Nearly 80 people gathered on the corner of Sweetwater and Troy Street in Lemon Grove on Saturday to rally against the county's project to build dozens of sleeping cabins in a vacant lot. The plan was approved by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in July in a 4-0 vote. It comes after the county originally proposed building the sleeping cabins on a site along Jamacha Road in Spring Valley, but scrapped those plans in June after pushback from the community.
The 2024 Spring Valley Coalition, the same group who protested the original site in Spring Valley, organized Saturday's rally. Members told NBC 7 that this new location is roughly a mile away from the previous site, and does nothing to address their concerns.
"This little corner is isolated. But on one side behind us then you've got Spring Valley and all those homes right there are going to be within 25 to 50 feet of this location", said Gilbert Chavez with the coalition. "Then you have the fact that they're going to — the school is just 1,500 feet away and again, the location just doesn't make any sense," he added.
If the project moves forward, the county might have to go it alone after the state rescinded $10 million in funding when the project in Spring Valley was scrapped. Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, who represents Lemon Grove, said in July that she is optimistic that funding could still be on the table.
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“I am confident that when the governor and his administration see our commitment from this particular project, then we can open up the conversation again,” Montgomery Steppe said.
"The truth is, you can say the money comes from the state, you can say the money comes from the county, you and me and everybody here is paying for it," said Stephanie Becker, who helped organize the rally. Becker believes the site in Lemon Grove isn't a long-term solution, but rather a "band aid" fix that doesn't address what she believes is one of the roots of the issue: mental health.
"If we're going to do it, this certainly is not the location," said Becker. "This is not a solution. I don't believe it's a solution."
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In terms of construction, no progress has been made on the vacant lot sitting on the corner of Sweetwater and Troy Street. The land is owned and operated by the state agency Caltrans. Rally attendees told NBC 7 that they feel like the county isn't listening to their concerns. Neighbors hope that there is still time to have their voices heard.
"This is not a solution. We don't want it in Spring Valley, we don't want it in Lemon Grove," said Angelica Camargo with the 2024 Spring Valley Coalition.
NBC 7 reached out to the Lemon Grove City Council, Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez, San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas, as well as Supervisor Steppe's office. They did not respond to request in time for this story's publication.
