Local business owners oppose transitional home
Business owners and residents in downtown El Centro a speaking out against the possibility of a transitional home being added to the area, it’s being described as a halfway house for federal prisoners, including sex offenders.
News 11’s Nico Payne spoke to local business owners and city council members on the issue and many people today and all agreed that this would be a step in the wrong direction.
“I’m not in favor of it, 6th street is a corridor for children at McKinley School and also at Kennedy School to walk home and generally, especially since their 3rd or 4th grade and up, they are unaccompanied,” said Bonnie Olesh, Owner of Fifth Avenue Books.
“We already have a lot of issued dealing with the methadone clinic and the bus stop that doesn’t really bring that much positive stuff to main street. If they want to bring something like that to the valley, take it somewhere farther,” said Alex Quintero, employee at Finish Line Bike Shop.
We spoke to City Council Member Jason Jackson on how this idea came about.
“It was an out of town business that came to our planning department and basically asked them about use. I think they are looking at possibly purchasing or getting into an agreement on a purchase of a building in the downtown area,” explained Jackson.
About 45 days ago the city took action on an emergency moratorium on the downtown area of El Centro to halt the application process for the transitional housing.
The city will be holding a meeting on May 2nd to decide whether they should extend the moratorium or not.
“I feel it’s a very very bad decision on the city, I don’t think this was forced on the city. Somebody’s benefiting from it, it’s not Main Street,” said Anthony Aguilar, employee on Main Street.
“We already have a drug problem and a homeless situation that in my opinion is intolerable,” added Olesh.
“Let’s make Main Street cool, let’s not bring the negative stuff down here,” explained Quintero.
Merchants and local business owners will be meeting at Odds & Ends home goods store tonight at 6 p.m. to discuss what the next step of action will be.
