JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Neighbors in Riverside are at their wit’s end about loud street parties popping up each weekend on the corner of Post and King Streets.
Neighbors near the intersection have been blasted with loud music blaring into the early morning hours, as dozens of people gather in the parking lot of Norman’s Food Store on the corner of King and Post Street.
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Brandon Nelson, who just moved into the house next to the corner store in January, said it happens every weekend.
“Every window in my house is rattling from the noise,” said Nelson.
And it’s not just the noise that has neighbors upset.
“One time, it had to be about 10 or 11 o’clock at night, you had some guys sitting in their cars, and I guess they may have gotten in an altercation. They started shooting gunshots off,” said Nelson.
Councilman Jimmy Peluso (D-District 7), who represents the Riverside area, said he’s taken steps to try and shut the unsanctioned parties down, by securing about $10,000 to hire off-duty officers to monitor the lots.
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“But it’s also contingent on what their schedules look like. So, you can’t always rely on JSO just sitting here all night,” said Peluso.
He said he’s still working to find a more permanent solution.
“What I need from residents is to continue to call JSO so they consistently see that it’s an issue. What I need from some of these owners is to make sure that they’re a part of the solution,” said Peluso.
Nelson argued, however city leaders make it happen, the party needs to end.
“In Five Points this wouldn’t be happening. In Avondale, this wouldn’t be happening at all. I don’t understand why it’s happening here,” said Nelson.
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Peluso told Action News Jax he’s in communication with the owners of the gas station and the restaurant across the street.
He warned if they don’t step up to shut down the gatherings on their property, the city compliance department could have to get involved.
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