SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — The site of the former Graceland School in Whitehaven, which closed back in 2013, has become a frequent eyesore for nearby neighbors. Trash often piles up, and the community wants more to be done about it.
“If you’re driving down the street you see people drive up to the stop sign or the red light and clean out their car. We have to start at home if we want our neighborhood clean,” said Sarah Alexander, a resident of the area.
On Wednesday, neighbors said the grass was recently cut but that discarded waste and other trash remain piled up.
“When they do cut it, they never take away the debris, the broken limbs, the rotted limbs. People that dump things. That’s steady building up. That's not really taking care of the issue, because I have to look at this every day,” said Jessie Jones, who lives adjacent to the site.
Several other families who live nearby described the ongoing issue is extremely frustrating. The most unsightly view is a tree that fell last year and has been left untouched.
“It's been there forever. It's been there forever," Jones said. "They've never done anything. Once it fell, it's in the same spot."
Yet the city of Memphis said on Wednesday the site is not their responsibility to clean up or maintain.
The site is private property, however the address is not listed on the Shelby County assessor website, which would reveal the property owner. ABC24 is working to learn exactly who is responsible for maintenance.
This story will be updated when new information is available.