Hello,
William MacMillan orders chicken from Perdue, Allens and Mountaire. All these companies deliver by tractor trailers. We already have a couple "No Truck Parking between 6pm and 6 am" signs but somebody keeps taking them down so we could use a couple more of them as well anti idling signs around their business. This morning around 2am a tractor trailer was idling for around 30 minutes until several residents went out to tell him to turn it off.

It would be fantastic if this problem could get fixed. Too many sleepless nights.

Macmillan is a chronic nuisance, and this is one facet of the problem.
Fixing this would be so nice.
A full night's sleep . . .

This area has almost become unlivable because of this problem. The noise and exhaust cause many a sleepless night. I learned a couple years ago that talking to the owner only gets you yelled at.

This problem needs to be addressed and corrected.
to be jolted awake at 3am by tractor trailers to find that your in a room full of exhaust is not an option anymore.
The street / intersection is too small for the size of these trucks. taking 45 minutes to dock, back and forth, may not be considered idling to some, but to residents surrounding this nuisance it is. HELP US!

and when they stack their deliveries, they block the street like this, cars then back up and proceed to blow their horns and scream at the trucks.

streets are too small for tractor trailers to dock properly or in a timely manner causing noise and exhaust pollution.

Living in a multi-use neighborhood is part of city life. But this situation is not a blending of neighborhood needs. There is no give and take here. The MacMillan company ignores all the hazards of long term idling, and as the truck drivers struggle to dock their trucks in a space that is too small to accomodate, they do other damage to our community as well. Just a few weeks ago, one driver was so unable to safely navigate the corner that he drove his huge truck into the corner street lamp, ripping it out of the ground and crashing the entire length of it across the parking lot (narrowily missing two cars). He didn't even stop to report it. If I hadn't already been awakened by the fumes from other trucks (4:37AM), I never would have seen him do it nor called the police. He would have gotten away with it.

Thank you everybody for your vigilance in reporting this; it sounds like an incredibly frustrating situation. We will be contacting MacMillan, as well as alerting the City of Philadelphia's Air Management Services.

Also, we may be able to assist with signage and/or some strategizing/organizing. It sounds like this has been an ongoing problem and that communication with the company has been difficult. If some of you would be interested in meeting with Clean Air Council staff to discuss the situation further, please call us at (215) 567-4004 x108.
The Clean Air Council Team

This is being ignored and not enforced

last night...

Yes, last night was wonderful. This truck idled from 3:50 am to 4:30 am.

Is it possible for us to call the police as the trucks are in clear violation of the parking signs? I mean, we're up anyway....

The police do have the authority to enforce the idling laws, however, our understanding is that enforcement does not happen that regularly. However, this may be an avenue you could try. The Clean Air Council will also alert Air Management Services, and request that an enforcement agent get sent out.

It's 3AM.
A tractor trailer from Mountainaire has been sitting on the Lawrence St. side of Macmillan's since 1:30AM, it's engine and refrigeration unit idling on and off for the past 90 minutes. I've called the police 4 times. 31 comments, 28 days, absolutely no change . . . .

Same problem as G. Brooks last night. Truck shows up 3 hours before the owners do so it just sits there and idles.

So I found this page/forum, by chance, last week and was please to find out that I wasn't alone.
I thought, "for sure, now, something will be done.", only to be kept awake ALL NIGHT by this nuisance business and it's idling trucks again for another night.
Can someone report on what is being done... is 311 as useless as the media is reporting it to be?
No idling signs would be a start but clearly what's happening in this neighborhood is illegal. READ ABOUT IT HERE: http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/Get/Document-74752/2700-FS-DEP4242.pdf

Clean Air Council has alerted Air Management Services to this issue, and will be pursuing contact with MacMillan. We also may be able to assist in getting No Idling signage on the street, which would be easiest to do with a property owner's permission.

Please contact the Clean Air Council directly at 215-567-4004 x108 if you would like to further discuss how we might address this problem.

The Clean Air Council Team

Since at no time is the cab portion of the truck on their property it would make sense to place those signs on the poles that are already on the street. I included a map of the area that shows just how small this intersection is and how many apartments and houses are within half a block of them.

