Despite a public declaration that all of the workers occupying a Gould Place home since May should be out Monday, the day came and went with little change in what residents say is a stressful situation.
Terri Lee, who lives beside the home in question, said Tuesday she saw six people arrive at about 5 a.m. Tuesday, then watched 12 in total leave the home shortly afterwards. Lee and other neighbours also suspect there are cleaning and cooking staff living inside.
While that’s down from the as many as 30 Lee counted at the height of the problem in May and June, it is still more than she believes should be living there.
“I’m disappointed, but not surprised at all,” Lee said. “We were hoping there would be a change but I think we all knew better.”
On Friday the Gazette spoke with Trevor Matheson, a local realtor who rented out the home to the men who are reportedly doing road construction work in the area. In a short conversation, Matheson said everyone should be moved out of the house by Monday.
Matheson did not return a phone call from the Gazette Tuesday by its press deadline.
Both Lee and neighbour Shelley Robinson are starting to feel the situation is getting a little hopeless.
“I just think it is going to remain this way until whatever legal course the city has to take with [Matheson], they take,” said Robinson.
Both Lee and Robinson have complained of the noise generated from so many people living one small home, as well as people parking in front of their driveways and blocking access to their homes.
The city has gotten involved, but Mayor Nolan Crouse said he and council are trying to give city manager Patrick Draper the slack to deal with it without council getting involved.
“We believe what the residents are telling us, that there is still action there, that there are more people than there are supposed to be,” Crouse said. “But there are always two sides to the story.”
The city issued a stop order June 14 that expired June 29. It sent a municipal enforcement officer over to perform an inspection.
Crouse said the city’s next step is to perform another inspection to see if there were still people living in the home. He said Draper is trying to handle the situation “legally, but with urgency.”
“I think we have to be cautious before we move this to a political level,” said Crouse. “This isn’t something where we’re panicking.”
In a follow-up email, Lee said her patience and that of other neighbours is running out.
“At this point, we just want all of this gone,” Lee said. “It doesn’t matter that the numbers have decreased by half or less. This entire experience has left a very bad feeling with most of us here and we want it over with.”
