ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County leaders have started the process to clear an abandoned mobile home park in East Orange County after two fires that investigators believe were intentionally set.
This isn’t the first time News 6 has investigated the park. When we began our “Hits the Road” coverage in the 32825 ZIP code, neighbors called it an eyesore.
Last month News 6 looked into what is being done to clean it up.
Maurice Price, who lives near the park, said even while abandoned, the Lake Downey Mobile Home Park is still a problem.
News 6 spotted people on the property, one swinging a machete.
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“It’s not surprising to see a whole bunch of cop cars over there,” Price said.
And there have been two fires in one week in the park. Fire investigators believe they were arson.
The community is in Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe’s district, and she says she is now urging the county to get results without the property owner.
“There is the safety of, not only there could be individuals there, but the neighbors around it. I mean the first fire there was serious concerns for some of the communities immediately around the mobile home park,” Uribe said.
This week a county-approved contractor pulled a permit, which will be expedited, to clear the property, Uribe said.
“We’re no longer going to wait on the actual owner of the property to have this handled because of the nuisance, because of the safety issue, we’re going to handle it ourselves,” Uribe said. “I think at this point we need to move forward. We need to clear the land. We need to make it safe if somebody wants to come in and build housing, real housing in the neighborhood and community, we need to make that happen.”
There is no estimate for how much it will cost to clear the property, she said, but whatever the cost it will be forwarded to the owner.
“We’re not eating that cost. It will be forwarded to the homeowner by a lein on the property.” Uribe said.
The cost will be tacked on to the growing list of fines against the owner.
To date, the county has fined the owner more than $3 million, according to an email from a county spokesperson. That is more than the property is worth, according to the property appraiser.
“Honestly, I feel like if the county was going to do something, they should have done it a long time ago,” Price said.
Price said he is concerned about his younger sister who has to walk by the property going to school.
“It do concern me because you just never know what’s going to happen,” he said.
Uribe could not give a timeline of when the property will be cleared.
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