Thank you all for signing my petition!  Many of you also paid to promote this petition - you are so nice!

I want to update you on the progress of us trying to prevent BPAC from being used as a shelter.  On Tuesday, 9/24/2024, City Council meeting discussed as an information item: "Short-Term Action Plan on Homelessness" - Item S502.

A handful of us SDBC Board Directors and members, Joe, Kenny, Terry, Patty, Tina,  Kevin and myself provided comments at the meeting opposing the use of BPAC as a homeless shelter.   I spoke for you all signors of this petition and submitted the petition with your signatures to the Council for records.

Table Tennis representatives and others also spoke against using BPAC as a shelter.  

Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, whose district includes Balboa Park, fully supported us and declared BPAC off limits as a shelter.

Council President Sean Elo-Rivera noted that he brought up BPAC only as a shelter to aid anyone displaced from the Golden Hall shelter downtown. That facility was originally planned to close in October, but officials said the new end date is likely Dec. 31. So Elo-Rivera no longer thought the gym would be needed for now.

Nevertheless, Sean Elo-Rivera signaled his willingness to consider it as an emergency shelter in the future.  

We must, therefore, remain vigilant if we want to prevent BPAC from being used as anything other than for sports.  They used it once as a shelter; it'll be easy for them to fall back on the choice rather than looking for new solutions.  Homelessness is an important issue, but BPAC is not the solution.

We will monitor City Council's discussion on this.  Meanwhile continue to write to your City councilmember, and as one lady said - "I'll never vote for anyone approving BPAC as a shelter!"

We received good media coverage on the council meeting discussion:

NBC Ch 7 San Diego report (My comments @ 0:50) 

San Diego Union Tribune article

SD City Council Meeting Video Recording (Item S502 starts at 2:24pm, public comments begin 2:49.  I spoke @ 2:59pm.  )

Separately, we also held a protest in front of BPAC on 9/21 - picture above.  

Let's cherish our badminton, our BPAC.

Shannon