What started off in February as one RV and a boat on Otay Valley Road in Otay Mesa West blossomed in six months into two RVs that have undergone renovations and expanded to include an outdoor, shanty-style living room, with a Mercedes-Benz parked out back. “It needs to be cleaned up, it’s a s afety hazard,” says resident Jerry Allen. Allen has been leading the charge since February, talking to his council district representative and posting about the encampment on the city’s Get It Done app, hoping to get it cleaned up. He’s worried about health and fire hazards to his Vista Pacifica neighborhood. “If a fire would start here, it could go up that hill in a minute before the fire department got here,” Allen said. “If the fire got up here, and got bad enough and quick enough, the residents will be trapped.” Allen said he has watched the first encampment entice two other RVs to move in down the street. The shantytowns are blossoming at the foot of the South Bay housing boom — across from North Island Credit Union Amphitheater, right off the side of Otay Valley Road, just before Avenida De Las Vistas. It’s an area where jurisdictional issues come into play between the cities of San Diego and Chula Vista. The RVs are precariously parked near the border between the cities. One of Allen’s requests on the city of San Diego’s Get It Done app was forwarded to Chula Vista. But judging from this sign that says “leaving Chula Vista,” one camp appears to be on the Chula Vista side, and the other encampment that’s under construction and growing is seemingly on San Diego’s side. “It’s like the city council doesn’t really care about the folks that kind of live down here in this area,” Allen said. Emails from a District 8 council representative show they have been working with the city of Chula Vista to try and remedy the problem. While Allen said Chula Vista has been to the site to clear the RVs from their side, San Diego has not. “This is what your tax dollars are supposed to go for, to keep everyone safe in the neighborhood,” said Allen. The city of San Diego issued a statement that reads: Officers from SDPD’s Neighborhood Policing Division are aware of concerns in this area and will continue responding to Get It Done reports and taking enforcement actions as appropriate. The City addresses encampments in the public right-of-way. The City cannot enter private property to remove waste or encampments. If trash or encampments are reported on private property, City code officers will work with property owners to address concerns. Continued non-compliance could result in citations. Property owners can request a Letter of Agency (Trespass Arrest Authorization) to allow SDPD to enforce trespassing on private property without the owner’s consent or without lawful purpose. ...read more read less