Residents report problems with parked taxicabs/building on Major

by BRIAN NADIG

City building inspectors have issued citations to the owner of a two-flat in the 4900 block North Major Avenue, which reportedly has been used as a boarding house for taxi drivers who were illegally parking their cabs on the residential street.

Concerns about the cabs being parked on Major were discussed at recent meetings of the Jefferson Park Neighborhood Association and a 16th (Jefferson Park) Police District beat meeting. Police have received several 911 calls about cabs and other commercial vehicles being parked in the area, according to the district.

A resident reported that since the beat meeting the parking problem has improved. City law prohibits the parking of taxis on residential streets except for the purposes of picking up and dropping off passengers.

Inspectors who attempted to enter the two-flat in April of 2014 to verify a complaint of mold and flooding in the basement were unsuccessful, according to the city Department of Buildings. Four citations were issued, including one for the failure to post the owner’s name on the building and for open mortar joints.

Inspectors who were able to access the basement on Jan. 21 and reported that it had been illegally converted into an additional living unit with two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom, according to the department. The department issued a citation calling for the removal of all partitions and fixtures which were installed in the basement without a permit, and additional citations addressed code violations involving the enclosed two-story rear porch and a carbon monoxide detector which was not operating.