The parking lot at Ocean Beach Dog Beach will soon be gated off during overnight hours.
It’s one of 35 coastal area parking lots from O.B. to La Jolla that will have new restrictions. City leaders say it’s an effort to curb crime and people living in their vans.
After roughly two years of calling one of San Diego’s coastal parking lots home, van lifer Heather Galka said she’s seen enough to understand why some San Diegans are frustrated with the mess some leave, contributing to the tougher city parking restrictions.
“I wouldn’t say I feel like they need to but, I mean, I understand why they’re doing it. You don’t want trash. I just wish people could keep it clean,” said Galka.
The city says they are citing a “steady rise in nighttime criminal activity in some lots,” and an increase in van lifers.
“For some of these vehicles, they empty out their waste, which goes out into the sea. So that’s an issue,” said O.B. resident Ellie Gallagher. “I mean, we’ve had a number of dogs with issues with meth that they’ve picked up.”
Gallagher is referring to multiple reports, including one NBC San Diego did last year, where a dog died as a result of ingesting meth at O.B’s Dog Beach.
The city is now planning to put in place limited time parking, adding new gates that will lock overnight at six coastal parking lots. On top of that, new nighttime parking lot closing hours will also be put in place.
The Torrey Pines Gliderport will close the earliest at 9 p.m.
Others will close between 10 p.m. and midnight, with most reopening at 4 a.m.
Residents worry about the residual effects of closing the lots.
“All you’re doing is shifting the problem, because the underlying issues aren’t dealt with,” said Gallagher.
“I think governmental overreach is as much of a problem as people taking advantage of, like, public facilities and public spaces, if you will. And is this overreach, do you think? Not yet, but it always leads to overreach,” said a San Diegan who only identified himself as Mark.
“It’s not a big deal for me to find a new spot. Like, I’m doing okay. I have a job. But yeah, a lot of people that aren’t working, yeah, that’s sucks, they’re definitely going to feel it,” said Heather.
The new restrictions proposed by the city were unanimously approved at the California Coastal Commission’s meeting last Wednesday.
San Diego’s municipal code already prohibits overnight parking and vehicle habitation in many areas, although enforcement has varied.
The city of San Diego has 45 days to send the final plans to the Coastal Commission.
