Residents say trashy lot is eyesore in heart of Orlando's tourist district

Orlando - Thousands of drivers pass through the busy intersection of Turkey Lake and Sand Lake roads each day. 

On nearby property, right behind the Phillips Crossing Shopping Center, a lot is strewn with junk and trash, and it looks like a mess, residents say.

"Old tires here, leftover pallets and lumber, different debris." 

Orange County resident Donny Smith says it's an eyesore right in the heart of Orlando's tourist district.

"It’s a bunch of trash, a bunch of people spending the night in tents and debris that’s getting abandoned on this property."

Just to give you an idea, if you’re heading westbound on Interstate 4, right before the State Road 528 interchange, you can see an access road with all its trash – including a dirty mattress, washer and dryer, and lots of other garbage, as well as illegally parked vehicles. 

"Sometimes I’ve seen as many as 15 to 18 vehicles parked here. This is at the front doorstep of Orlando and all of our tourists are seeing it, and we’re having to look at it each and every day."

We took Smith’s concerns to Orange County. A spokesperson says they’re aware of the problem and are working with neighboring agencies to clean up the area. Smith hopes it happens sooner than later. 

"It’s their property. I’d like them to take just as much pride as we do in our own personal properties." 

Smith says a simple solution would be to put a gate up by Turkey Lake Road and that would stop the traffic. 

We looked at a Beyond I-4 road construction map, and it looks like the access road could become part of the project. However, that's still over a year away.

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