FEMA trailers cited as "junk" at Punta Gorda airport not going anywhere for now

After being cited by Charlotte County Code Enforcement, the FEMA trailers stored on Punta Gorda Airport property could stay there until January.

In late May, two properties owned by the Punta Gorda Airport were cited for junk while storing disaster relief trailers brought there after Hurricane Ian.

WATCH our May report about the citations against the airport from Charlotte County Community Correspondent Victoria Scott.

Since then, FOX 4 has had our team of Charlotte County Community Correspondents keeping an eye on this story to follow through on the outcome.

One property, located on Cheney Way, is leased to FEMA by the airport. Code Enforcement wanted the trailers stored on that property to be removed within 30 days. Tuesday, Charlotte County told our Punta Gorda Community Correspondent Alex Orenczuk said the citation against the property will likely be dropped, and FEMA has until the end of the year to remove the trailers.

“That mission, we’ve been informed, has been extended by the federal government and the state,” said Shaun Cullinan, Charlotte County Planning and Zoning Official. “So, they’re in phase two of it now, which is essentially as people are leaving the trailers, they are bringing them back there and they are refurbishing them and disposing of them in some way.”

Alex Orenczuk.

Cullinan said FEMA plans to have the trailers removed completely by January.

“Their intent is to have them gone by January,” said Cullinan. “They are slowly shrinking down their footprint.”

The second property cited by code enforcement is leased to Regional Homes “a sub of Florida Division of Emergency Management,” according to the airport. The trailers located on that property are currently being removed, and Cullinan said the citation against them may be dropped as well.

Alex Orenczuk.

“That mission has expired and so that group is actively moving their stuff off now,” said Cullinan. “As long as they make efforts to get rid of the violations, we always work with them just like we do with any code enforcement case. We just look for compliance, not to beat up on people.”