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Residents urge county, city and sheriff to intervene in Gardens North subdivision after years of blight and violence
Summary
Residents and commissioners described years of shootings, burned‑out homes, nonpaying lots and failed HOA governance in the Gardens North subdivision; the commission agreed to follow up with sheriff’s office, city officials and planning staff to explore enforcement, condemnation and utility options.
Jerry Ali, a resident and member of the Gardens North homeowners association board, told the Fremont County Commission that his neighborhood north of Riverton has experienced persistent crime, fires, abandoned and burned‑out dwellings, and management problems that residents say leave the area unsafe.
“I’ve been out there about 15 or 16 years,” Jerry Ali said, summarizing the neighborhood’s issues. He and other speakers described shootings, at least two killings in recent years, frequent police calls and an abandoned house that has been burned out for about nine years.
Residents and commissioners said the subdivision has many nonpaying lot owners and deferred maintenance of shared systems. One speaker said 45 of 95 lots do not pay garbage and water fees and that the subdivision’s water system is fragile: the pump has failed in the past and replacement cost was described as about $23,000. County discussion also noted that the sewer system had been converted to the City of Riverton several years earlier, while water and other utilities remain managed by the HOA.
Speakers urged collaboration among the county, the City of Riverton, the sheriff’s office, the fire marshal and the planning commission. Suggestions included stricter enforcement of HOA bylaws, removal or boarding of vacant trailers, condemnation of uninhabitable structures, and exploring whether the HOA could turn over water infrastructure to the city to allow utility enforcement and billing through municipal systems.
Commissioner Thomas (liaison to the sheriff) agreed to follow up with law enforcement; staff suggested discussing property‑condemnation and code enforcement options with the fire marshal and county legal staff. The sheriff’s authority to remove dangerous properties was cited in the meeting as one potential enforcement tool.
Why it matters: Gardens North residents described ongoing public‑safety hazards—shootings, fires and failing utilities—that affect residents, first responders and adjacent neighborhoods. The county indicated it will pursue interagency coordination and legal options but did not adopt a new enforcement order at the meeting.
Discussion vs. decision: The meeting record shows extended public comment and commissioner discussion (discussion). Commissioners agreed to pursue follow‑up meetings and to involve the sheriff’s office, planning staff and municipal officials (direction). No formal enforcement action or ordinance was passed at this session (no decision).
