Evicted: New Philadelphia orders residents of homeless encampment to vacate property
NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ The residents of a homeless encampment have been given until March 31 — Easter Sunday — by the city of New Philadelphia to vacate the property or face legal consequences.
The encampment is on a 6.12-acre tract off of Fourth Street Extension SE, a narrow road leading to the city's sewer plant on the Tuscarawas River. The property is owned by CSX Transportation and leased to New Philadelphia. The city uses a portion on Bank Lane as a playground. Another section is used to store excess fill dirt and concrete from construction work.
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The encampment itself is in the midst of a dense thicket of saplings and brush, reached by narrow footpaths. There are a couple of structures in the midst of the thicket, as well as at least one tent. A large amount of debris is strewn along the footpaths.
On Jan. 31, officers with the New Philadelphia Police Department and the Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office came to post notices warning the residents to leave the property. There were three people in the encampment at that time — two men and a woman.
The notices read:
"This notice is to inform you that you are trespassing on property owned/leased by the City of New Philadelphia, Ohio. You are hereby given notice that you are NOT authorized, permitted, or invited to enter or remain on the property located at:
"Parcel No. 43-07783-000 Bank Lane Rear, New Philadelphia, Ohio
"Please be advised that you have until March 31, 2024, to vacate the property or face potential legal consequences under Ohio Revised Code 2911.21."
Seven or eight residents during summer months
One of the encampment residents, Troy Baker, has been living there for a year. "I fell into some hard times, with some drugs and stuff like that, so I ended up out here," he said.
He said he wasn't angry at police for their actions. "They're doing their job."
During the summer months, as many as seven or eight people live there, he said.
As to his future plans after vacating the encampment, Baker said he hoped to start a new life. "I'll go talk to some friends. They'll hook me up with somebody."
'It's been there long enough'
Mayor Joel Day said the city has an obligation to make sure that something like a homeless encampment doesn't occur on leased property.
"It's been there long enough. That is land we lease from CSX. We have the responsibility to not allow things like this on that land," he said.
He added, "We've gotten complaints from downtown businesses about homeless people loitering, homeless people using drugs, having to pick up needles and alcohol containers. It's time that people move on and find other places to camp."
On April 1, after the deadline expires, city workers will come in and clean up the property. Brush and timber on the land will be clear cut and any structures and debris will be removed, the mayor said. The hope is to turn it into a green space to dissuade people from creating an encampment.
Assistance from Friends of the Homeless
Officials with Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County, which operates a homeless shelter in New Philadelphia, plan to help the residents of the encampment.
Over the next couple of weeks, workers with the organization will visit the site and bring the residents some basic supplies, including deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, gloves, hats, blankets and food. They will also gather information on the residents and make them aware of the shelter.
"We're going try to have a conversation with them and convince them to do something different," said Calvin White, the shelter's executive director. "People are welcome to come here and utilize our services."
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: New Philadelphia orders homeless to vacate encampment by end of March
