Hope may soon be in sight for some Astoria residents faced with sanitation trucks taking over their street.  It's an issue, we've been following for months.  Our Gene Apodaca has more now on a plan to address residents’ concerns

Another day, another parking nightmare for Jamary Flores.

“Parking, as you saw right now, we had to go around,“ said Flores as she explained how she had to maneuver around a trash truck.

“It’s very frustrating because I believe they should have a place, a depot or somewhere else where they should have these trucks,“ she said.

Flores is just one of several residents who live at the Ravenswood Houses fed up with sanitation trucks taking over the street.   Residents say the trucks, which should be parking inside a depot at the corner of 21st street and 35th avenue in Astoria, are not only blocking precious parking space, but, creating public safety hazards.

“The children go from this side to the other side to the Ravenswood park and they take a chance getting hit by one these trucks and  cars because you can’t see around them, “ said resident Edwin Cadiz.

What you can’t see on video is the smell  residents say they deal with it 24 hours a day.  They worry it’s only going to get worse as the months heat up.“

“Very difficult. The noise, the double parking," said resident Alberto Roman.

We first told you about this problem back in 2015.  At that time the city’s sanitation department told NY1, it was working with elected officials to find another parking location and garage.  Well, now that appears to be happening.  

Sanitation officials confirm the Mayor’s executive budget includes money to build a new garage at a different location.   Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer says he pushing for that to happen this year.

“This is an issue of environmental justice for, where the depot must move and it will move,“ said Van Bramer.

Meantime, officials say now that  winter season is over, they will be relocating some of the snow equipment at the depot to another location to free up space. They’ve also found another location for employees to park.

Residents however remain skeptical that things will get done, considering it’s been so long since they’ve complained and the trucks remain.

"Nothing has changed,” said Cadiz.

We, of course, will track the progress.