Saturday, August 30, 2014

Support Compassion in Escondido-Support the ACLU appeal on housing children in need

The San Diego ACLU has appealed the Escondido Planning Commission denial of a Conditional Use permit to house unaccompanied immigrant children.  The City Council is expected to hear this on Sept 10th.   Please look into this issue and send a letter to the Mayor and Council asking them to approve the permit. Here is More Information.
This issue is one of many litmus tests regarding what kind of city we want to be-- exclusive and callous or inclusive and compassionate.
You can find the emails and contact info for the Mayor and Council emails.  (Scroll down)
The ACLU examined numerous arguments made against approving the youth care facility and addressed each one; the key points are included here:
  • Residential character: The proposed facility would have the same number of residents and provide services similar to the previous use. In fact, the neighborhood would be improved by preventing the vacant building from becoming an eyesore due to decay or vandalism.
  • Traffic: The youth shelter would generate less traffic than the previous use, and the Escondido city staff’s report raised no concerns about traffic.
  • Parking: The commission’s general concerns did not address how 53 parking spaces would prove inadequate, or why any concerns could not be addressed through appropriate and reasonable conditions.
  • Security: Since the police department’s statement on the youth facility said there were “[n]o apparent law enforcement concerns at this time,” and requested—and Southwest Key agreed to—only that a 6-foot fence be constructed, there is no plausible basis for the commission’s statement that “the fencing for the site appears inadequate for the anticipated security needs of the proposed facility,” especially given the undisputed fact that only 0.004 percent of approximately 9000 children served by Southwest Key made unauthorized departures in the previous year.
  • Noise: The Escondido city staff’s report raised no concerns about increased noise, and acknowledged that most of the activities would occur indoors; outdoor recreation would take place at nearby parks and schools.
  • Size: The commission inexplicably determined that the proposed facility had “too many people” in “too small a space” but gave no reason to believe that the staff or resident population would be greater than the previous use.  The proposed facility would have no more residents than the nursing home had.

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