Englewood neighbors frustrated by slow demolition of hurricane-damaged mobile home community

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. (WINK) — Nearly two years after Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the Indigo Isles mobile home community in Englewood, some neighbors say they're growing frustrated with how long it's taking to clear the property.

Drone video obtained by WINK News shows large piles of debris, demolished structures, and active cleanup work throughout the former mobile home park. The community suffered extensive flooding during the storms, leaving dozens of homes uninhabitable.

 Now, 65 homes are in various stages of demolition.

 For neighbors, the unfinished cleanup is a daily concern.

"It's depressing, and it feels like it's really frustrating, because I feel like that's what government is for," said neighbor Anna Lutz.

Lutz showed WINK News screenshots of complaints she submitted through Charlotte County's online portal. Records reviewed by WINK News show that complaints have been filed regarding conditions at the property, as residents continue to push for faster progress.

As hurricane season gets underway, Lutz said she's increasingly concerned about the debris that remains on site.

"Now it's 60 or 70 piles of shrapnel and projectiles that's really concerning. Who's going to protect our property from that?" she said.

Neighbor Barb Baronaitis said she reached out to multiple agencies, including Code Enforcement, the Florida Department of Health, and Mosquito Control, seeking answers about the property's future.

"Something has to be done, and no one else is doing it," Baronaitis said.

Other residents say they're worried about potential health impacts.

Rick Irwin, who moved into a nearby condominium earlier this year, said the condition of the property was not unexpected, but he hoped the cleanup would move faster.

"The health issue, you know, there are all kinds of dangerous things back there, who knows what's back there. So that's my biggest concern," Irwin said.

The demolition contractor overseeing the project says there's more to the story than what neighbors see from the outside.

Roger West told WINK News the community did not begin the demolition process immediately after the storms.

"There was a year and a half, year, year and a half gap between the final cleanup of everybody else in the neighborhood and before Indigo Isles contracted a contractor to demo their units," West said.

According to West, that delay put the project behind other storm recovery efforts in the area. He said crews have been working on demolishing 65 hurricane-damaged homes and that each property requires time to clear, separate, and remove debris. 

West estimates the remaining work could be completed within the next one to two months.

Charlotte County Community Development confirmed to WINK News that officials are aware of the property's condition.

In a statement, the county said multiple complaints have been submitted regarding properties within Indigo Isles and that code enforcement staff have conducted follow-up investigations.

County officials said there are currently 12 code enforcement cases at various stages of enforcement and 28 active demolition permits associated with properties in the community.

Charlotte County also said Community Development staff continue to monitor the site as demolition permits and code enforcement cases move through the process.

When asked whether officials had identified any public health or safety concerns, the county said those questions should be directed to the Florida Department of Health, noting that Code Enforcement primarily deals with issues involving real property.

For now, neighbors say they are hoping to see continued progress before the peak of hurricane season arrives.

The county says residents can track active code enforcement cases and permits through the Charlotte County Citizen Access Portal.