Single-family house versus multi-unit building
West Wash Park has plenty of both, often on the same block.
Single-family cottage or Denver Square
- One household decides and acts
- Porch base, stoop and alley garage are the usual den sites
- Odor moves in through loose windows and old foundation vents
- Owner can schedule wildlife and odor work directly
Duplex or small apartment building
- Several households smell it, and one owner or manager decides
- Shared crawlspaces, basements and garden-level units
- Odor can move between units through shared walls and air systems
- Tenants need notice and coordination for access
Why density matters here
Much of West Washington Park was built out early, and the lots are often narrow. Houses sit close enough that a skunk under one porch is a few steps from the next house's windows. Mixed among the single-family homes are duplexes, converted houses with more than one unit, and small brick apartment buildings with garden-level apartments partly below grade. Those lower units commonly have window wells right at sidewalk or alley level.
A high share of residents rent. That means the person who smells the skunk is often not the person who can authorize work under the building. Tenants reporting promptly, and owners or managers responding quickly, makes a big difference, because a skunk that settles in under a multi-unit building can affect several households for weeks.
Alleys behind apartment buildings often have shared dumpsters, which draw foraging animals along the whole block. Keeping lids closed and the ground around them clean helps everyone on the alley.
Questions for West Wash Park residents and owners
- If you rent, have you reported the smell in writing to the owner or manager, with the date?
- Does the building have a shared crawlspace, basement or air system that connects units?
- Are garden-level window wells covered, and do the covers still allow egress?
- Are the dumpster or cart lids on the alley kept closed overnight?
- Is a neighboring porch or shed the actual source? Has anyone talked to that neighbor?
- If the building is a converted house, are there old foundation vents or porch bases nobody has checked in years?
Common questions
The smell is in my apartment but the skunk is under the building next door. Now what?
Tell your own manager or owner in writing; they are best placed to contact the neighboring property. Meanwhile, keep windows on that side closed at night.
General information for Washington Park, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.