SAN DIEGO
A group of beach area residents wants the city to open a parking lot in Mission Bay that will allow homeless people who live in their cars to legally park overnight.
Proponents say the parking lot at Rose Marie Starns South Shores Park, a small green space near SeaWorld mostly used for boating, is a good location for people to rest at night because it has room for more than 250 cars and access to public restrooms.
The park is currently open from 4 a.m. to 2 a.m. but overnight camping is not allowed.
“We have to start coming up with creative solutions to the problem because what we have considered in the past isn’t working and it’s not enough,” said Caryn Blanton, acting executive director for Shoreline Community Services, a nonprofit that works to eliminate homelessness in San Diego’s central beach neighborhoods.