Has any progress been made concerning this matter ? I haven't seen any signs yet.

RE: last comment
No, there has been no progress made on this matter. There are no signs. Four tractor trailers wee backed up making deliveries on Monday early AM, one trailer last night, lots of noise and not much sleep.

Last night at 3am these trucks showed up in front of my building, parked in the middle of the street and one decided to work on his truck. I opened my window and explained that "people lived here and could they please move the trucks and turn them off ", one drivers response was " I don't care".

So by the looks of this forum, nothing is changing.
I just relocated here and am already planning on telling my landlord I want OUT.
This woke me up too. I called police, but nothing was done. There are trucks parked on Vine Street, even though there are NO TRUCK PARKING SIGNS clearly posted up and down Vine Street.
Yet the photo above, shows 2 trucks parked on Vine Street.

So what can we do? What is our next step? From what I understand, neither the Old City Association or the area's councilman will help. I know it probably won't stop the trucks from coming, but what about applying to one of those "citizen's action" segments on the TV news, or sending a letter and some visuals to a reporter for the Phila Inquirer? I am happy to help coorindate or participiate in any action we determine might be of aid to us.

Well it's been a month since we've had any correspondence from the people who offered help on here. No updates from Air Management too. So it looks like we're being pushed aside again and the majority of people in our area are going to be brutally awaken at 4 am by a small company of 7 people in which 5 don't even live in Pennsylvania. This morning at 4am the tractor trailer was so loud it was vibrating my floors and windows.

It's clear that neighbors feel bullied and don't want retaliation otherwise there would be more than just 17 people complaining.
I called the police last night because at 1:50am the first truck pulled up and idled outside my bedroom window.
The police showed up at 2:30 and told him to turn off his engine. He did and when the cop drove away, he turned it back on.
Now I have to play games at 2:30am in the morning?
Clearly- my issue has always been with the NOISE, POLLUTION and the fact that it takes a minimum of 45 min. for most of these drivers to back into a loading dock.
But the noise should be the main issue.
When a neighborhood develops around a bar or club that has been in operation for years- they are labeled a nuisance when their patrons keep up the neighbors up on exited, and then quickly SHUT DOWN...
Why does this same noise violation and nuisance NOT apply to MacMillan. In the very least L.&I. should intervene as to the hours of operations of said company.
Is it kick backs? Is it friends in high places? Are they donating chicken to City Council's summer barbecues?
This site started off promising and then like so many times in the past, it seems that someone, somewhere said, "This battle is hard, I give up". If that is the case, then Thank You, Thank you for nothing.

Hello folks,

I appreciate hearing everyone's concerns! AMS said they sent an enforcement agent out and could not log any violations. Letters have been sent to the owners of Macmillian Chicken as well.

Is there anyway we could set up a meeting? I am available anytime this week or early next week. We are doing our best to help, and this seems like a very extreme situation.

Thanks,
Kate Zaidan
215-567-4004 x108

Kate, In response to your offer, I am a resident of 408 Vine Street, and would be able to meet anytime during the week of December 28th. Is this something we should try and schedule as a group?

I am totally available that week, both daytime and evening hours. I think the more people the better, because we could do some group strategizing, but if its difficult to get many people in a room because of scheduling, a small meeting could be helpful as well. Does December 29th work?

At this point, I am available any time. And I copied my neighbor Natasha Hulme on this so please pick a time and place and we will be there. once we know when and where, we will try and round up some others. Francine Maroukian

I didn't write that above but I will certainly make myself available for a meeting to address and hopefully resolve this issue.

That is great. Can folks meet on the 29th? Are evenings or daytimes best?

The problems with Macmillan's early morning deliveries were pretty bad several times this past week. I tried to log on and post here, but wasn't able to get onto this thread because the server was "too busy". Anyway, as of right now, sure, I'd be available to meet on the 29th (a week from Tuesday).

Yes, Dec 29th during the day, any time betw 11 and 4 if that works for everyone else.

Great. What about 1pm? Everyone is welcome to come to our office on 19th and Walnut to meet, but it might be better to meet close to the location of the idling infractions so we can get a better idea of the situation. Any suggestions for places to meet?

beep beep beep beep
Took that guy an hour to dock this morning, and he started at 4AM. One of my neighbors said it looked to him like one of the truckers was teaching the other trucker how to dock the rig into Macmillan's loading dock. I can't wait to see how closing that block of Lawrence St (for road work on Marginal Way, next to the bridge) affects all this!

