Community

Three-Day Cleanup Restores Daly Property After Nuisance Notice

A Roseburg hillside property was largely cleaned up this weekend (Jan 2 - 4) through a coordinated effort by local volunteers, residents of managed camps, and Elk Island Trading LLC following a nuisance notice issued to the homeowner.

Volunteers help cleanup the Daly property in Roseburg

ROSEBURG, Ore. — Less than a week after a nuisance notice drew community attention to conditions on a hillside property near NE Stephens Street, the area has now been largely cleaned up through a coordinated, multi-day effort involving local volunteers, residents from managed camps, and property managers.

Cleanup activity followed a December 29 article by The Roseburg Receiver detailing a nuisance notice issued to 79-year-old homeowner Linda Daly, who said the conditions were not of her making. According to those involved, the cleanup began Friday afternoon, January 2, and continued through Sunday, January 4.

Bernie Woodard of Elk Island Trading, LLC explains the work performed on the Daly property.

Coordinated Cleanup Effort

The effort was led by Elk Island Trading Group, LLC in coordination with Our Alternative Living Solutions, Inc., and included assistance from residents of sanctioned, managed tent camps as well as local volunteers.

“We were out here for three days,” said Bernie Woodard of Elk Island Trading Group. “We started Friday afternoon with some initial cleanup, worked a full day Saturday, and finished up on Sunday.”

Woodard said the work included participation from Richard Weber, along with volunteer Blake Delaney, who assisted with hauling debris.

Woodard documented the cleanup in a video recorded on site Sunday, describing the scope of the work and conditions left behind following the removal of illegal encampments.

“Two weeks ago there were illegal camps all over this hill,” Woodard said in the video. “Over 18 people were removed last week. After that, they left junk everywhere.”

Scope of the Work

According to Woodard, cleanup crews removed large quantities of trash, including needles, syringes, bottles, tents, pallets, and other debris, some of it piled several feet deep in places.

“You have to move slowly through areas like this,” Woodard said. “There are sharp objects, biohazards, and thick blackberry bushes. You can’t just rush in.”

He said one section of the hillside contained debris deep enough to completely bury a cast-iron bathtub. Other areas included remnants of a former structure known locally as the “haunted house,” which Woodard said was destroyed years ago, reportedly after fires originating from camps below the hillside spread upward.

The cleanup also focused on footpaths used as informal corridors between unmanaged camps near Deer Creek Park and surrounding residential and commercial properties.

“This is private property, not city property,” Woodard said. “The encampments weren’t confined to one parcel, they crossed into multiple adjacent properties.”

Community Involvement

In addition to residents from managed camps, Woodard credited local volunteers who arrived with trucks and trailers to help load and haul debris, making multiple trips offsite.

“As of Sunday afternoon, there was still a little paint dumping and minor debris left,” Woodard said. “But the vast majority of the area has been cleared.”

He said additional cleanup, securing access points, and longer-term management strategies are being considered to prevent unauthorized access and future dumping.

Background

The cleanup follows a nuisance notice issued by the City of Roseburg to Daly, warning of potential enforcement if alleged camping and debris conditions were not abated. Daly has said she did not create the conditions and lacks the physical and financial ability to address them on her own.

After receiving the notice, Daly sought assistance from Elk Island Trading Group, which entered into an agreement to manage and maintain the property.

Looking Ahead

As of Sunday evening, those involved said the Daly property was largely restored and no longer overrun by debris or active encampments.

“We’re hoping continued management and some improvements will stop this from becoming a cut-through again,” Woodard said.

The situation continues to raise broader questions about how cities address encampments that affect private property, and how responsibility is assigned when conditions extend beyond a homeowner’s control.