Erie residents are upset after LECOM puts up a new fence.

Residents in the neighborhood near LECOM on West Grandview Boulevard are speaking out after the school puts up a chain-linked fence with barbed wire.

Neighbors are also upset that the school is buying properties in the neighborhood because they say the properties are not being maintained.

However they understand LECOM owns the properties and they can’t do anything about that issue.

Dave Kindle says, “That just sort of popped up in the last week, and everybody we’ve talked to, nobody has been real thrilled about it. Just the look of it is just unbelievable. We went from a nice grass field with trees to it looks like they put up a prison. I mean, I don’t know who they’re keeping out or keeping in, but it doesn’t look very good.”

LECOM representatives say the fence was put up to keep the property free of damage and trash that they say they have spent thousands of dollars to fix and clean up.

According to the Code Enforcement Office in the City of Erie, the barbed wire is allowed on any property, as long as the fence does not violate height restrictions