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Hernando Today

The New Face Of Laurenwood

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By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: January 22, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Most folks don't recognize the address 712 W. Jefferson St.

But mention Laurenwood Mobile Home Park and you get a different reaction.

Over the years the rundown collection of mobile homes has earned a reputation as a haven for drug dealers and prostitutes. Trash and debris piled outside homes; homes in poor repair had holes in the floor; shoddy electrical work sparked the occasional fire.

But times are changing. A new owner and his appointed landlord say they're taking strides to polish the park's tarnished name and create a safe place for families.

Charles Daoust, park manager, says it's a "slow process" and a "never-ending battle," but the work is getting accomplished.

On Monday, a Hernando Today reporter walked through the park with city code inspectors to get a firsthand look at the conditions. The inspection was prompted by a resident's complaints, but the review was mostly glowing.

"This is nothing like it used to be," said Linda Sidor, Brooksville code inspector.

Last March, records show, inspectors discovered that 24 electrical panels did not have metal plating. Any child could have walked along and stuck her hand in the jumble of wires and received a potentially fatal shock, said Lew Chandler, city building official.

Neighbors shared electricity by stringing extension cords from one trailer to the other. An exposed sewer pipe ran above ground. Inspectors noted a "mountain" of trash and debris in the middle of the park. Fire extinguishers were nowhere to be found.

The park's owner, Brad Haupt, was given 10 days to fix the electrical problems or Laurenwood would be shut down and all its tenants evicted.

Haupt complied. By the end of the month, the worst of the problems were corrected. Follow-up inspections every few months revealed that conditions continued to improve.

There were still problems on Monday. The biggest concern from Chandler and others was that few of the trailers were tied down to the ground. Translation: One big gust of wind during hurricane season and those trailers would be scattered across nearby Ponce De Leon Boulevard.

One trailer had a crooked stack of cinder blocks holding up the corner of its structure. On the opposite side of the park, a large stack of used wood was propped against a trailer. Rusty nails poked out in all directions.

But the electrical boxes were still safely plated with metal. Brooksville Fire Chief Tim Mossgrove noted that fire extinguishers were current and properly distributed on posts throughout the park. There was little garbage littering the ground.

Small touches like a fresh coat of paint on a trailer garnered the inspectors' approval.

Chandler, the building inspector, said it's a tough job balancing safety and the needs of the tenants. Most of the folks who live in Laurenwood are low-income day laborers who rely on the park for a roof over their heads. He's aware that shutting down the park would leave them homeless.

"You're caught between a rock and a hard place," Chandler said.

After the inspection, Daoust said the park's owner is willing to invest whatever money's needed to bring the park into compliance. Haupt, who lives in California, spent the weekend in Brooksville painting a trailer.

Police have helped with the riffraff. Daoust booted out three drug dealers who frequented the park and continues to shoo away prostitutes. Improvements will take time, but Daoust is determined to make changes, in part because he lives at the park with his children.

"I want to make this a nice place for families," he said.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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