SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. — For close to two decades, Stephen Zuk and others who live along Old Mill Road in North Manheim Township near Pottsville say they have been dealing with a homeless encampment near their properties.
In the area that stretches along the Schuylkill River, Zuk claims campers have been trespassing on his and his neighbors' property, "Over the winter, you'll have maybe seven to ten inhabitants, the hardy ones that stick it through winter that over there will swell to about 30 to 40 people over the summer." he said.
Tuesday night, Zuk and others expressed their concerns at a North Manheim Township meeting.
Supervisors and the township solicitor also weighed in on the problem they thought was gone after squatters were evicted from a vacant hotel that sat on the property years ago.
Speaking with Newswatch 16 over the phone, Jeanette Triano Sinn from Servants to All, a homeless service provider out of Pottsville, says members of the nonprofit are currently working to get those living in the homeless camp out of the property and into someplace more permanent, "Sometimes people that are living in the woods are there for a reason, because they do not want to be around other individuals, so sometimes it can be a very risky situation cause you don't know what you're getting yourself into," she said.
A situation residents like Zuk hope is fixed soon.
"I understand down and out. I understand there might be mental issues, but a mental issue is not an excuse to put everybody else's life in jeopardy and break the law," said Zuk.
The board of supervisors says they are taking the residents' concerns seriously and plan to work toward resolving the camp issue.
Officials say the owners of the land are giving those at the homeless encampment until the end of the month to vacate the property.
The owners hope to turn the space into five commercial properties, re-branding it as Shops at Schuylkill.