VIDEO: Just two days after a meeting was held demanding the disbandment of Tent City be made a priority by officials, it appears the residents are getting more comfortable.Officials tell TLS truckloads of dirt were brought in to Tent City on Cedarbridge Avenue this morning, and dumped on the dirt road in an effort to smooth it out.
One problem, there was no permit for it, the official said.
After being notified by residents about this construction project, officials reached out to police, the Inspection Department and the Department of Public Works, to have it stopped immediately.
Police arrived and found mounds of dirt ready to be smoothed out by the waiting tractors.
Being too late to stop the resurfacing, police had them flatten the mounds already dumped so as not to prevent emergency vehicles from gaining access to the camp. TLS-KR/TLS-04/TLS-BAR/TLS-LNB/TLS-CCP.
This is a disgrace! They should be moved out of there immediately. WHO ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN??? WHERE ARE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS? THEY SHOULD PUT A STOP TO TENT CITY NOW!!!
road stone and dozer time can be quite expensive. Just wondering who’s picking up the tab.
who was paying for this?
k i agree Shut it down
Its time that Lakewood Twp gets (moderated) and have these (moderated) removed. They are causing nothing but problems…
Being too late to stop the resurfacing????? Let them dig it up!! This is a slap in the face to all the residents of Lakewood. Leave the mounds of dirt be, and let the squatters suffer the consequences!
We have to feel sorry for them , they don’t have a comfortable home to live in. They don’t have nice streets like us . It pains me when I pass there for their misfortune .i wish we could help them but it seems untenable . So sad . They are people too . They have tents , at least it’s something . If I had room in my house I would take a couple of them in till they can find better accommodations.
When does it ever occur to anyone that local government may be involved with this on some level?Why is there so much shock? If they wanted tent city removed don’t you think it would have be done by now?Or is our world free from corruption? Is it more profitable to keep tent city going to collect donations some accounted for most not? Or wouldn’t it be easy to take the donations,which has been more than enough through out the years, and BUILD A STRUCTURE for the homeless to go,gain 501 c3 status,so it’s legal and get them to self-sufficency?I mean really…if the issue is to give them safe shelter, and government claims they want to see this happen is the second option really that hard? Question many should be asking,.I feel those questions aren’t being asked because people are bying into the hype,and to busy yelling about it.
that is insane!! what are these ppl thinking???
The disgrace here is that the county and town officials are ignoring these illegal activities. Obviously they have no respect for the law. What’s this nonscence that they keep moving these tents closer to the road, is that them thumbing their nose at us. GET THEM OUT!!!!!
PS……Folks if they don’t need permits, why should we. The law must be equally enforced. So let’s thumb our noses at Lakewood laws and not get permits either. AGAIN>>>>I WANT THEM OUT!
the township should pass emergency ordinences that negatively affect the squatters. Ie. No camping, no loitering etc. Then have the pd enforce stricktly, make them want to leave!
My question exactly. Who ordered this and whose credit card were they using?!?!
Most Americans make decisions based on their emotions. Not logic.
One day, they’ll say “No, you can’t remove the residents of Tent City, they are so poor and I feel so bad for them.”
Then, when one of them gets hurt in a fire, they’ll say, “Where are the elected officials? Why are we allowing such uncivilized conditions to continue in 2012 America?”
Then, when one of them hurts someone, they’ll say, “The terrible scum are hurting people. We need them removed from Lakewood.”
Then, when the township finally decides to remove them, they’ll say, “Oh no, they’re so poor, you can’t just remove them. That is so cruel.”
Americans used to make decisions based on logic and intellect. That was how America was born, and that is how America became the greatest country to ever exist.
Now, Americans have begun to make decisions based on their emotions. And that is why we are wittnessing the historic decline of the America we all thought and hoped we could pass on to our children intact.
I think a litmus test for the upcoming township committee election should be whther they will get rid of tent city. If not, we get rid of the incumbent.
Let’s file a law suit against against pastor brigid for this.
Why didn’t the Police have them redeposit the mounds of dirt right back into the trucks they came in? If the trucks had left, have them get right back there- paid for by whoever ordered the dirt. They came “too late”?? Do they let all building violations slide when they arrive too late? I don’t think so.
is this a violation on the court agreement not to expand !!!
to #10 Yid, your wrong, not someday, but what you describe has been the last 7 years, but I think you already know that and are just making a good point.
“Road Resurfacing Project at Tent City Stopped By Police [Featured Story]”
“Being too late to stop the resurfacing, police had them flatten the mounds already dumped so as not to prevent emergency vehicles from gaining access to the camp”
how does this make sense?
did they stop it or was it to late?!
