Home construction is a dirty business. Heavy equipment tracks mud all over the place, builders pile excess material in unsightly heaps before carting it away in dumpsters, and even the most mindful journeyman can lose a coffee cup or fast food wrapper in the wind.

The first to move into an upstart subdivision are often frustrated by the fact that their new home is in the middle of an active job site. It’s a reality that has some residents of a new Edmonton-area suburb speaking out about a local developer they say isn’t being especially neighbourly.

“The trash doesn’t look good,” Starling resident Mervit Siffledeen told CTV Edmonton.

She says the beauty of the area was the reason she chose the freshly developed enclave about 20 kilometres northwest of the city centre. But now many feel the trash, muddy streets, icy sidewalks, and general state of disarray are causing too many headaches for local homeowners.

“We actually had a flood all the way up the street because of the mess that the developers were making in front of our house,” said neighbour Dave Johnson.

Homes in various states of construction are interspersed with finished Starling residences. Top soil from some of the bare lawns has turned into mud and poured into the streets because of melting snow. Many of the properties under construction are dotted with piles of supplies and scattered with garbage.

Edmonton city councillor Andrew Knack says this isn’t a new problem. He recently canvassed a neighbourhood west of Starling where residents had similar concerns.

“It’s definitely frustrating, and I hear it from time to time in different communities,” he said.

While many are frustrated by the mess, some are unsure if the neighbourhood developers crossed the line.

“We do tend to see a lot of construction equipment left behind, garbage and debris flying all over. But (I’m) not sure if that’s the norm or if that’s poor housekeeping,” said Wayne Siffledeen.

Knack says residents shouldn’t hesitate to come forward with their concerns. Municipal bylaw officers will visit a property after a complaint is filed, and Knack says he is working to make it easier for residents in neighbourhoods to report multiple violations.

“If somebody is sort of on the fence thinking ‘is it getting that bad that I should do something about this,’ if you are at that point, I would suggest the answer is yes it’s time to call 311 to put in a formal bylaw complaint,” he said.

With a report from CTV Edmonton’s Taylor Oseen.