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Residents press council to secure San Antonio Wash; city manager says easement limits enforcement
Summary
Public commenter Hillary Dockrill urged the council to secure gaps in fencing and stop trespassing and theft along the San Antonio Wash; City Manager Nick said much of the corridor is controlled by other agencies and the city must acquire easements or obtain permissions to act.
Hillary Dockrill, a local business owner and resident, told the Montclair City Council that the San Antonio Wash has long-standing trespassing, encampment and theft problems and urged the city to secure the corridor to protect residents and nearby businesses.
"We want it to just be secure to resolve the problems," Dockrill said, citing repeated break-ins at a business on Oakland Avenue and at least one death found behind a property.
City Manager Nick replied that much of the wash right-of-way is not owned or controlled by the city and is under the jurisdiction of other agencies. "The San Antonio channel has easements on either side of it that are controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers and the San Bernardino County Flood Control District," Nick said, adding that the city can enforce against encampments only when authorization is granted or when criminal activity occurs.
Nick said the city has met with the Pomona School District about a parcel at the end of the cul-de-sac on Oakland and has even sought to purchase the property to assume maintenance and fencing responsibilities, but the district is not willing to sell at this time.
Why it matters: Dockrill and other residents say open gaps in fencing and intermittent enforcement make the wash a conduit for theft and a safety hazard for teenagers and nearby businesses. The council and staff described legal limits on entering or securing property controlled by federal and county agencies.
What the council asked staff to do: Council members asked whether staff had sent written notices to the Army Corps and Flood Control District documenting fence deficiencies; Nick said staff regularly pursues such authorizations and will continue to press partner agencies and follow up with the school district about potential transfer or maintenance.
Next steps: Staff will continue to request permissions from controlling agencies, coordinate code-enforcement responses when allowed, and follow up with the Pomona School District on the status of the Oakland property.
