LCI spoke to the owner. He will be moving the wood starting today.

He's removing all of it? I doubt it. It's at least 20 cords and +10 tons, and it's been like that for many years. The owner is spiting himself, since he's wasting an entire parking lot that could be made attractive for the neighborhood for outdoor seating and parking. This is a serious OSHA and Health Department violation.

I live in the neighborhood and pass it everyday. This problem has been discussed with the owner before.

I have spoken to the owners at Brick Oven, they were informed that it is not only an eyesore but a fire hazard and pledged to move the wood.

-Alderman Frank Douglass

Thank you Alderman Douglass

I complained about this years ago. I think they pay someone up there to look the other way. This can't possibly be legal!

How is this not a GIANT fire hazard? Can't the alderman get the fire department out there to inspect this, and then shut it down?

I just want to weigh in here on behalf of Kahdir and Brick Oven. Personally I think the presence of a wood burning oven in our neighborhood is a welcome break from the massive grease fryers of Alpha Delta, Main Garden and Elm bar. The smell of woodsmoke is infinitely preferable to sticky grease.

Brick Oven does the best they can with the space they have. Their dumpster is always neatly up against the building. You have to understand that residents around here litter like mad. It can be hard to keep up with the flood of alcohol bottles and fast food trash that gets thrown around.

Wood is beautiful! Big piles of wood are cool and they do not combust spontaneously, especially not the heavy logs they keep.

I must say, compared to its surroundings, it is quite unfair to pick on Brick Oven.

I don't think that wood stacked NEATLY in a lot is an eyesore, I would even say that in a certain way it is a welcome respite snapshot of nature in the city. However, just like any other urban feature, it does have to be maintained so as not to pose a hazard. Folks shouldn't get all bent out of shape about the simple things in life though. Fire Hazard, OSHA, Health Hazard? C'mon, I don't think so. Why don't folks leave the small biz owner alone and go after the real culprits of destructive business practices.

Hear hear, Hans! Brick Oven is one of the best restaurants in our neighborhood, and a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the outdoors while eating (unlike most other greasy spots on the block). The garden is a well-kept haven on a very busy and oft-abused corner. It's totally absurd to pick on this as an "eyesore" in this part of town. As per fire hazard, certainly a pile of slow-burning logs is no more dangerous than the piles of cardboard recycling outside any of the apartment buildings in the area?

I love Brick Oven. The food is always great, the service too, and it's a wonderful place to meet all kinds of people, in fact one of the few places on Howe I ever see families eating together. Surely if the youth baseball league kids were on this website they'd be in a huff!

To focus on Brick Oven seems ridiculous, especially since the real eyesore (and nose-sore) is Main Garden, next to which I had the great displeasure of living and breathing. Nothing like the smell of grease seeping in through your walls.

I always make a point of recommending Brick Oven to friends, family, and visitors--how many restaurants grow their own basil and other herbs? The whole point of slow-burning logs is that they have to be in an oven... not apt to spontaneously combust.

Which is all to say that the very fact that this conversation is happening is absurd. The REAL problems on that block are the cops that use their "power" to try and pick up women, the young women constantly harassed on Howe St., the wave of thefts all along Howe and Dwight Streets, and the barely visible bus stop on the corner of Howe and Elm.

I don't think anything about this pizza place is hazardous, save perhaps the tangyness of the cheese, which can be, at times, almost too good. What is this website?

I lived kittycorner to Brick Oven for two years and never once felt their woodpile was an eyesore let alone a potential health violation. There seemed to be considerable turnover in the stock (as would be expected of a busy establishment running a wood-burning oven) in about as neat a pile as can be expected of 10+ cords of loose firewood. Hans comments that we should support the small business owner offering a distinct product. Distinct not only in their pizza but in their friendly, family atmosphere. I hope that commenters here can restrict themselves to constructive advice for remedying any perceived wrong rather than blow apart this guy's business with vitriol.

LCI has looked into this situation and has contacted the Health Department. Since this is a Commercial Business any complaints need to be handled through the Health Dept. They can be reached at 203-946-8174.