ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, August 17, 1996 TAG: 9608190062
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW KENT
SOURCE: Associated Press
WHEN NEW KENT COUNTY told Chickahominy Outpost to clean up or clear out, the owners chose the latter. Residents are fighting what they call an unfair eviction.
The remaining residents of Chickahominy Outpost campground are trying to block an eviction they say is unfair and will leave some of them homeless.
The 189-acre campground on the Chickahominy River is scheduled to be auctioned Sept. 11. All residents are under court order to leave by Sunday.
Most of the 350 residents have moved out. They were issued eviction notices last month after the owners decided to sell, saying they couldn't afford to make required improvements.
But the 60 who are left don't plan to go. They've filed an injunction against the owners and New Kent County to block the eviction. A hearing is scheduled Aug. 27 in New Kent Circuit Court.
The county will not take action against the holdout residents until after the hearing, said County Attorney James Cornwell. If the residents lose, penalties could range from daily fines to jail time, he said.
``I'm not going until someone comes down here and forces me to leave,'' resident Linda Caddell said.
``We haven't been treated fairly, and we weren't given enough time to find someplace else to go,'' she said. ``And there are people down here who don't have someplace else to go.''
Barney Smart, Outpost president and spokesman for the group of owners, was in Alaska and could not be reached for comment.
The campground is littered with old furniture, discarded toys, tires and trash. Trailer homes are clustered close together. The campsites rent for $65 a month.
County officials say they found violations of zoning and health regulations in October, and gave the owners the chance to bring the site into compliance.
The violations included an unapproved expansion in the number of campsites from 159 in 1989 to 205, said planner Lee Tyson.
Residents say the county knew about the violations but did not take action until things were so bad the owners could not afford to bring it into compliance.
``They're going to let it get like this and then turn around and kick us out of our homes without any help?'' said Lawrence Baker, 55, who is disabled and unemployed.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. 1. Jonathan Caddell, 2, walks through laundry atby CNBChickahominy Outpost on Wednesday. The campground's owners will sell
the land at auction rather than make improvements. 2. Christopher
Caddell, 5, runs from his mother (left) and Diana Nolan, his
godmother, after he swam in a mud puddle.