2 years later: Half Moon Bay promised farmworker housing after mass shooting. Where is it?
HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KGO) -- Thursday marks two years since one of the darkest days on the Peninsula, and the city is introducing plan options for a permanent memorial.
Seven farmworkers lost their lives during a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay when one farmworker walked into two separate farms and opened fire. One other person was left injured.
The suspect in this shooting was a former employee at one of the farms who has pleaded not guilty. The trial has been delayed at least once and is set to begin in April.
On Thursday, the city is getting community feedback on a permanent memorial for the victims.
While the city is hosting a Remembrance Day in Mac Dutra Plaza, the community is getting their first look at the renderings of what could be a permanent memorial.
They established a committee to come up with a memorial for the seven farmworkers killed in the 2023 mass shooting.
MORE: What to know about the victims killed in the Half Moon Bay mushroom farms mass shooting
And they decided the best way to honor their lives was by building a farmworker memorial garden.
The city has it down to three final designs for the memorial garden.
On Thursday, the community is invited to come out and see these designs in person and give some feedback to help the city narrow things down.
"We continue to hear from the community, there's a need to honor not just the victims but again the farmworkers on the coast," Julissa Acosta, a community services analyst for the city of Half Moon Bay said. "We'll have the proposals all day so people can come, walk by, see, leave sticky notes on what they like, what they don't like, what they would like to see."
VIDEO: 'Hidden Crisis: Tragedy in Half Moon Bay' | Watch full special
Former Half Moon Bay Mayor Joaquin Jimenez says a tribute like this is long overdue.
"Two years ago today it changed the lives of a lot of us, it changed the history of Half Moon Bay, it went across the nation, it went to other countries, and what this did, it changed the way we see farmworkers," Jimenez said.
There isn't a set timeline for this project because the city is still working to secure funding.
The designs range in cost between $500,000 and more than $3 million.
Jimenez also said the city and county have been paying to house about 42 people who lived in the mushroom farms where the shootings took place. Jimenez said Half Moon Bay has more than 1,000 farmworkers who need housing.
"We had the governor after the shootings, who spoke that he wanted to see the housing be developed in Half Moon Bay for farmworkers. Yeah, you can speak all you want. Where is the money? Invest in our community, invest in the farmworkers not only in Half Moon Bay," Jimenez said.
We went to 880 Stone Pine Road, the only site set aside for farmworker housing after the shootings.
"The site can hold up to 70 units but right now, we have 47 approved," said San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller.
The county was able to secure a state grant of close to $5 million for the site.
Supervisor Ray Mueller they have tackled other issues in San Mateo County after the shootings.
"We actually had a task force go out at every ranch and farm in the county. We started an Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement that has gone out and allows farmworkers to call in if something is happening at a job site. So, we are trying to improve the conditions," said Supervisor Mueller. "We are getting ready to announce a $2 million program where we are actually going to provide loans that will be forgiven over time to those same farmers and ranchers to improve the housing on their sites."
Michelle Durand, San Mateo County's chief communication officer highlighted, "The county created an Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement but it's not operating yet. They are will hiring for it."
The 880 Stone Pine Road site is set to open in May. Farmworkers who lived at the mushroom farms where the shootings took place will have housing at the site.
But for now, the focus is still on remembering all seven victims.
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On Friday, the nonprofit ALAS will have a community vigil to mark the second anniversary of the mass shooting.
That's happening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the ALAS yellow house on Purissima Street.
More coverage of the Half Moon Bay mass shooting here.
TAKE ACTION: Resources for people impacted by Half Moon Bay mass shooting
