EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KOAA) — A problem in the Midway community that News 5 first reported last March is showing signs of progress.
People living in the unincorporated part of El Paso County say illegal dumping of trash has turned stretches of empty land into a major eyesore.
Frustrated neighbors reached out to KOAA for help, hoping attention would lead to change.
Nine months later, the scene looks different.
While small piles of trash remain, the large items that once littered the area are now gone.
A new sign posted along the roadway warns drivers: No dumping allowed.
“The county sent out crime prevention officers to our neighborhood watch meetings,” said Abigayle Hedges-Austin, who lives in the Midway community.
Hedges-Austin says the Midway residents stayed in contact with the county.
“They have been in contact with us, and they were able to get a sign," Hedges-Austin said.
According to El Paso County, Code Enforcement and Public Works removed more than 65 tons of trash and debris last September along the road between Rancho Colorado Boulevard and Indian Village Heights.
Hedges-Austin credits county staff and community involvement for the progress.
“Scott Shevock with Code Enforcement did a lot of work,” she said. “Colorado Public Works — a lot of dumpsters, a lot of people.”
While the area is cleaner, residents say the problem hasn’t completely disappeared.
Hedges-Austin says trash is slowly returning, prompting neighbors to focus on prevention.
“A few people are trying to set up cameras out there,” Hedges-Austin said.
El Paso County Code Enforcement says it continues working directly with property owners to clean up the area.
Since last January, 17 properties in the Midway area have come into compliance and been cleaned up.
Officials say enforcement remains complaint-based, and illegal dumping should be reported to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
Hedges-Austin says none of it would have happened without the attention the KOAA's first report brought.
“I really appreciate bringing light to the issue,” she said. “We are out in the middle of nowhere, but there are a lot of people who live out there. A lot of people take pride in living out there. I appreciate y’all’s work.”
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