A state agency wants a deeper dive into pollution issues at the site where Mayor Todd Gloria wants to open a 1,000-bed homeless shelter.
Reporters MacKenzie Elmer and Lisa Halverstadt revealed that the state Department of Toxic Substances Control wants to work with the city on “additional investigation” into the ground below the former Middletown print shop that Gloria wants to turn into a shelter. The warehouse is next door to a shuttered chemical plant that years ago leaked chemicals.
Still TBD: The state wants to clarify whether the spills affect the proposed homeless shelter site. A report commissioned by the warehouse owner Douglas Hamm concluded that though there are high levels of a few cancer-causing chemicals, those amounts didn’t “pose a material risk for future residents.”
What Gloria’s team is saying: Gloria’s office declined to comment on the state agency’s comments but after the story initially published, a spokesperson said the proposed 35-year lease with Hamm calls for him to foot the bill for any remediation efforts tied to hazardous materials or other issues. This arrangement differs from the infamous 101 Ash St. deal that put the city on the hook.
Reminder: The City Council still needs to sign off on the shelter proposal. After a closed-door discussion earlier this week, Council President Sean Elo-Rivera – who would need to schedule a vote on the pitch – would only say that he has yet to docket any open session discussions on the shelter plan.
North County Report: Homeless Money, But with Strings Attached
Gov. Gavin Newsom is ready to hand out more homeless aid to cities — but only if they are willing to report out their results.
As Tigist Layne reports, Oceanside and Carlsbad are set to get more than $11 million from the state to help alleviate homelessness. Newsom announced, however, that cities will only be able to continue getting the cash if they can show their methods are working.
This comes after an audit that showed the cities of San Diego and San Jose failed to fully account for their spending over a period of years.
Layne delved into Oceanside and Carlsbad’s plans for the money.
Read the full North County Report here.
Hoover High Principal Resigning
One month after police arrested Hoover’s associate principal for alleged possession of child pornography and sending explicit content to a minor, the City Heights high school’s principal announced she was resigning. In an email sent to staff on Wednesday, Principal Tracey Makings wrote that her last day would be June 30.
“With the events of last month, I have been taking time to consider the next steps in my professional journey. While I do not know what the future has in store, I wanted to give the Hoover community time to plan for and hire their next leader,” Makings wrote in the email.
Makings, who previously served as principal of Sessions Elementary, led Hoover for 15 months. A transition plan is in the works, she wrote.
San Diego Unified District officials did not offer further comment.
In other school news: Students at Logan Memorial Educational Campus staged a walkout on Wednesday to protest districtwide teacher layoffs which will affect the school. Logan was recently rebuilt and the campus is the most expensive in San Diego Unified’s history. Students say it’s understaffed now and the layoffs will only make things worse. Read the full story here.
In Other News
- Long wait times at the U.S.-Mexico border aren’t just bothersome, they are contributing to a drop in sales for businesses in San Ysidro, CalMatters reports. Related: Voice contributor Sandra Dibble recently wrote about how San Diego and Tijuana’s economies are linked. Read the Border Report here.
- The Union-Tribune reports that construction is underway for an expensive affordable housing project. As our Lisa Halverstadt reported, the estimated cost per unit for the Cuatro development in City Heights is $842,000. Read about the story behind expensive affordable housing projects here.
- A Marine died Tuesday at Camp Pendleton during “routine military operations,” officials said. The incident is under investigation, officials told the U-T.
- Barrio Logan residents and shop owners near the Naval Base are again raising concerns about what they say is “rampant prostitution.” Last month, multiple law enforcement agencies in San Diego and National City arrested about 46 people during a sex trafficking operation. Community members say more needs to be done. (CBS 8)
Correction: Last week’s story “Escondido’s Inspiration for New Homelessness Policy? Huntington Beach” has been updated to correct that Huntington Beach’s Navigation Center does not require sobriety, but does prohibit drugs and alcohol at the shelter.
We also added additional context to help readers understand that Huntington Beach’s outreach workers are also contacted by homeless individuals outside of the city’s boundaries. These individuals are counted in the city’s contact count for February 2023.
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt, Will Huntsberry, Jakob McWhinney and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.