Regarding: Proposal for D2/ Mission Bay Safe Lot

San Diego Municipal Code § 86.0137(f), the Vehicle Habitation Ban, continues to place some of San Diego's most vulnerable neighbors in peril. We are a group of District 2 neighbors and community volunteers who wish to discuss the conversion of the South Shores Park Parking Lot, adjacent the Rose Marie Starns Boat Launch in South Mission Bay into a safe parking lot.

In 2019 the process of converting the lot and offering services was proposed by District 2 and ultimately thwarted. We are hoping the State's Shelter Crisis Law, established in 2020, Government Code Section 8698, will override the California Coastal Commission (CCC) and San Diego Parks and Recreation rules preventing the lot from being used.

San Diego does not currently have a method for tracking the number of people sheltering in vehicles and SDPD is not forthcoming with enforcement statistics. However, Shoreline
Community Services (SCS) does keep a tally of unhoused people in the Central Beach Area where, as of January, there were between 300 to 400 unhoused people. Through partnership with PATH, McAlister, and SCS, 219 individuals have been engaged, 39 placed in shelters, and 12 in housing. 45 community volunteers are assisting in the effort. Our neighbors shouldn't have to seek shelter outside District 2. We want to support them right here, in our backyard.

We applaud the work being done by Jewish Family Services and Dreams for Change to implement Safe Parking Lots in San Diego County. Our goal is to find service and security providers similar to these charities to help make a D2 Safe Lot a reality.

We hope Mayor Gloria along with a joint-effort by Districts 2, 4 and 9, will help make this project happen. We hope to standardize a Safe Lot establishment process under the Shelter Crisis Law for other San Diego neighborhoods with a parking lot as full of potential as Rose Marie Starns.

Rose Marie Starns South Shores Park is currently described as “a little used beach at the south end of Mission Bay in San Diego” with a large boat launch. The area was intended to be developed as regional parkland but conflicts with the adjacent landfill under the site has restricted its future use and indefinitely postponed any plans for parkland development.

The existing site meets the following criteria with minimal or no improvements:
* Parking for 120+ cars.
* Room for a freestanding storage building and/or new restroom.
* Secured perimeter & lighting.
* Close to Interstates I-5 / I-8.
* RV Dump Station.
* Public restrooms with daily cleaning and maintenance provided by Parks and Recreation.

There are five other boat ramps with ample parking around the Bay. Let's put people before boats.

Sincerely,

Caryn Blanton
Pacific Beach Resident, Shoreline Community Services

Katheryn Rhodes
Pacific Beach Resident, La Playa Heritage

Paige Hernandez
Pacific Beach Resident, Black & Brown Pacific Beach

Regina Sinsky-Crosby
Pacific Beach Resident, Community Volunteer

South Shores Park on Mission Bay: https://www.californiabeaches.com/beach/south-shores-park-on-mission-bay/

State's Shelter Crisis Law: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=GOV&division=1.&title=2.&part=&chapter=7.8.&article=