This problem goes well beyond idling trucks. Wednesday morning it took that truck driver from 4am to 5 am to dock that truck. One full hour of beep, beep, beep every time he was in reverse. Then the slamming of the loading dock plate. Thursday morning was no better starting at 3:20 am with the first of two or three tractor trailers. An hour after the first truck arrived the first owner showed up and his method for telling the driver to turn off his engine was to scream it from 50 feet away at 4:20am in the middle of all this the dock loading plate sounded like a car crash every time they drove the forklift over it. The ONLY solution to this problem is no deliveries until after 6am.

THERE IS A MEETING SCHEDULED FOR:
Tuesday January 26th at 6PM
at the Wood Turning Center at 501 Vine Street
in the conference room
The meeting is with neighbors of the 4th-5th/Vine st. corridor and Kate Zaidan of Idlefreephilly.org, also expected to attend, representatives from Phila. Police Dept., Streets dept., Parking Authority and hopefully L&I.
Your neighbors need your support, whether you are affected by this on a nightly basis or occasionally by having trucks block Vine Street.
Our goal is not to put anyone out of business, it is simply to enforce, pollution, truck parking and noise variance within the evening and early morning hours.

There is another meeting tomorrow at the Wood Turning Center (501 Vine Street) for tomorrow at 6pm.
Clean Air Council, 6th District Police, Parking Authority as well as residents and several local business owners will be there. The Old City Civic Association was also invited.

This video is of a truck idling at the MacMillan's loading dock.
THIS IS THE SAME NIGHT that we, the neighbors, were just assured by MacMillan that they make every attempt to tell the trucks not to idle.
They made this promise at the meeting held at the Wood Turning Center.
The truck woke me up at 4:15 and left at 4:45. The truck idled the whole time. I called 911 and when the patrol car rode up Vine street the tractor trailer pulled away.

MacMillan's had two weeks to try to keep the noise down and alert the truck drivers about idling, arriving early and where to wait. Well it's VERY apparent that they aren't trying. Last night we had two tractor trailers idling for hours and one of those trucks took over 30 minutes to dock. The police were called but did not show up.

There doesn't seem to have been too much change since our last meeting. I don't expect it'd be instantaneous, but I sure expected things around here would begin to be getting a little better -- fewer problems, more quiet, better sleep. But it's been pretty much status quo -- early morning trucks, sitting and idling until MacMillan's opens with a bang.

Well the last two nights seem to be as bad as ever and now a couple of residents are moving. I hope the city of Philadelphia is real proud of itself !!!

Just more of the same and with the warm weather coming the windows have to remain closed.

A truck (Mountaire) showed up last night at 11:55 pm, a good 4 1/2 hours before they even open. Called the police and I don't think they ever showed up.

It seems that this problem is getting bad again with trucks idling and blocking the street at 4:30am

This is amazing.
It's been 7 months and nothing has changed.
I understand that landlord's (well, at least one landlord) in the neighborhood are "neglecting" to inform prospective tenants of this issue, too.
It's wrong that the neighborhood residents are being held hostage this way.
This is BS.
I'm glad I moved!

IdleFreePhilly.org wrote 6 months ago
Thank you everybody for your vigilance in reporting this; it sounds like an incredibly frustrating situation. We will be contacting MacMillan, as well as alerting the City of Philadelphia's Air Management Services.

Also, we may be able to assist with signage and/or some strategizing/organizing. It sounds like this has been an ongoing problem and that communication with the company has been difficult. If some of you would be interested in meeting with Clean Air Council staff to discuss the situation further, please call us at (215) 567-4004 x108.
The Clean Air Council Team

This issue has not been resolved and should not be closed.

IdleFreePhilly.org wrote 6 months ago
Thank you everybody for your vigilance in reporting this; it sounds like an incredibly frustrating situation. We will be contacting MacMillan, as well as alerting the City of Philadelphia's Air Management Services.

