10/28/2021
5:30-6:30p Friday Oct 29, we are again protesting against the UNsafe RV Parking site!! Usual corner of Vista Montaña and Renaissance Dr although we might wander close by.
As a reminder, this site is TWO FEET from the playground park, caddy corner from the soccer park, TWO FEET from houses.
It's only an hour and you get to meet your friendly neighbors. :) We're really nice when we're not stressed out about how the city screwed us AND the homeless people over!
With the time change coming, this may be our last opportunity to do a large protest!
Problems continue to pile on with no resolution or answers from the city. The occasional meetings with neighborhood leaders have been a farce and we see no changes!
1. This RV site has no amenities to help people get back on their feet, just two portapotties, unlike other sites (such as Project HomeKey by Destination:Home just a few miles away) that have real bathrooms with showers, laundry, kitchens, full time case managers, wellness program, education classes, and even food on site.
- This is a FULLY FUNDED program with $20K-$45K budgeted per person for 9 months (depends on # of people there), NOT getting the help that they need.
2. A female neighbor was CHARGED by a man yelling loudly at the children's park.
- Other people were seen smoking w**d on the play structures, and people who seemed high or drunk (chugging cough syrup) were seen in or near both nearby parks.
3. Security guards:
- Have NOT been there 24/7 as promised
- A security guard followed our neighbors outside the site (leaving this post), following and yelling at them.
- Are NOT trained to handle this population, e.g. someone ODing
- Did not immediately report spilled car oil, illegal dumping of flammable substances and paint
4. Through drone cameras, we've seen trash accumulating, along with trailers filled to the brim with stuff
- The encampment they came from had a big fire, and we're seeing some of the same conditions here, along with the dead trees on the property
5. One site participant was caught breaking into another RV.
- According to the city, he is welcome to return to the site anytime
- He told us he never got any case manager services or help with his m**h addiction since he arrived, even though he wanted to get clean (BTW, he is not allowed to do drugs on site... so where was he getting high?)
6. The city has not responded to our requests for information for a month and a half, with no reason provided
7. The city officials have not given us a timeline or plan for shutting this site down or their actions, just very vague answers, while telling their superiors they've been engaging with us!
8. More and more RVs have been parking near these sites who are NOT part of the program or therefore bound to any code of conduct.
9. A neighbor reported a terrible stench from the site, likely from greywater/wastewater since there are no RV hook ups on sites.
From before:
- This land is arsenic contaminated and unfit for residential use.
- We found a hypodermic needle on the sidewalk right next to the site and there was an unleashed pitbull belonging to the same people (so nowhere to go inside).
- The city bypassed the public planning process because for frivolous "emergency" reasons (Apple gave an ultimatum to shut down an encampment the city knew about for months), and set up this site for NINE MONTHS, with a couple weeks planning
What have YOU seen? Please tell us!
Masks and distancing to stay safe, but since our constant attendance at City Hall and e-mails are being ignored, protests are how things get done!
