Fayetteville residents get ready to move, make room for retail
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- Jeff Flournoy can talk about what used to be. That was earlier in the year, when he had neighbors.
"They had a big old deck with a flower pit and flowers and everything," he said staring at the lot across from his trailer. "And [they] had to tear it down in two months."
Flournoy is among the last residents in the massive Leisure Living Estates mobile home park. The 40-acre property has been home to hundreds of Fayetteville residents for more than three decades. But last spring, the owners of Leisure Living were approved to rezone the property for commercial development and residents received 180-day notices to find new homes.
"That's what they told us in the front office...There's going to be a like a shopping center with Costco," said Michele Holden, whose family has called Leisure Living home for more than two decades. "I just never thought Leisure Living was going anywhere because it's been here for so long."
Since the notice, residents have steadily started moving off the property. Rental units have been torn down leaving large chunks of vacant fields, and owners have started putting their homes on blocks to prepare for relocation.
"We're just not ready," sighed Flournoy. "I'm a little frustrated, but I'm definitely not as mad as I was when I first heard about this. But I still am like, 'I don't want to really go,' but you know, there's nothing we can really do except move."
Next week, the remaining renters have to be off the property, but those like Flournoy and Holden, who own their mobile homes, have until October 31st to leave. They said Tuesday that they've remained on the ghost town-like property to save money until they absolutely have to move.
"We have to pay for all this, like the hookups to be undone and it's like $2,500 to $3,000 to move it," said Holden, whose family has already secured a lot in another mobile home park.
"They said they would help us move, but they haven't announced how much they're going to give us to move it," said Flournoy. "'Cause I don't want it to cost $3,000 and they be like, 'Oh, we're going to give you $500, then I'll be like, 'Keep your $500, I'll just move it myself."
Flournoy said another challenge with moving is finding a safe mobile home park that will accept his home on the property. He said certain properties have aesthetic requirements that can be difficult to meet on such a tight deadline.
"Some trailer parks you can't just move in, they have to inspect your trailer," he said. "'In one place you have to have a certain type of carpet."
Remaining residents said they will miss Leisure Living's proximity to shopping and the safety of the familiar area. Holden said she's becoming concerned with theft as they await their October move-out.
"We've seen people come in and strip the trailers of metal," she said, noting break-ins to vacant properties.
Management did not return a call for comment. It's unclear when construction for the commercial property will begin.
