Property owner concerned with homeless

Knocked down fences, missing tarps and graffiti have become the norm for businesses located in the Eastern Industrial Park off Apex Road.

Business owners say the problem stems from a nearby homeless camp. But the businesses aren’t located in a known homeless hotspot such as Gillespie Park — the industrial park is located east of I-75, near the Celery Fields, outside of the city limits.

Mike Tisdale purchased the property housing Florikan ESA Corp. in March for $1.3 million. The industrial park in which it’s located is home to Unique Technologies and other businesses. Florikan has been located at the site for 12 years.

As he was touring the property with Florikan owners before the purchase, Tisdale noticed multiple breaches in the fencing around the property — someone was cutting into the fence.

“They said it happens a lot,” Tisdale said. “Month after month it seemed to get broken into.”

The tarps covering products stored outside frequently disappeared, along with pallets and other portable products. JJ Crane Service, Unique Technology and Complete Aluminum have all experienced theft. Several of the businesses have attempted to move all of their products inside at the end of the day, but that’s not possible for Florikan, Tisdale said.

Tisdale attributes the vandalism and theft to a homeless camp located near Florikan on county-owned property. He’s seen the tarps and equipment from other businesses in the area in the camp.

Tisdale contacted Sarasota County and the fire department multiple times in the last six months — he’s concerned about the campfires being located near Florikan’s fertilizer plant — and said he hasn’t seen any results. When he called the county, he was told to call the fire department. When he called the closest fire station located on Apex Road, Tisdale said it told him if he couldn’t see the fire from his property, it wasn’t a problem. He also called the Sheriff’s Office and said he was told that unless he witnessed the homeless doing something illegal, it wouldn’t send out an officer.

Bill Spitler, the director of planning and research for the Sheriff’s Office, said that would not be a typical response from the Sheriff’s Office and that he visited the homeless camp within a day of learning about the issue.

Tisdale said he used to be able to see the homeless camp from the Florikan property line, but the grass has now grown too tall near the patch of trees on county property in which the camp is located.

“I want the county to go back in there, clear up the grass, take care of their property,” Tisdale said. “It invites a homeless camp.”

If the county cleared out the overgrowth, Tisdale thinks the homeless might leave on their own.

The county said it maintains grass areas, but does not mow or maintain wooded areas like the one where the camp is located.

Jennifer Kleiber-Button, a representative from the management company for the Eastern Industrial Park Owners Association, emailed the county Dec. 9 asking the county to address the homeless camp issue, saying she had made multiple attempts to contact the county. She attached a string of emails, one of which stated a complaint had been filed with the county around April or May. Kleiber-Button declined to comment further when contacted by the Sarasota Observer.

Spitler said he had made contact with the residents of the homeless camp the morning of Dec. 12. There were only two men there at the time, but Spitler said the camp looked like it held several more.

“It doesn’t do any good to run them out,” Spitler said. “We don’t immediately pack them up and tell them to leave.”

He said the Sheriff’s Office will first offer them options for services, although because the two men are located on county property, an officer can issue a trespassing violation.

Wayne Applebee, the county’s director of homeless services, also visited the campsite with Spitler. The two individuals are at different stages of homelessness, he said. One man had been homeless for only a month, while the other had been homeless for six years in Sarasota.

Unlike the homeless downtown, those who choose to live in the woods in the less-visible areas of the county want to live a certain lifestyle, he said. These types of people will leave the site for basic necessities and then return.

“People arrive to homelessness for different reasons,” Applebee said. “Some seek to be visible — they look for services and demand more. Other homeless are living … isolated.”

The county’s approach is to provide access to services for homeless, Applebee said. But once they’re using the services, such as staying in a shelter, it’s up to them to make the choice to improve their situation.

Applebee discussed the services with the two men and asked what they wanted. The man who had been homeless only a month was more willing to try out the services, but the other man did not want to change his lifestyle.

“The global solution is a bed that is affordable,” Applebee said.

As of Tuesday, Applebee said the men agreed to be taken to the Salvation Army shelter Friday.

The Sarasota County commissioners voted unanimously to end the search for a come-as-you-are adult homeless shelter during their Aug. 26 meeting after losing their partnership with the city of Sarasota in the endeavor.

“The county is suspending the search for a shelter until the city wants to have a discussion again,” Applebee said.

In the meantime, Tisdale hopes the county will address the problem before Florikan moves its business out of the county in October or November. Tisdale’s businesses, Aluminum Specialties Wholesale and Unique Technology Inc., will move into the former Florikan building.

Tisdale plans on upgrading the outdoor lighting system, refencing the property and adding a second line of fencing in the rear of the building to deter vagrants. The refencing alone is going to cost about $14,000, he said.

“I support the homeless,” he said, adding that he was a donor for Sarasota Hope House. He’s only concerned for his business, he said, and unhappy with the lack of response from the county.

“If people turn their backs, it’s just going to get worse,” Tisdale said. “When there’s a problem you need to address it.”