{"id":308202,"date":"2025-10-16T14:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T14:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/308202\/"},"modified":"2025-10-16T14:00:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T14:00:11","slug":"garden-evictions-deepen-south-bay-frustration-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/308202\/","title":{"rendered":"Garden evictions deepen South Bay frustration \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

For as long as I can remember, South Bay families have lived with what others in San Diego County only read about \u2014 raw sewage in our ocean, toxic air in our neighborhoods and the stench that fills the valley every time it rains. While most people simply close their windows when a storm passes, our residents brace for the fallout: contaminated beaches, polluted floodwaters and the knowledge that our region\u2019s health is once again being sacrificed to neglect.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While other parts of the county got cleaner water, stronger investments and faster government responses, our community got excuses. For decades, leaders looked the other way as the Tijuana River Valley filled with trash, sediment and untreated wastewater. Year after year, we heard the same promises but saw little action. That neglect hasn\u2019t just scarred our environment \u2014 it has hurt our economy, limited recreation and endangered public health. It has told South Bay families that their safety and quality of life matter less than everyone else\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I ran for office \u2014 to end the neglect. I ran to bring attention, urgency and resources to a part of the county that\u2019s been ignored for too long. For me, this fight is personal. I\u2019ve seen the toll this crisis has taken on our people \u2014 parents afraid to let their children play outside, local businesses losing customers when beaches close and families forced to breathe polluted air while waiting for government to act.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, as we finally begin to take long-overdue action to fix this decades-old problem, I understand why some residents \u2014 especially local community gardeners \u2014 are scared and frustrated. The Tijuana River Valley Community Garden is more than just a set of plots. It\u2019s a symbol of hope and resilience. For years, residents have turned that soil into a place of belonging. They grow food not just to eat, but to keep cultural traditions alive. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, when gardeners recently received eviction notices<\/a>, many felt blindsided. They worried that cleanup efforts would erase what they had built with their own hands. I\u2019ve met with them face to face. I\u2019ve listened to their fears, their anger and their heartbreak. And I want to be absolutely clear: I do not want anyone displaced. These families didn\u2019t cause this crisis \u2014 they are living with the consequences of a broken system that has failed all of us for decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is not about blaming any one agency or individual. It\u2019s about recognizing that what\u2019s happening in the gardens is a symptom of the same dysfunction that allowed pollution to spread unchecked in the first place.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I\u2019m taking action.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve asked county staff to accelerate finding a new operator for the site so the gardeners can continue to use their plots. I\u2019ve directed county departments to conduct environmental testing so that decisions are guided by facts, not fear. I\u2019ve met with gardeners in small groups and am hosting larger community meetings so that everyone has a voice in shaping the solution. I\u2019ve reached out to local organizations that may want to step in and manage the gardens short term with stronger community accountability. And I\u2019ve asked my staff to evaluate other land options and safety improvements, so no family is left without a place to grow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This moment is about much more than one garden. It\u2019s a test of whether South Bay continues to bear the cost of everyone else\u2019s inaction or finally receives the fairness and investment it deserves. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The Tijuana River Valley can be more than a story about sewage. It can be a symbol of what happens when communities refuse to give up \u2014 when people and government work together to heal both the land and the trust that\u2019s been broken. The gardeners, families and advocates who have fought for years to make this place livable are the same people who will help lead us forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the South Bay I\u2019m fighting for \u2014 one where our community\u2019s safety, dignity and voice come first.<\/p>\n

Aguirre is the San Diego County supervisor for District 1, representing Imperial Beach, National City, Chula Vista and the Tijuana River Valley.<\/p>\n

Originally Published: October 16, 2025 at 6:00 AM PDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For as long as I can remember, South Bay families have lived with what others in San Diego…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":308203,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,1582,276,11890,1269,3549,7264,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-308202","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-commentary","12":"tag-opinion","13":"tag-san-diego","14":"tag-sandiego","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-united-states-of-america","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115384210282081887","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308202\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/308203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}