City supports closing beach parking lots overnight to deter crime

In October 2021, City officials supported closing some Mission Bay parking lots overnight preventing public access to curb crime.

Now the City is advocating expanding those closures from La Jolla to Ocean Beach at nearly a dozen coastal parks and parking areas overnight. The rationale is that should help reduce numerous infractions such as gang activity, late-night parties, illegal bonfires, and unauthorized camping.

“The City is in the preliminary stages of applying for the renewal of an existing Coastal Development Permit in the interest of public safety that would allow us to continue enforcing parking restrictions at select areas in Mission Bay Park and the coastline,” said City spokesperson Tim Graham. “The Parks and Recreation Department has conducted public outreach to local stakeholders for recommendations about how we can better manage coastal parking lots, which may include the installation of additional signage, gates, and changes to hours of operation.”

Graham said nothing has been finalized yet related to specific parking lots that could be closed.

San Diego Police Department said they’re ready to comply with any further closures of coastal parking lots.

“The community is calling for these enhanced restrictions and we’re working with Parks and Rec to try and make it happen,” said San Diego Police Department Northern Division Capt. Scott M. Wahl. “We are standing by waiting for the decision. We do, however, support the idea if approved. As you know, nothing good happens down there at night.”

Wahl said officers would assist with enforcement of new parking restrictions if they are imposed “just as we currently do. We have police officers that address parking-enforcement issues throughout our beaches weekly.”

Wahl noted some of the most common overnight violations include parking after hours, red curb, out of the stall, Oversized Vehicle Ordinance, and handicap-parking violations

Added Wahl: “Parks and Rec do contract with security to open and close gates. They would have to answer as to whether or not they would expand that contract.”

City locations that could get new security gates include Torrey Pines City Park and Gliderport, Belmont Park, and Sunset Cliffs Natural Park/Ladera Street parking lot. Other sites are Mission Bay Park, East Bonita Cove, Ventura Cove, and Bahia Point.

Signs saying parking is prohibited at night are proposed to be posted at Dog Beach in OB, Santa Monica Avenue parking lot, Newport Avenue, and Ocean Beach Pier parking lot, Sunset Cliffs linear park, and Windansea in La Jolla.

Hours of closure would be 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. or midnight to 6 a.m. Installations of gates would be contingent on the availability of funding estimated at $6,000 per gate.

La Jolla Shores Kellogg Park, South Mission Beach, South Jetty/ Mission Point, Crown Point, Fiesta Island, and Fanuel Park already have security gates for nighttime closures.

Last October, Mission Bay Park Committee voted unanimously to support closing some Mission Bay parking lots overnight preventing public access. That action prompted social advocates to warn about the loss of public freedoms and harm to people forced to shelter in their vehicles.

“Seems like the City is too cheap to enforce laws, so they want to get rid of everyone and continue their march towards not providing services to residents,” said Pacific Beach environmental and social activist Karin Zirk.

“Closing coastal parking lots will have a terrible impact on law-abiding residents whose only available shelter is their RVs or other vehicles, and who park in these plentiful parking spaces to access running water, bathrooms, showers, and waste-disposal stations,” said disabled-rights attorney Ann Menasche. “The unhoused residents of San Diego seem to be the real target of these proposed closures and security gates, and the only stakeholders whose guidance is repeatedly ignored.”

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