Endwell Homeless Camp Along Route 17 Cleared Before River Rose

Town of Union and state officials took action to protect people living in an encampment next to the Susquehanna River before waters rose to a dangerous level.

A Vestal resident living across the river worked to get something done to address the potentially-hazardous situation. He had noticed a growing number of people residing on state-owned land just south of Route 17. He was concerned about the safety of those near the river and about the debris washing into the Susquehanna.

Union town supervisor Robert Mack said a tunnel under the expressway at the end of Davis Avenue provides access to a wooded area along the river.

Mack told WNBF News structures were built in the homeless encampment last summer. A sign was erected designating the place "The Minion Camp."

Furnaces or wood stoves at the site occasionally generated smoke which prompted calls to the Endwell Fire Department.

Mack said fire equipment could not fit through the small tunnel to the encampment. That meant firefighters would have had trouble getting in if they needed to extinguish a blaze.

The town contacted the state Department of Transportation, which owns land along the highway right-of-way. State police also were contacted as part of the effort to clear the area.

Mack said those in the encampment were alerted before water overspread the site following a period of heavy rain.

The DOT erected a gate near the tunnel entrance in an effort to discourage people from returning to the camp area. But the site isn't sealed off and access is still possible.

State police reportedly have increased monitoring of the area.

VIDEO: WNBF News inspected the tunnel under the expressway in the town of Union on February 5, 2024.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.