- April 24, 2024
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What goes on in the woods behind the Flagler County Public Library is “out of sight and out of mind,” as District 5 County Commissioner Donald O’Brien puts it. Driving past the library via the Palm Coast Parkway or Belle Terre Parkway, the issues are barely visible to the naked eye.
Things are quiet, unassuming.
But a walk through the woods that envelope the 19-acre property reveals so much more.
Old, rusty bicycles and wheelchairs mark the trails’ entrances. Discarded beer cans, paper and plastic provide a path to an ecosystem of worn out tents — and people.
Library Director Holly Albanese believes homeless people began occupying the area surrounding the library, located at 2500 Palm Coast Parkway NW, about two years ago. There were only a few tents at first, but it has grown considerably since that time. She estimated that the homeless population that inhabits that area is now about 40. She’s found homeless sleeping at the entrance to the library when she’d arrive for work at 6 a.m. She’s found discarded needles and other drug paraphernalia outside of her office. She’s cleaned up feces and urine from the floors of the library’s bathrooms. She’s broken up fights and called law enforcement countless times.
With each passing month, the situation grows worse — and the fear of the library’s employees grows, too.
On the morning of Jan. 20, 69-year-old Leroy Hommerding, in his 20th year as the director of the Fort Myers Beach Public Library, was stabbed to death by a homeless man while Hommerding was opening the facility, according to a report by The News-Press.
Albanese said most of her staff doesn’t use the staff parking lot on the west side of the building, which is adjacent to one of the entrances to the homeless camp. They fear walking to their cars when it’s dark out.
On Wednesday, Feb. 13, Albanese and O’Brien were accompanied by a Flagler County deputy as they surveyed the issue in the woods for the first time.
“I’ve always known that we’ve had challenges with respect to the homeless,” O’Brien said. “But I didn’t know the pervasiveness of it until I saw it with my own eyes.”
The most immediate concerns are the public health and safety hazards.
When O’Brien visited the property again on Saturday, Feb. 16, three dogs charged out of one tent. They bit him on both of his legs, breaking the skin. He was treated and needed antibiotics. Animal Control was called, and the dogs were quarantined.
“This is heartbreaking for me to see that we have so many like this in our community,” O’Brien said.
In addition, littering and human excrement have polluted the wetlands that exist on the property.
County officials gathered at the library on Monday, Feb. 18, to document the impacts the increasing homeless population has had on the property’s woods and wetlands.
Tim Telfer, of Land Management, who was among the county officials who surveyed the property, is also coordinating with the Forest Service to conduct underbrushing fire mitigation since it’s a thickly wooded area in the heart of Palm Coast. This prescribed burn was previously planned but delayed because the Forest Service had to deal with Hurricane Michael.
Joe King, the deputy chief of the Flagler County Fire Rescue, assessed potential fire hazards. John Bey, of the Health Department, evaluated wetland impacts and sanitation. And Ed Rodriguez, of Code Enforcement, evaluated litter, debris and nuisance conditions.
“Dealing with the homeless is a tricky issue, and we’re currently evaluating what steps we are allowed to take,” said Assistant County Attorney Sean Moylan, who also visited the site.
As for figuring out next steps, Moylan said the county is unsure. The county has fielded complaints from residents of Braddock Lane, which borders the woods behind the library.
James Adams has lived on Braddock Lane for the past eight years. He’s complained to the county about the homeless twice, most recently a week ago. Adams said he has had multiple items stolen from his property in the past year, including more than one bicycle, fishing poles and a canoe. He’s also seen, via security camera footage, people whom he believed to be homeless trespass on his property.
His children have also found needles and other drug paraphernalia near the residence, including at their local bus stop.
“They need a place to live, and I get that,” Adams said about the homeless. “My frustration is that it’s backing up right next to our houses. It’s very frustrating. But I can only push so many buttons.”
