City to remove dilapidated trailers from park

MIDDLETOWN — City officials have set their sights on the Riverside Village mobile home park as its next demolition project, and likely will use taxpayer dollars to get it done.

The city has put together a taskforce of representatives from the police, health, community revitalization and law departments in order to take action in the park located off Carmody Boulevard just across the Great Miami River.

According to City Manager Judy Gilleland, there are more than 125 vacant units in the park, many deteriorated and well-past their “mobile home” days. Peppered among the dipidated structures, overgrown grass and towering weeds are some 50 occupied trailers.

Fearing retribution from the park owners, residents refused to comment on the detiorating conditions, though one older female resident hung her head and said “It’s disgusting,” before shutting her door.

It’s not just the eyesore Riverside Village presents that has pushed the city to take action, but also the crime that festers along with the decaying trailers.

The Middletown Division of Police is currently compiling a report on crime within the park. Sgt. Jim Cunningham said the site has been used for at least one sting operation in the past five years and has seen its share of arsons.

“It’s blighted and it has become a fire hazard. It’s a haven for drugs and arson and a lot are not safe and the residents are long-gone,” said Doug Adkins, Community Revitalization director.

The issue is figuring out how to legally remove the trailers. Under the Ohio Revised Code, the mobile homes could be considered a “junk vehicle” and therefore can be tagged by the police for removal. How to move from there, Adkins said, may be a little more tricky.

“If it was a normal mobile home you could throw an axel and some wheels on there and drag them out of there,” he said. “But the state of a lot of them, you can’t get them on the road.”

While notification has been sent to Riverside Village owners, based in Michigan, the city is prepared to haul trailers at its own expense by the year’s end, Adkins said.

“Once we get a handle of how we are going to move it and how much it is going to cost we’ll figure out where the funds are going to come from,” Adkins said. “The cost could ultimately determine the speed of the process, and whether this will happen in phases.”

Removal of obsolete and blighted structures has become a prominent issue in City Hall this year. City Council approved spending $115,000 to raze the River of Power Ministry Building and Barb’s Pub, respectively at 1325 and 1327 Central Ave., and spent $950,000 to demolish the former Swallens building and downtown parking garage.