The City of Aberdeen expects to complete its purchase of the homeless camp land on the Chehalis riverfront next week, and will soon begin work cleaning up the area, with the eventual goal of moving campers off it.

The city will own the eight-acre property, where more than 100 people have been living in tents, shacks, cars and trailers. On May 23, the City Council authorized Mayor Erik Larson to purchase the riverfront on behalf of the city for $295,000 from Mike Lang, who has owned it for several years.

According to Mayor Larson, the next step for the city is to work with the non-profit Coastal Community Action Program (CCAP) and the state Department of Social and Health Services to identify who is there and figure out how the city should attempt to relocate people off the property.

“We want to get a baseline of who’s there, what’re their needs, and how much assistance is necessary so we can put together a plan of action regarding funding, programs, services, and level of need so we can assist with the relocation of individuals on the property,” Larson read from a statement at Wednesday’s Aberdeen City Council meeting.

Along with this, Larson said the city would soon begin temporary cleanup work on the property to make it safer.

“The city will begin preliminary cleanup actions, such as brush and debris removal to eliminate some of the identified safety concerns,” he said. “Similarly, the city is considering initiating an interim trash collection schedule, and temporarily placing portable toilets to address public health concerns.”

There is no indication yet of how long it would be before the city would force people to move from their campsites, but Larson has previously said the city would offer assistance finding other housing first.

While there will be cleanup and support services offered, Larson said that “expedient relocation of individuals and securement of the property will be the priority of the city throughout the process.”

In February, Lang wrote a letter to the city council saying he was overwhelmed managing the property that he bought 25 years ago for $350,000.

Larson has previously said he has no interest developing the property into a park or for other use by the city. He said safety concerns are a primary reason the city wants to clear out the property.

“The area is neither zoned nor safe for such longterm use, and it creates difficulties for public safety responses by police, fire and medical services,” Larson said.