HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — It may seem like a simple act, but the removal of one set of stairs in the Marcum Terrace housing complex has prompted residents there to say they have never seen their neighborhood so quiet.
The stairs were known as a hot spot for drug activity and prostitution.
The series of steps began in the parking lot of the community center and led to an apartment building on a neighboring hillside.
Tuesday, the stairs were removed by the Huntington Housing Authority in an attempt to make the neighborhood safer for residents.
The former entrance to the steps was also blocked off and dirt and mulch now cover the ground where the steps were located.
While residents say it’s a step in the right direction, many fear it won’t deter the drug activity but just relocate it.