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Resident urges cleanup of overgrown lot near River Trail; city staff to coordinate with water district
Summary
A resident told the council that an overgrown parcel between Strickland and the River Trail — marked as Lake Elsinore Water Department property — is occupied by people experiencing homelessness, has caught fire twice and led to harassment. Council staff said they would take notes and coordinate with relevant agencies.
A Lake Elsinore resident told the City Council during the public-comment portion that an overgrown lot between Strickland and the River Trail is home to about 20 people experiencing homelessness, has been the site of at least two fires and has become a safety concern for trail users.
Why it matters: The location is adjacent to a popular recreational route. The speaker said the parcel is marked with Lake Elsinore Water Department signage but that city zoning staff have told him the land belongs to Riverside County. That jurisdictional uncertainty, he said, has impeded cleanup efforts.
Larry Neumadel, who said he rides the river trail daily, told the council he has been harassed in the area and that police had been called but the people were often gone by the time officers arrived. He said he had raised the issue with city zoning staff and that signs on the parcel identify the Lake Elsinore Water Department.
City staff took notes during Neumadel’s remarks and the mayor said staff would coordinate with the appropriate agencies to address the lot. The council did not take formal action during public comment.
Clarifying details provided in the comment included the approximate number of people living there ("at least 20"), two reported fire incidents, and repeated encounters prompting calls to law enforcement. The transcript records that staff acknowledged the comment and said they would follow up.
