Caltrans To Remove Crosses Along SoCal Highway After Complaints
SAN DIEGO (CBS) — A trio of crosses erected along a Southland freeway may be moved to a new home after being uprooted after a citizen's complaint to transit officials.
KNX 1070's Tom Reopelle reports the crosses on Inspiration Point are technically on state-owned land — but likely not for very much longer.
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The location along Highway 79 has a panoramic view of the mountains looming over the desert floor near Julian that has served as the backdrop for Easter sunrise services for decades.
But Cal Trans spokeswoman Catherine Bruce-Johnson said local pastor Rick Hill with the Hillside Community Church has claimed the crosses and is prepared to transplant them.
"We have an agreement with him that we will remove the memorial and store them, and some time in the next 30 days, he will find a place on church property to reinstall them for the community," said Bruce-Johnson.
Despite the agreement, many locals have launched an effort to keep the crosses at their current location.
Crosses on public property has been a source of controversy for years in San Diego County. Despite numerous lawsuits and court rulings, large and highly visible crosses remain standing on Mount Soledad in La Jolla and Mount Helix near La Mesa.
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