The local government is running a survey to gather feedback from nearby communities. It has been eight months since the Chula Vista City Council voted in favor of closing Harborside Park due to complaints about it being taken over by dozens of homeless people who had set up tents and campsites there.
The parents of Harborside Elementary School, which shares the 5-acre park, supported by the Chula Vista Elementary School District and Superintendent Dr. Eduardo Reyes, asked the council, led by former Mayor Mary Casillas, to take action to remove these individuals from the park due to the clear risk they posed to the school community.
Eight days after this decision, on Wednesday, August 31, the park was cleared and a "temporary closure" of the park for 90 days located on Oxford Street and Industrial Boulevard was agreed upon. Since then, people have been setting up their tents on the side of Palomar Street, in front of the San Diego County Health Clinic and Industrial Boulevard.
The reason? A significant piece of information is the notice that appears on the wire fence facing Oxford Street: "DO NOT ENTER, PARK CLOSED, EFFECTIVE 8-31-2022 FOR REPAIR, FENCING"; however, the message avoids referring to the true cause of the park's closure: the eviction or removal of the people who were there.
Four months later, Republican Mayor John McCann announced the formation of the new Department of Housing and Homeless Services, which, according to a local government statement, "will provide staff and resources to more comprehensively address Chula Vista residents' housing needs and promote solutions for the city's homeless residents."
It is worth noting that the City of Chula Vista stated in the third week of April that it would conduct a survey to get public input on the best design for Harborside Park. The poll is being conducted at community events and among the residents near the community park.
According to writer Sarah Berjan, the Chula Vista government is expected to "identify what themes and features they would like to see in future facilities." The same source quotes conversations with Mayor McCann, who admits that "this is a very challenging issue, but I believe we are headed in the right direction." The idea is to guarantee that we assist and receive input from the Harborside community in order to elevate it to the greatest extent possible."
Another crucial piece of information provided by the reporter is that the park's maintenance to date has cost around $350,000 due to its temporary shutdown.
