Sacramento Little League Outraged Over Proposed Homeless Site Near Field
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - If you are standing at the Airport Little League Baseball field, you can see abandoned RV's, piles of trash, and remnants of encampments in the area. The site has been a concern for the league.
"We have seen prostitution, RV's on fire, people urinating, defecating and the kids are playing right next to it," explained Joanne Jauregui.
Jauregui said it's a daily problem. It gets cleaned up then it comes back.
Adding to Jarengui's fears, the city of Sacramento is proposing the lot across their field at 24th Street and 48th Avenue be a safe site for the homeless to park overnight complete with bathrooms and showers.
"How are they going to propose it's going to be safe for children to be here? There is no way they can make any sort of promises," Jauregui said.
The little league comprised of more than 400 players is calling foul ball on the city over concerns of how it might impact their players. The site would be located between two of their fields.
"We have multiple fields where they have to walk across the street, but right now they can't even walk on the sidewalk due to the debris," she said.
Councilman Jay Schenirer represents the neighborhood and says the proposed site located near the Sacramento Executive Airport is not a done deal.
"Let's even see if its viable, we have to talk to the airport and have other conversations; what I'm saying to them is my commitment to you as a neighborhood is if we are going to start the conversation, you are going to be involved in it," said Schenirer.
The location is not one of the city's top 20 priority sites, which means discussions on the proposal could still be a year out.
"What we want to do is overall make neighborhoods safer, not less safe," said Schenirer
For the little league, the proposal is no home run and a location they feel shouldn't even be considered.
"I feel it's going to bring more poverty and more crime to the area," said Jauregui.
Jauregui is leading a rally to protest the proposal on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the baseball field.