If the Kings Crossing redevelopment project was not already controversial enough, a new player has officially entered the field of combatants: United Voice at Kings Crossing.
Representing 95 percent of the homeowners of Penn Daw Mobile Home Park, the new organization is taking an aggressive stance to make its desires known. It represents the more than 130 home owners who live in the mobile home park abutting Shields Avenue.
JPI Development Co. of Vienna, developers of the Michaels/Chuck E Cheese plot just off Route 1, presently holds an option to buy the Penn Daw Mobile Home site in order to combine it with their planned Kings Crossing project, according to Gregg Lamb, senior vice president, JPI.
Within the past two weeks the mobile home park homeowners have organized themselves into a new association dedicated to acting as a single voice to influence their destiny. Monday night, at Groveton Baptist Church, they took the first steps toward establishing a formal homeowners association.
"Our future may be uncertain, but working together we can be heard. We are a community that has many things in common. This fight will be heard loud and clear through our united voices and the media," said Jerry Ireland, resident and the association's new president-elect.
"Each of you will need to step up and contribute to this effort in some small way over the next few months. We will be representing the community as a whole through this association," Ireland told the overflow crowd.
HE URGED them to act in a "disciplined and organized manner." Ireland cautioned against reacting in emotional outbursts or responding to intimidation, real or perceived.
"We have families that have lived in their mobile homes here for 20 and 30 years. But, we will not get any compensation for our homes if we do not stick together," he said.
"This is our community and our homes. If we lose them we have lost everything," said Joe Goncely, a member of the association's interim Board of Directors.
"Looking at this crowd tonight makes me feel good. We need to stick together," he said.
Penn Daw Mobile Home Park is presently comprised of approximately 87 occupied lots. It is owned by Robert Epps, Jr. Of the total 130 population, 85 percent is composed of elderly, low income and disabled, according to Ireland.
As a kick off to this organizational meeting, Ireland read from a prepared statement outlining the goal of the organization and explaining what had transpired since their initial gathering a week earlier. It was then translated into Spanish and Vietnamese.
In that statement he said, "Our future may be uncertain but working together we can be heard by all. We are a community that has many things in common." He promised that this new organization would "work for the best of the community."
IRELAND DID not promise an outcome that would maintain the status quo. "We have to face the fact that at some point in time the land will be developed. We need to be alert and prepare a plan of action," he said.
"The owner is well within his rights to sell this land. But, he is going to make a lot of money doing that. The developer will make a lot of money. And, the county will gain a lot in the development of this land," Ireland said.
"We are simply asking, as a casualty of those gains, for fair compensation for our loss. Many of you home owners will not be able to move your homes due to restrictions at other mobile home parks as to the age of mobile homes they will accept. Also VDOT will not allow mobile homes over a certain age to be moved on the highways," he said.
Presently there are approximately 50 to 60 mobile homes in the park that can't be moved due to these restrictions. "This means that we must negotiate a buyout for those owners," he said.
"For many of us our homes are all we have. If we lose them we will have nothing but the belongings we can take with us," Ireland said.
"We have contacted Legal Aid of Northern Virginia. They have told us that we do qualify for pro bono (free) legal services. At our next meeting an attorney will be here to talk with us," he said.
DURING THE MEETING Ireland informed the crowd that JPI was not the only developer interested in acquiring the site. "There is a second buyer interested in our community even if JPI decides they are not," he said.
According to research done by the organization's Board of
Directors, the one advantage the association has is "an article added to the County Code" specifying that in such situations the property owner must work with the county Board of Supervisors to develop a buy out/relocation compensation plan.
As one resident stated, "We are not going to be treated like second class citizens." However, another questioned whether the fight was worth it for him.
"I've only been here since October, and even though I have a year's lease it might be better for me to just move. My trailer is new and I can move it to another location," he said.
Ireland announced that at its March meeting the group will formally elect officers and board members as well as adopt a set of by-laws and establish a dues structure. "My long-term objective is to change the way we participate in our community," he said.