NEW LIST OF ALTERNATIVE "CAMPING" SITES PUBLISHED
Will be discussed on June 7th at the Chico City Council meeting
NEW LIST OF ALTERNATIVE "CAMPING" SITES PUBLISHED
The agenda for June 7 just came out. In it, among other things, is the latest recommendations for the two "missing" alternative camping sites. Recall that of the three the city had already chosen, they pulled two of them back.
Recall that on May 13, the City announced its decision taken in private, to the public. The three sites were:
1. Northwest Corner of Cohasset and Eaton
2. Fair Street and Country Drive
3. Northwest Corner of Bruce and Humboldt Roads.
On May 17th, in an apparent attempt to head off the storm of speakers during Business from the Floor, in a closed session held unusually BEFORE the public meeting instead of after, the city preempted the protests by pulling back two of the sites and moving forward with only the one at Cohasset and Eaton.
In addition, they agreed that the discussion should be held in public, and now it is on the June 7th agenda for next Tuesday.
Now as you can see in the attached staff report, the staff is recommending a list of sites to be considered. I'm reminded of the famous quote by Henry Ford when asked what colors were available for his Model T. His reply "You can have any color you want, as long as it is black." So, these sites are the only sites that will be considered, and we have no idea what other sites were considered, or why they were rejected and these selected for public discussion. They are:
1. Eaton and Cohasset West
2. Eaton and Cohasset East
3. Fair Street and Country Drive
4. Bruce and Humboldt
5. A parcel east of Forest and Humboldt
6. The "Triangle" (Pine and Cypress split)
7. Teichert Ponds
8. Eaton and Hicks
9. Old CHP Parking lot on Fir Street
10. Depot Park
No additional information, maps, parcel numbers, or other information was provided. Let's do the best we can to break this down.
Two of the 10 were on the last list, Fair and County, and Northwest Bruce and Humboldt. I presume whatever objections were lodged on May 13 still apply to those.
Two are on other corners of Eaton and Cohasset, which would make all three sites located at that intersection. I’m not sure which parcels are being considered but this is the general Number 5, Forest and Humboldt are not identified other than calling it “a parcel”.
Next, for item 5 we have Forest and Humboldt. Note the proximity to Little Chico Creek and the vicinity of Marsh Junior High. Chico designates these kinds of parcels as “greenways” as they run adjacent to waterways. Recall that Fish and Wildlife requires 150’ offset from any structure from the highwater mark of any California waterway. We haven’t been very conscientious about that one, have we?
Since the parcel has not been identified, we can’t tell how this one would be possible, but it is somewhere near this intersection.
For item 6, the “Triangle” along Little Chico Creek and in the heart of a residential area.
Item 7, Teichert Ponds, the site of a propane explosion just this very day, June 2, and long abused as an illegal campsite, even though it is a “pond” and is therefore subject to the same waterway’s protection.
And finally, one of the most abused public parks in Chico, Depot Park, is being considered an official campground, indefinitely. Imagine the hubris and hypocrisy of actually, officially, designating a named park in the Chico Parks and Recreation District as a sanctioned campground for those who can’t even qualify for free housing and other freebies at the pallet shelter. The reasons for rejecting someone means they would not likely be welcome as your newest neighbor.
If you have seen the recent postings of Depot Park, you can see it is nothing more than a slum, environmental hazard, and blight on this community. It is, or at least it once was a beautiful community park. Recall that our prior council simply picked it as a location for the “warming tent” and it has been an illegal encampment ever since.
Finally, there are 8, and 9. Eaton and Hicks, and the Old CHP parking lot on Fir.
Walt McNeill and I had identified a couple of these parcels in our motion to intervene in the Warren case. At the time, they were ignored. Now they are coming back.
Among our suggestions were the BMX site as a resting site, not a shelter, the lot on Hicks and Eaton, the very tip of the Triangle, and a parcel on Humboldt, east of Fair, among others. The idea was that they would be “resting only.” No tents, no storage of property, and specific hours of occupancy to coincide with the closing schedule of parks. Everyone had to be out by a certain time.
That would have satisfied Martin v. Boise way back in April. What a shame that a year and $6 million later, our suggestions are coming back around.
The meeting Tuesday will be interesting. You are welcome to come by and express yourself. I’m sure many will.