Four months after it was abruptly padlocked, a free city public parking lot near the shore in Ocean Beach remains off-limits to cars, a pair of sun-bleached printed signs hanging from the gates telling people that the lot would "be locked indefinitely due to safety issues."
In January — apparently on Jan. 29, when the signs were posted — workers padlocked the dirt lot, which city of San Diego spokesman Benjamin "Benny" Cartwright told NBC 7 was "currently closed but is available for overflow parking for special events and tournaments. Robb Field users are directed to use the parking lots within the main park."
The signs instruct anyone wanting more information to contact staff at 619-531-1563. A call to that number was answered by a clubhouse employee at Robb Field.
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Cartwright told NBC 7 this week that there are no plans to reopen the lot, which has 100-125 spots and has been used for years by beachgoers, visitors to Dog Beach, and Robb Field ballplayers and their families, a spot locals might know but tourists likely do not. During the summer, hundreds of people have used the lot as an overflow beach parking lot, and that, in turn, opened up street parking for people living in the neighborhood, where it can be a challenge to find a spot.
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However, there “are no plans to open the lot at this time, but we will continue to monitor and evaluate the possibility of opening the lot in the future,” Cartwright said in an email.
Motorists instead are being directed by the city to park in the Robb Field lots to the east, some of which are also near the San Diego River Bikeway.
Cartwright said this week that the lot was closed because of persistent criminal activity. The lot adjoining Robb Field was the site where two abandoned pickup camper tops were left last December.
Since the closure, crime is way down in the Ocean Beach parking lot, according to Cartwright: "... its closure has resulted in a reduction in vandalism, overnight camping and other illegal activities that had been an issue with this lot for several years."
NBC 7 has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the city for information relating to criminal activity in the park.
Pedestrian and bicycle access is still available through the lot to the bikeway, though, and vehicles are still being parked in the lot after having driven along the riverside edge of the softball field. Last weekend, a half-dozen or so families watching a softball field next to the lot had parked there.
NBC 7 has asked the city who authorized the closure of the park but has not yet received an answer.
On Monday, May, 13, a city spokesman, Caleb Olsen, provided NBC 7 with the following response:
Due to vandalism, overnight camping, illegal dumps and noise complaints from the residents that live adjacent to the lot, SDPD made the recommendation to close this area of the park to parking. At this time, there are no plans to re-open this area of the park for parking. The area may be utilized for Robb Field Community Park operational needs but that will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. There is designated parking for Ocean Beach Dog Park off Voltaire Street.
NBC 7 has again asked the city for the name of the person who authorized the closure of the park and will update this story when an answer is forthcoming — Ed.
