DISTRICT TWO

The County’s new, state-of-the-art public health lab is going up in Kearny Mesa and will serve the entire region. The lab will be able to test for diseases like COVID-19 and emerging public health threats. The facility will open in spring 2025.    

Parks were big in District 2 this past year. In December, the County opened its first equestrian park, the Dianne Jacob Lakeside Equestrian Park. In May 2024, the County celebrated the opening of the Four Gee Park in 4S Ranch.

The County also took a big step toward creating Alpine’s first County park by approving its environmental review documents in December and clearing the way to hire a contractor to start the first phase of the park. Among other things, the park will feature a four-way crossing to support pedestrian and bicyclist safety near the park’s entrance.

And the Julian library expanded last year both in physical space and in programing. 

In the past year, the County invested approximately $77 million in affordable housing, including awarding $42 million in January to nine affordable housing developments expected to create 872 homes, including housing located in District 2.

Public Safety and Justice Reform

In the past year, the County moved forward in its Alternatives to Incarceration initiative. Plans are underway for a new resource hub that will help adults leaving jail overcome barriers to reentering the community.

In October 2023, the County Probation Department welcomed a new canine narcotic detection team. “Penny” and “Romi” will be primarily assigned to Institutional Services and conduct random searches at the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility and the Youth Transition Campus. The dynamic duo will work to provide more safety and security at the facilities and potentially save a life.