Also, we may be able to assist with signage and/or some strategizing/organizing. It sounds like this has been an ongoing problem and that communication with the company has been difficult. If some of you would be interested in meeting with Clean Air Council staff to discuss the situation further, please call us at (215) 567-4004 x108.
The Clean Air Council Team

Still not fixed !

IdleFreePhilly.org wrote 6 months ago
Thank you everybody for your vigilance in reporting this; it sounds like an incredibly frustrating situation. We will be contacting MacMillan, as well as alerting the City of Philadelphia's Air Management Services.

Also, we may be able to assist with signage and/or some strategizing/organizing. It sounds like this has been an ongoing problem and that communication with the company has been difficult. If some of you would be interested in meeting with Clean Air Council staff to discuss the situation further, please call us at (215) 567-4004 x108.
The Clean Air Council Team

Maybe that was a space ship idling outside my window this morning and not a 60 foot tractor trailer.

Problem still not fixed.

311 stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution.

IdleFreePhilly.org wrote 6 months ago
Thank you everybody for your vigilance in reporting this; it sounds like an incredibly frustrating situation. We will be contacting MacMillan, as well as alerting the City of Philadelphia's Air Management Services.

Also, we may be able to assist with signage and/or some strategizing/organizing. It sounds like this has been an ongoing problem and that communication with the company has been difficult. If some of you would be interested in meeting with Clean Air Council staff to discuss the situation further, please call us at (215) 567-4004 x108.
The Clean Air Council Team

Problem not solved

IdleFreePhilly.org wrote 6 months ago
Clean Air Council has alerted Air Management Services to this issue, and will be pursuing contact with MacMillan. We also may be able to assist in getting No Idling signage on the street, which would be easiest to do with a property owner's permission.

Please contact the Clean Air Council directly at 215-567-4004 x108 if you would like to further discuss how we might address this problem.

The Clean Air Council Team

Dear Philly311,
The purpose of your continued posts over the past 10 days really isn't clear.
There is some signage on Vine St, as other posters have pointed out.
Kate Zaidan hosted several meetings which included area residents, business-owners (including Macmillan's), representatives from community groups, and a representative from the police department. Macmillan piously claimed that they've bent over backwards on this, that the problem was independent 'rogue' truckers, but that early morning deliveries were fundamental to their business. They promised to tell their distributors to respect the law and to have early trucks wait at intermediate, off-site locations until the business opened.
The police promised to step up monitoring and enforcement.
If you read the comments from the 3-4 months since that meeting there has been NO CHANGE IN THE SITUATION.
Can you please be more helpful than simply re-posting boilerplate?
Thanks!

This problem has been ramping up again over the last month. It is 12:20 am and there is a tractor trailer in the middle of Vine St.

They seem to be retaliating against the neighbors with excessive pounding on their loading dock at 4:30am. Also there is a huge roadway depression forming right where the trucks park on Vine Street in front of their business that most likely will turn into a sink hole.

Last 2 nights were so NOISY... starting before 5AM. Tthe company claims that early morning truck deliveries are imperative to their business. But how is making excessive noise while their neighbors are sleeping help them to succeed?

Gracias intiresnuyu iformatsiyu

The excessive noise hasn't stopped at this location. I've lived here the past year and a half and it only seems to be getting worse. Especially now that it's getting hot and a lot of the older houses on the block do not have central air. Any suggestions on how to make this stop?

Could you please email lwelde@cleanair.org with the details and I will ask AMS to send out an agent.

This situation is getting bad again. Making noise that can be hear a block away is illegal in every part of center city, let alone at 4am ! Noisy tractor trailers trying to dock and un dock for hours, noisy forklifts loading and unloading, noisy truck AC units on for hours, 7 noisy rooftop AC compressors, noisy workers screaming above all the other noise. This section of Old City is 99% residential yet this small business is holding the residents sleep hostage.

This situation is getting bad again. Making noise that can be hear a block away is illegal in every part of center city, let alone at 4am ! Noisy tractor trailers trying to dock and un dock for hours, noisy forklifts loading and unloading, noisy truck AC units on for hours, 7 noisy rooftop AC compressors, noisy workers screaming above all the other noise. This section of Old City is 99% residential yet this small business is holding the residents sleep hostage.