From Judy Gilleland - City Manager

Public-Private partnership between City of Middletown and Riverside Village Mobile Home Community Successful in Improving Neighborhood!!!

The City of Middletown and Riverside Village Mobile Home Community are partnering to remove over 100 vacant mobile homes from the community located at 2440 Carmody Boulevard in Middletown. Many of these homes have remained vacant and fallen into disrepair in the past decade.

Last year the City Manager established a task force composed of representatives from most city departments to focus on improving health and safety conditions in Riverside Village. From there, a partnership was formed between the city and Riverside Village’s Management. This public-private partnership provided the mechanism that was needed to overcome tremendous legal hurdles which stood in the way of improving the neighborhood. According to city officials, there are approximately 70 occupied homes in this community along with over 100 vacant homes that will likely need to be removed.

Middletown Police Department will be initiating additional patrols throughout Riverside Village during demolition work for safety and to prevent unauthorized removal of community property. Major Mark Hoffman of the Middletown Police Department noted that the “The Riverside Village Mobile Home Community Park is private property, and only those who live there or are visiting residents are permitted on the property. Anyone caught trespassing, misusing dumpsters, or stealing items from the neighborhood will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. As with any other neighborhood, The City of Middletown needs the help of Riverside Village residents to achieve that goal. If these residents see anyone who does not belong, or see any suspicious activity, they should call the police immediately, and provide a description of the individuals and any vehicles that do not belong in their community.”

Professional contractors will be used to perform the demolition work. The City of Middletown will assist Riverside’s contractor with proper demolition permitting and inspections. The removal process is expected to take several months due to the high number of vacant homes earmarked for removal. City Manager Judy Gilleland commented “This area has been an issue for the City of Middletown and Riverside Village Mobile Home Community for several years and we are pleased that Riverside Village’s management team has taken a proactive approach to improving blighted conditions and removing abandoned homes from the community without the use of taxpayer dollars. All of our departments worked hard with Riverside Village; however, special recognition goes to Doug Adkins and his staff in the Community Revitalization Department who have spearheaded these efforts.”