Just a quick update today to provide some details on latest activity regarding the Substance Use Disorder facilities proposed for Rescue.
El Dorado County (EDC) legal counsel has responded to HomeCA/Native Directions on the pending building permits. Bottom line EDC is asserting that a full California Environmental Quality Act investigation needs to be completed prior to moving forward on any permits. You can get links to the full letter in the Project Timeline – here.
While you are looking at the project timeline, we were recently informed that Congressman McClintock’s office has also sent a letter of concern to the Directors at DHCS/CDSS reflecting the community feedback on the dangers of these proposed projects. The Congressman also notes that EDC Board of Supervisors (BOS) and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians have also stated significant concerns. It is great to see the Senator supporting our view. To date we have public written support from EDC BOS, State Senator Alvarado-Gil, Assemblymember Patterson and now Congressman McClintock. All of these officials have written to Michelle Baass, DHCS Director, and Kim Johnson, CDSS Director, expressing concern about these proposed facilities in Rescue. We need to thank these representatives for their support.
While we can all appreciate that our elected officials are highlighting concerns to State department heads, we have not heard anything from Michelle Baass or Kim Johnson directly, and they have refused to meet with Supervisor Parlin to hear direct from EDC. There is still more work to be done to get these projects halted in Rescue. Stay tuned as we know more public action is going to be required. We will need all our voices to be heard to stop this.
When we started this protest, we were laser focused on the suitability of the land/area to support facilities of this size (80+ people/day on 2 residential parcels off Deer Valley Road). As we have spent the last 6 months digging deeper into the background of these proposals, and their developer, Gina Wasdyke of HomeCA, we have become more outraged at what is happening. Stay tuned for some upcoming editorials as we put a spotlight on the true basis for these facilities in this proposed location, and the unfortunate plight of future patients, if these facilities are built.
Rescue Deer Valley! 