Sears Lane residents challenge Burlington’s decision to close encampment

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - People who lived at the Sears Lane homeless encampment in Burlington are now trying to sue the city.

After initially letting the encampment grow over the spring and summer, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger last month said numerous issues, including illegal structures and arrests for drugs and guns, made the situation unsafe. So all the residents were evicted.

Now, some of the people who lived there are challenging the city’s decision to close it down and kick them out. A new supplemental brief was filed Monday.

While a judge considers whether the Sears Lane campers have the right to sue the city, an injunction hasn’t been granted, which means they can’t stay there.

In the filing, the plaintiffs say the city did not go through the correct legal process and is violating their rights.

The city maintains it acted in accordance with its policy on camping on public lands.