No-trespass orders issued to people camping behind another Keene plaza

May 18—As the city examines how to best help people experiencing homelessness and navigate the state's housing crisis, no-trespass orders have again been issued to people camping behind Keene businesses.

Approximately 15 people have been told to vacate the area behind the Fairbanks Plaza on West Street, City Manager Elizabeth Dragon said in an email Tuesday.

The no-trespass notices were issued at the property owner's request, according to Dragon, and come about two months after people camping in the woods behind another West Street plaza were given a similar directive.

The latest no-trespass notices — which call for people to leave the area behind Aldi and Kohl's by May 23 — were issued May 11, Dragon said. Since then, five or six people from the camp have contacted city services, but none were interested in staying in shelters and instead requested hotel rooms, she said. The city will provide hotel rooms for people when there is no space in shelters or if there is a verified reason why they cannot be in a shelter, according to Dragon.

When people were told to leave the camp behind Hannaford, in the West Street Shopping Center, in March, they were informed that if they chose to move to the camp behind the Fairbanks Plaza, they would again receive a no-trespass order, Dragon said.

According to property records, the plaza is owned by 480 West Street LLC. A company representative could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

However, Wilder, a Boston-based real estate agency, leases and manages the property on behalf of 480 West Street LLC, according to a Wilder spokesperson.

In a written statement to The Sentinel, Paige Quigley, Wilder's vice president of asset management, said the encampment had "grown rather large within the confines of the shopping center's property." Wilder is working with police " to take the legal steps necessary to ensure a clean environment and positive shopping experience" for patrons, she said.

"It is our sincere hope that local agencies will step forward to provide the assistance necessary to support and rehome the population," Quigley said.

Shortly after people were told to leave the encampment behind Hannaford in March, City Councilors Bryan Lake, Bobby Williams and Catherine Workman wrote a letter to the full city council with ideas for addressing homelessness in Keene. The city formed an ad hoc committee to explore those ideas and consider other solutions.

The ad hoc housing stability committee includes representatives from local and regional organizations, including Southwestern Community Services, the Cheshire County Department of Corrections, and the city's human services department.

The 10-person group held its first meeting May 4, where members reviewed services the city already offers and discussed other ideas about how to mitigate the impacts of homelessness, such as establishing public restrooms downtown, according to draft meeting minutes.

The committee convenes on the first Wednesday of each month in City Hall. The next is scheduled for June 1.

Molly Bolan can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436 or mbolan@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @BolanMolly.