I am a resident of Lakeside, CA, deeply concerned about the proposed Willow Ave RV Parking Project for the Transitional Homeless at the southeast corner of Willow and Ashwood Roads.  This issue is personal to me because pathways out of homelessness should never lead to rivers and parks due to safety of the children who play in the parks, the risks to water quality and storm water management, and the impacts on traffic ingress and egress on roadways adjacent to and crossing a river.

Our community values compassion and support for those experiencing homelessness. However, we believe there are more appropriate solutions that do not risk our children's safety or disrupt our natural resources.

Placing this project near rivers and parks can potentially harm our local ecosystem including our groundwater.  This project is on the El Monte basin which serves as an aquifer and an emergency water resource.  For many, this basin provides their only source of drinking water.  For the last 100 years, Lakeside and Helix Water Districts have utilized their groundwater wells from this aquifer, blending with water they purchase.  For Lakeside, the El Monte Basin provides 30 to 40% of their winter water supply.

Most of the parcels in the El Monte Valley are zoned agricultural or open space on large lots over 1 acre.  The large lots allow for septic systems and leach lines to treat and clean the waste water using a careful balance of soil drainage capacity.  Open space allows for recharge of the basin.

Willow RV Parking Pathways to Housing Solutions leads the transitional homeless to green zones as it surrounded by LaChappa Fields where Lakeside American Little League and Foothills High School play baseball to the east, Cactus Park where PONY League and Lakeside Girls Softball play to the southwest, Kumeyaay Park and the San Diego River to the South, Pillsbury Ranch Riding Club to the west, and all atop the El Monte drinking water basin.

The project puts 17 households on 1 acre, without sewer, rather 17 households on 1 acre on septic, all on a lot zoned for one household per 2 acre minimum.

This project is being done with no environmental review required due to homeless “emergency” and due to use temporary small structures - yet the CEQA exemption does not address the increase in septic required for putting 17 households on the 1 acre project site.  County records indicate the existing septic on the 6 acre County property is only 1500 gallon capacity and is not located on the proposed 1 acre project site.

The County Fact sheet on the project states the site management will be contracted, meaning not managed by the County.  Concerns if work not in scope results in sewage overflow due to:

-   Lack of awareness of contracted “operator” of urgent septic issues

-   Debris flushing and plugging the septic tank

-  Contract disputes about biohazards associated often associated with homelessness such as drug paraphernalia plugging septic system

-  Large volume of sewage overwhelming dump station from RV emptying “stored loads”

-  Leaking RV sewage tanks

-  Showers and sinks are left with the water running and overwhelming the septic tank.

 Noting that the County is demolishing their existing water well on the project site.

Water resources of rivers and basins need to be protected.

The 6 acre parcel San Diego County property this 1 acre site is planned to be taken from contains areas in dam inundation zone, a designated County Floodway and FEMA flood area.  Debris and trash associated with homelessness can result in flooding in the surrounding areas and downstream.

Additionally, the existing traffic at Willow Road and Ashwood in Lakeside is not designed for the additional capacity required for this project.  The traffic study only included 12 RVs instead of 17 RVs currently in the plan, and did not include the dump station/septic/trash trucks required to support this project.  Additionally, Ashwood Road is dangerous for the anticipated pedestrian pathway to the nearest bus stop due to lack of sidewalks, speed of travel and volume of traffic.  The project is miles from services the transitional homeless need - including miles from employment, shopping and medical facilities.

Those living without shelter need pathways to get out of homelessness.  These pathways should never lead TO rivers, but rather AWAY from them.

We urge the San Diego Board of Supervisors to reconsider this project's location and propose alternative solutions that respect both our homeless population's needs and preserve Lakeside’s natural beauty. Please sign this petition if you agree with us on finding a better solution for everyone involved.