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LARKSVILLE — Nestled in a wooded lot off Woodward Road near the Larksville-Edwardsville border sits a comfy-looking make-shift shelter. Plastic tarps for walls and roof, room enough to stand and stretch your arms, shelves with canned goods and books, a reclining lawn chair, even a bed with a bit of a headboard and a makeshift night stand. It is, presumably, home for the homeless.
It is also a sign of illegal trespassing on property owned by Wyoming Valley West School District. During an otherwise uneventful Dec. 12 meeting, the school board got an earful from a resident who owns nearby property. Board member James Fender said he had seen the site, and agreed something needs to be done.
A day later, Business Manager Joe Rodriguez and several others went to the scene, within easy walking distance but still out of site from U.S. Route 11, accompanied by officers from both the Larksville and Edwardsville police departments.
One goal was to see if it is on district property, or on neighboring land owned by UGI Utilities. In both cases, the land is posted “no trespassing.” But the district land is in Larksville while the UGI land is in Edwardsville, prompting the decision to bring police from both departments.
“It is on district property,” Rodriguez said after checking the land. “It’s one hut with kind of rafters made of tree limbs with tarps on it.” Nobody was there during the morning visit.
“It was sad to see, quite frankly,” Rodriguez added. “I feel bad. We’re telling somebody out there to leave. We left a note saying that would be a good idea.”
Board President Joe Mazur said the board is looking to hire a contractor to go in and raze the structure, but that no action has been taken. One contractor has been contacted. “He’s gong to give us a quote on how much it will cost to take it down and haul it away,” Mazur said.
Low-resolution photos Rodriguez snapped with his cell phone show a fairly sophisticated set up, and the board initially feared it was larger than it turned out to be. Fender said he had heard of multiple people using the property, but after the visit Rodriguez suspected it was shelter for only a few.
Knocking down the encampment isn’t just a matter of enforcing the no trespassing signs, Rodriguez said.
“We own the property,” he said. “We may be selling it somewhere down the road.”