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Another location lost for proposed homeless center

March 21, 2013

capsloThe Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo will not be able to build its proposed 200-bed homeless services center on a city owned parcel surrounding the Prado Day Center. [Tribune]

A city of San Luis Obispo memo explained that city could not turn over the property to CAPSLO because it needs the land to expand its water reclamation facility.

Now, two possible locations remain for CAPSLO’s proposed homeless campus that would include a commercial kitchen, a classroom and offices for caseworkers.

One location, the initial CAPSLO proposal, is a vacant county lot next to the Department of Social Services on South Higuera Street. A group of business leaders led by Bill Thoma stalled the nonprofit’s plan to build the shelter there after publicly expressing concerns about the site’s proximity to businesses.

CAPSLO is now considering a privately owned Prado Road lot that Thoma recommends because it is further away from businesses and a larger property than the South Higuera location. In order to acquire the Prado Road land, CAPSLO would have to make about a $2 million purchase.

The nonprofit did not pursue the location in the past due to it being on a floodplain, there being high voltage utility lines bisecting the property and a portion of the land will be used for the Prado Road overpass.

CAPSLO now plans to conduct an engineering study to the property’s constraints, but says it does not have enough money to do so. CAPSLO Chief Operating Officer Jim Famalette says the study will cost between $80,000 and $100,000 and the organization only has $30,000 to pay for it. Famalette said CAPSLO would likely ask the city, county and business community opposed to the South Higuera location to help pay for the engineering study.

“This is a community issue, not a CAPSLO issue,” Famalette told the Tribune. “If there is an opportunity to have a larger site that has some benefits to it because of size and location, then we will explore that to see it its viable. The important thing is making sure that the entire community wants to do this project.”

 


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TOTALLY agree. Why build on an empty lot, from scratch. Re-purpose an unoccupied building. But, hey why consider saving money when someone else is paying for it.


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Because it’s Government, the more that is spent (not saved), the more to skim, steal, and transfer to “friends” in low places..


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Where, pray tell, is a vacant large building that they can use???


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Behind Cuesta College…


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There have been lots of proposals made over the years for using FHL or Camp Bob, General Hospital, and others but it has always been poopooed by DHS and the homeless as too far away and not good enough…


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In my opinion, another homeless shelter is NOT needed.


Interesting, CAPSLO has enough money to fund an evaluation of land for a capital building project to expand the beds for the homeless, but not enough money to stop demanding the homeless give their meager incomes to CAPSLO. Does anyone else see the irony here?


Any government, corporation, business, organization or individual that give money to CAPSLO have not been paying attention to the facts. The only way to get justice for those that have been harmed by CAPSLO is to cut off the head of the snake: Get rid of CAPSLO let honest humanitarians step forward to help the homeless.


People that I have respected and admired for their astuteness have drunk the CAPSLO kool-aid and don’t seem to understand the magnitude of the outrageous abuses generated by CAPSLO. Very sadly they may get away with bilking the homeless and the public. Very Very sad.


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Perhaps some of the bloated capslo salaries could be tapped for these expenses.


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“Simply”


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I don’t think ANYTHING should be done on this project until Dee Torres is removed from her position.


Government building projects are great opportunities for theft by corrupt leaders.


The County and City have already facilitated Torres’ corruption at the existing facility. They really don’t need to give her an even larger bucket of cash to swill from.


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How about just using one of the old dorms at Cal Poly. The campus has been preaching diversity and has held events to further this ambition. Simpling redirect the same funding source to an existing infrastructure, recycling, isn’t this what we promote?


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Two hundred beds? If you build it, they will come.


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When the in-laws visit can I send them there?


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Maybe Dee could pay for it with all those unaccounted for gift cards.


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I do not think this is the right time for CAPSLO to be asking the business community for money. At risk of sounding cold-hearted, until all questions and problems about CAPSLO, homeless services, and Family Ties are addressed and resolved, I don’t think any work should proceed on this homeless campus.


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