Caltrans removes SLO County homeless camp due to ‘safety issue’
Caltrans recently removed a growing Cambria encampment between Highway 1 and Santa Rosa Creek that had sheltered as many as 16 unhoused people, sparking concerns about wildfire safety and the environment.
The cluttered site just south of Cambria Drive had been discussed frequently at local agency meetings, such as the North Coast Advisory Council’s meetings on March 16 and April 20.
Those who spoke about encampments in the area included San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office Cmdr. Stuart McDonald and Schani Siong, supervising planner for the county’s Planning Department.
The plan to remove the Cambria encampment had been in the works since January.
On April 18, Caltrans workers removed about 80 cubic yards of debris from the site, Caltrans spokesman Jim Shivers wrote. Law enforcement was there in case problems arose and to help control traffic.
Shivers wrote that the residents were notified of the closure 72 hours in advance, which gave them “time to gather belongings and take advantage of services. Any personal belongings left behind are brought to a nearby Caltrans maintenance yard for storage and later retrieval.”
The residents had left the encampment by the time Caltrans crews arrived, he wrote, adding that “all the people camping at this location were offered services by the Transitions Mental Health Association and the county of San Luis Obispo, including housing.”
It’s not known how many of the campers took advantage of those offers, or where they’ll go next.
Why was Cambria camp removed?
According to Shivers, Caltrans decided to close the Cambria encampment “because of a safety issue it presented.”
“The camp was limiting sight distance and was located within a vehicle-recovery zone, which presents a safety risk for the people living at the encampment and for motorists,” he wrote.
In addition, the encampment contained a large amount of debris, impacting the Santa Rosa Creek waterway, according to Shivers.
“The encampment was also located below the high-water line, presenting a risk to individuals and the environment,” Shivers wrote.
He explained that “Caltrans is responsible for ensuring the safety of the traveling public and to protect and maintain California’s highway infrastructure. Where there are people experiencing homelessness sheltering within the state’s right-of-way, Caltrans assesses the encampment for immediate threats to safety or to essential infrastructure.”
“In addition to relocating people experiencing homelessness and cleaning encampment sites that pose a threat to safety or infrastructure,” Shivers wrote, “Caltrans is also addressing lower-priority encampments by allowing for extra time to connect people experiencing homelessness with social services and housing options.”
Community expresses concerns about homelessness
Speaking March 16 about homelessness in SLO County, “What we’re seeing on our streets is disgraceful and heart-wrenching and unacceptable at the bottom line,” Gibson said. “You can be sure at a point, when an encampment gets to a certain size, we’ll have to do something about it,” in collaborative efforts with a bunch of systems, agencies, nonprofits and volunteers.
Gibson wasn’t able to attend the NCAC’s April 20 meeting because he and aide Blake Fixler were at the California State Association of Counties legislative conference. Gibson is the second vice president of that powerful statewide group.
McDonald said at the March meeting that current interpretation of laws makes it illegal to force people on the streets or public land to move if there’s no alternative available for them.
While there is a legal camping area for unhoused individuals at a dedicated site on Kansas Avenue north of San Luis Obispo, Gibson said, it’s nearly always full.
He said the county “is trying to find additional space to have reasonable alternatives so we can basically tell people you can’t camp here because … (and) we can move them to a sanctioned place. It tends to work.”
At the NCAC’s April 20 meeting, encampments for unhoused people and the homelessness situation were discussed again.
Sheriff’s Office Sgt. H. Abbas said that removing homeless people from one location usually means they’ll move to another community, where eventually local citizens object and the houseless will have to be moved out again.
Location also factors into how the situation can addressed legally, he said, because there are different rules governing private and public properties.
“Ultimately,” Abbas said, homelessness “is not a law enforcement issue. It ‘s a social services issue.”
It was noted in a separate discussion that some houseless people who have recreational vehicles but no place to park them have taken to social media, seeking locations on residential properties with space to spare.
Siong reiterated that “no one is supposed to live in their RV on a residential parcel.”
If people notice that happening, they should notify San Luis Obispo County Code Enforcement at www.slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Planning-Building/Most-Requested-Services/Report-a-Suspected-Code-Violation.aspx, where they can fill out a form to report the violation.
This story was originally published April 23, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
