Pictures taken from inside Bixby Apartments show trash blocking doorways. Photo Credit: Karen Lopez. Graphic created by Tye Brown/The Sentinel
Mounting trash piles and overflowing dumpster at Bixby Apartments have prompted complaints from residents who say the issue is disrupting their daily life and raising concerns about health and safety.
Students reported that the trash piling up began around the start of winter break back in December and has remained for several weeks.
“I’d say it started building up around winter break,” Bixby resident Kiana Givens said. “I remember the smell when I first started coming home from work”
Another resident, Isabel Risbon, said that the build up lasted “a few weeks” and made daily routines uncomfortable.
“It felt like the hallways were infested with stench,” Risbon said. Residents had limited space to dispose of their trash, due to dumpsters being full, leading some to leave their trash outside the trash room in the hallways.
Many students expressed their concerns about potential health risks. Givens described the conditions as “genuinely disgusting,” noting that the trash ranged from food to pet litter. While she avoided direct contact by trying to keep her trash in her apartment until it was cleared, she was concerned about possible contamination.
For Iris Apodaca, a Bixby resident whose apartment is located right next to the trash room, the issue had more direct consequences.
“We’ve had roaches a few times because of the trash buildup,” Apodaca said. “Passing the trash to get to the lobby is absolutely a fire hazard as well as unsanitary,” she said.
Other residents said they attempted to contact management or followed updates through the Bixby GroupMe. Risbon said she learned about this situation through residents rather than directly from Bixby.
“I had to hear from other people, to know what was really going on,” she said.
According to residents, management later specified that the trash delay was related to difficulties with contacting the trash service company during the holiday period.
In an email that was sent to residents, Bixby management offered a $5 credit in response to the situation. While some residents acknowledged the gesture, other residents said it did not sufficiently address the disruption.
“Five dollars is such a copout,” Givens said. “I pay $1,055 a month. That five dollars doesn’t do anything significant.”
The issue was even noticeable to visitors. Kennedy Foster, a student who often visits her friends at Bixby, said the conditions were concerning.
“Letting trash sit that long, especially in hallways where residents are walking to get home, is nasty,” Foster said. “I would not want to live like that.”
Bixby Management declined to comment when contacted by The Sentinel.
As of this week, residents noted that the trash room has been cleared. However, residents said they hope faster communication and stronger oversight will prevent similar issues in the future.