#8 karen- Great post! Very refreshing to hear some intelligence and compassion about this topic for once
whenever we do something by our house if we don’t get permits we get fines. why are they allowing this work to be done. they need to find out who order this dirt and fine them.
these people will never leave.
we need to go above our elected officials and speak to higher ups
then maybe something will be done!!!!!!!!!!!
GET RID OF TENT CITY. (and those of you who are SO compassionate – we’ll Dump Tent City IN YOUR BACKYARD, ok?)
Great idea, let us know when YOU set it up and donate the first donation. Remember it has be a full-service shelter so make sure you donate enough money to get it off the ground. Then you can go around collecting.
SHUT IT DOWN! I cant breathe at night from the fires, and live a mile away.
Call DEP hotline, Tent city is in the BUFFER of nearby wetlands. Can’t Touch Buffers. Nothing can be put in a buffer ! The runoff from tent city will pollute our drinking water in Bricktown
Stop the garbage pick up.
Why should these services br provided to non taxpayers. The tax payers don’t agree to spend the money on Tent City.
Did the judge say that we Lakewoodd has to provide??
shut down tent city! where did that petition go? when i signed it, it was at the beginning, a mere 500 people….get rabbonim on top of this and ul have the WHOLE lakewood signing…..THat’s A LOT of people. Tent city can’t win.
To DEP: Then the houses in back of St Nicholas and Carlton will all have to be removed. Neighbors fought against their construction as that area is a wetlands buffer but the contractor’s attorney argued that it was a BUFFER not the wetlands. And since votes were involved the construction was allowed to continue.
Sad that the wonderful folks who bring food…and pave paths are ENABLING most of the residents in their ADDICTIONS
Lets get PETA involved. I’ll bet THEY will do something. I see chickens and roosters wandering all over the place
Lakewood elected officials cant seem to separate church & state.
what ever ..everyone wants to do what they will do..and when the garbage is stacking up and no one is collecting it then what..you will complain about the stench of the garbage pile on the side of the roadway..
Taxpayers?? who pays taxes in lakewood?? if everyone paid taxes in Lakewood they would not be broke..and you would be able to afford more officers and officers safety equipment (cars, vests, guns) But this town has none of that.
Taxpayers…in lakewood that is an oxymoron
Could it be, and correct me if i’m wrong, but just could it be that they are leveling the road so if there is an emergency, the firetrucks and ambulances and safely get down the road? Its not like they paved the road, they just dumped more dirt. Calm down.
let them be.
I like this idea. The paved roads will allow for township officials to drive in and see all the violations that are being committed rather than just driving past.
FEMA ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN
I know one thing, that if a taxpayer would do anything without a permit there would be a hefty fine by our township, and yes even will be made to tear down any work done at your own expense. HA ha to taxpayers, myself included!!!!
Did they get fined? they need to start enforcing not just be good and dont do it again
“who pays taxes in lakewood??” Where do you live? Every individual in Lakewood is paying property taxes through the roof. 4x of 5x the tax rate paid by residents of NYC. Where they get way more gov’t services than us. In case you don’t know- there is no local income tax. Check your fact before you start ranting.
#34- LEt THEM be in YOUR BACKYARD. in your backyard i’m sure you’ll just “let them be” too
All this fuss over a pile of dirt?
Separation of church and state. That’s exactly what is wrong in this world. God should not be separated from anything. God bless those unfortunate in Tent City and God bless all you people who have no compassion!
who are they bothering leave them alone
Put the dirt back in the truck !!!!!!!! and fine the company for littering or whatever you fine someone for dumping on a property they don’t own.
Have them that road out to Pine Street, we could solve allot of problems.
Ok everyone please calm down.
FACT:The dirt was donated by someone who needed to get rid of his dirt.
FACT:When the police arrived, it was too late the dirt was dumped it was flattened a bit to allow emergency vehicles.
FACT: Lakewood townships hands are tied by liberal court system and political correctness
And lastly FACT; Lakewood residents pay A HECKAVA LOT OF TAXES.and our budget was balanced for the past two years
Everytime they make a fire have someone hose it down.
Push it to the side
What a disgrace
Fine the tractor driver or owner and charge him with tresspassing
I doubt any tent city residents own a tractor
Soon Tent City will demand autonomy to become its own state. They may even go to the UN. Then they’ll start an intifada.
You never know. Such things have happened before.
I think next they will want to secede. and have their own country. like belgium