Jackson Twp. searching for options to remove encampment

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For months, Jackson Township has fielded calls from people living or just driving on North Palmyra Road, complaining about a person living in a tent. Recently, there’s been a new addition: the encampment now features a long wall of logs, topped with barbed wire. 

“We’ve been dealing with him for years,” one neighbor said of the man living on the property. 21 News is not naming the nearby residents it spoke with for this article, because they said they’re worried about retaliation. The residents shared their concerns about loud noises, uncleanliness, safety issues and decreased property value for the surrounding homes.

“Nobody seems to be doing anything,” the neighbor added. “It’s been brought up many times with the zoning here.”

Jackson Zoning Inspector Bill D’Avignon and Trustee Tom Frost confirmed to 21 News the township is working with prosecutors on an investigation into the property. They wouldn't comment on details of the investigation, but Frost said the township is “feeling confident about it.”

“We are looking at everything,” Frost said. “We're going about it in the most proper, professional way we could do it, but yet we want it to be solid.”

Officials from Jackson and Ellsworth Townships have faced similar issues from the same man in the past, as 21 News reported last fall, eventually removing him for zoning violations. But changes in his approach have made things more complicated. 

“Clearly, our zoning code says you cannot live in a recreational vehicle, so we made that go away, and then he moved to Ellsworth, and then Ellsworth made it go away,” D'Avignon said. “Now he popped up in a tent. So we're not as clear about a tent.”

The township is also not sure whether the property owner, who is a relative of the man, gave him permission to live there. D’Avignon said he has not been able to reach her. 

“I did send a certified letter to the property owner, basically saying that there's a requirement for the change of the use. So it was vacant land, and now it looks as though it's being used as a campground,” D’Avignon said. “She never signed for this certified letter.”

The owner currently owes $7,718 in property taxes, according to county records, which could play a role in the investigation. Potential zoning or health code violations could also be factors. For example, the property does not have proper sanitation facilities like sewer or septic systems. 

Colton Masters, the director of environmental health for Mahoning County Public Health, said the county has regulations related to trash and garbage disposal, as well as human waste disposal. Masters said the department enforces those regulations related to people living on vacant lots, after receiving a formal complaint. 

“It’s worth noting that our first approach involves trying to determine other services that could potentially be needed or utilized by the resident,” Masters wrote in a statement. “We often coordinate our enforcement of the above laws with our local mental and community health services.”

“The efforts to coordinate with these other agencies and our attempts to address the root causes of their situation often mean that this is not a quick turnaround time and a resolution is not typically identified immediately,” he added. 

Both D’Avignon and a neighbor told 21 News they have submitted complaints to the health department about the encampment, but according to Masters, the department does not have a current case on the property.

As the township and county explores their options, the neighborhood is waiting on them to take action.

“The ones I’ve talked to, they want him gone,” one person said. “They want him out of there because it is dragging down our neighborhood.”