Maggie Valley bans panhandling and overnight camping in parks

May 13—Homeless people and vagrants passing through Maggie Valley won't be able to panhandle or camp out in town parks anymore following a pair of ordinances passed by the town board this month.

One ordinance bans panhandling within town limits. Another bans overnight camping in public parks or along greenways, as part of a larger suite of regulations governing allowed activity in parks. The pair of ordinances were put in place just in time before summer, when the homeless population in Haywood County tends to increase.

"Those were done more as being proactive," Maggie Valley Mayor Mike Eveland said of the new rules.

The panhandling ordinance bans soliciting contributions on or adjacent to a roadway or sidewalk, within 50 feet of a bank or ATM, at night or through intimidation.

"It doesn't say that it is prohibited outright everywhere," Town Planner Kaitland Finkle said. "I don't know of a location that they would be allowed to beg within our town, though."

The addition of language specifically including sidewalks in the section came as a request from the Maggie Valley Police Department, said Finkle.

Without an ordinance on the books, the town would have no recourse if a panhanlder took up residence along Soco Road or at parking lot entrances.

"I hope it will deter that action and keep that from happening on our streets and sidewalks," Maggie Valley Interim Police Chief Matthew Boger.

Waynesville has had a panhandling ban on the books for years. Ocassionally, a panhandler will pop up at the Walmart intersection, and the ordinance gives police the ability to move them along. That was the goal of Maggie's panhandling ban, Alderman Philip Wight said.

"It gives us a tool to work with when and if we need it," Wight said. "If you have a flat tire or run out of fuel, that's one thing, but if it is the same guy out there doing it every day, that's wrong."

Violation of the panhandling ordinance is considered a misdemeanor and is punishable by a maximum fine of $50 and a maximum jail sentence of seven days.

Town leaders feared panhandling could be deterimental to the town's tourism-based economy.

"I can tell you allowing it in Buncombe County is hurting its tourism," Alderwoman Tammy Wight said.

Eveland was concerned with making sure the town's new ordinance was in line with what everyone around is doing. Finkle said it is a little more complicated than that.

"It's hard to say what is consistent because there are two extremes," Finkle said. "There are locations that are trying to crack down and regulate it and there are locations that are opening up to allow it."

Park camping ban

A big focus of the park rules seemed to be the ban on overnight camping.

Last year, there were a few isolated cases of people sleeping in town parks who identified themselves as being homeless.

"We had a person last year that was sleeping in there and we told him he wasn't allowed to do that, and he wanted to see the rules," Eveland said. "We realized we did not have any regulations on our parks and greenways in writing."

Homeless people can still come to the parks, but they just can't camp overnight.

"They have the right to enjoy the parks like everybody else, but they can't make it their domicile," said Wight.

Wight said the town has invested a lot of money on public parks and greenways, including restrooms and picnic facilities.

"Those are there for everybody's use. It's not fair to have a few people ruin it," Wight said.

In addition to the ban on overnight camping, town leaders decided to tackle an ordinance spelling out myriad other activities that weren't allowed in parks.

"It gives us the tools we need to correct the issue," said Boger. "It defines exactly what is allowed to happen in our parks and what's not allowed."

The new list of rules for the parks includes everything you could think of, including:

No public nudity.

No camping.

No rock climbing.

No hunting.

Pets must be leashed.

Bicycles are only allowed on bike paths and a helmet is required.

No explosives.

No fires.

No alcohol or drugs.

Interim Editor Becky Johnson contributed to this story.