," Sexton said.
She says she calls every year, trying to track down who is responsible. The local Department of Public Works cut back some of it, but the borough's neighboring DPW site is also in poor condition.
"That's a hot mess, as you can see ... The greenery is up. The tenant can't even put her car in because the fence is leaning," Sexton said.
Sexton says she is frustrated. She has repeatedly called and emailed officials about the issues.
Baker and Sexton both tried calling the mayor and the DPW superintendent multiple times. Workers even told them someone was on the way, but they never showed up.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation did respond later in the day, saying someone will get out to survey the property in the next two weeks.
The tracks were formerly the Staten Island Railroad, which NJDOT inherited.
The DPW site next door needs to be maintained by the DPW. No one from the borough would talk to CBS2.
