Open Air Camp Road Update – October 28, 2022

Since our last update regarding the land transfer on Open Air Camp Road to Eno River State Park, we welcomed the newly formed Eno River Tenants Association to a listening session on October 23. All were invited to share their thoughts about the upcoming land transfer with the Eno River Association’s Board of Directors, staff, and Association members. Board members then talked one-on-one with tenants and community members to address specific questions, opening a direct dialogue to help lessen the burden on these tenants. 

We take very seriously the critiques we have received about the management of our properties on Open Air Camp Road. And we are deeply concerned about the condition of some of the houses, as they have been recently described. We are actively working with the tenants association to amend communication gaps and safety concerns. 

The landlord role is not within our customary scope of land trust work, and we apologize to our stakeholders, supporters, and tenants for removing ourselves from the day-to-day realities of the neighborhood and operating solely through a third-party property management company. This is not the Eno River Association we strive to be. 

The following are our commitments to tenants at this time: 

• We have extended our tenants’ leases until May 31, and in some cases July 31, 2023. 
• We are waiving all rent for this extended lease period, effective immediately.  
• We will investigate claims against V.S. Rich Property Services (the property management company), including threats of rent increases, ignoring repair requests, and other alleged behavior outlined in the INDY Week article on October 26, 2022. 

The Eno River Association board and staff are meeting regularly to address tenants’ concerns. We affirm our intention to them, and to you our extended community, to explore all possibilities on our path forward. If you wish to speak with us directly about this property transfer, please reach out: association@enoriver.org