Homelessness, the difficulties in solving it and proposed plans to assist those experiencing it was raised during the Pacific Beach Town Council’s Oct. 18 meeting.
“How can we care for the people who are waiting for housing?” asked Caryn Blanton, executive director of Shoreline Community Services. “That’s what’s going on. People are waiting for housing. There is no shelter and there is no housing right now. So what are we going to do as a community?”
Shoreline Community Services is a nonprofit organization that provides resources and services to the homeless. One way is through The Com Station, which it opened in Pacific Beach last year.
During non-agenda public comment, Mission Beach Town Council President Larry Webb urged the Pacific Beach Town Council to host a presentation on the Sunbreak Ranch concept as one solution to homelessness.
The Sunbreak Ranch proposal calls for the creation of a 500-acre site where homeless people can pitch their tents or have one provided while public and non-profit agencies offer appropriate services. Guests could come and go as they please, with free public transportation to downtown provided.
Otay Ranch and federal land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar have been suggested as locations by Sunbreak Ranch proponents, even though military officials have said Miramar is not an option.
“The leadership of the City of San Diego continues to follow the same path, spending more and more of our taxpayer money, while the number of homeless on our streets continues to grow and the areas they are in expand throughout our communities,” Webb said. “Seriously, we’re not that far away from becoming the next San Francisco. So it’s past time for change in our city leadership’s approaches to the homelessness issue.”
While not taking a position on Sunbreak Ranch, Blanton said even if built, it does nothing for the current growing ranks of homeless.
“It’s getting attention,” she said. “Even if it does get legs and it gets the go-ahead, it’s going to be years before it’s up and it’s running. So for the moment, we’re in the same place that we have been.”
According to Blanton, the annual Point in Time count — the only official census of homeless people in San Diego County — is highly inaccurate. She estimated 500 to 600 homeless people live in Shoreline’s service area, which includes Mission Beach to the south, La Jolla Village as its northern limit and goes east to Ingraham Street in Pacific Beach
She said Shoreline counts the number of visits by homeless people at The Com Station seeking resources and services. Blanton said the center received 760 visits in August and nearly 800 in September.
Despite recent government actions to prod the homeless to receive services, Blanton said they can only be helped when they are ready to accept assistance.
“We are going to have to come together as a community, as we always do, to figure out how we want to address these issues in our neighborhood,” Blanton said.
Emily Piatanesi, who represents the mayor’s office, submitted a written update on recent and laws and programs that address homelessness.
These include CARE Court, which began on Oct. 1; Senate Bill 43, which expanded the definition of “gravely disabled” and impacts who can be placed under conservatorship as of Jan. 1, 2024; and the Unsafe Camping Ordinance that went into effect in the city on July 31. It prohibits unauthorized tent encampments within two blocks of sensitive sites, such as schools, shelters and city parks.
“Please note that the enforcement will allow a slow rollout throughout the city,” Piatanesi wrote. “Encampments won’t disappear overnight.”
Piatanesi also highlighted four Street Vending Ordinance amendments that, if implemented, would close the loophole of free speech exploited by some vendors.
Susan Crowers, a PB Town Council director, said the amendments draw a vague distinction for the enforcement done primarily by park rangers. She said clothing, stuffed animals and original art will be considered protected speech under the amendments, while jewelry, pottery and shea butter will not.
“A lot of verbiage is still a little ambiguous,” Crowers said. “How the park rangers are going to differentiate between what is handicraft and what is artwork seems just like a whole other rabbit hole to jump down.”
In other business, a slate of PB Town Council director candidates and officers was proposed for the 12-member board.
In 2024 officers will be President Charlie Nieto, Vice President Liz Garcia, Treasurer Michael Herndon and Secretary Jaden Ballardo. Directors will be Marcella Bothwell, Susan Crowers, Denise Friedman, Trisha Goolsby, Cathie Jolley, Shane O’Connell, Karl Rand and Tony Schlegel.
During the meeting, attendees heard an update on Pacific Beach’s 43rd annual PAESAN (Police and Emergency Services Appreciation Night) event hosted by the council on Sept. 27 in Crown Point Park.
It honored the four main agencies of first responders in Pacific Beach — police, fire, lifeguards and Mission Park rangers. Since 1980, the event honors a specific branch with gifts. This year the park rangers were in the spotlight.
Individuals honored were:
• Vanessa Sojo, grounds maintenance supervisor with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
• Park Ranger Lino Santiago.
• Christina Chadwick, asst. director of Parks and Recreation, received the Rose Marie Starns Mission Bay Service Award.
• Sgt. Nicholas Zastrow with San Diego Police Department’s Northern Division Beach Team.
• San Diego Lifeguard David Brown.
• Firefighter/Paramedic Chris Corella with San Diego Fire-Rescue.
In addition, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and City Councilmember Joe LaCava presented the council a proclamation naming Sept. 27 PAESAN Day.
According to Nieto, more than 330 community attended. Through the event, the council raised more than $10,000 to provide the park rangers with equipment and items not budgeted by the city.
“This year’s event really was much bigger and better than last year,” Ballardo said. “This is my second year at this event and there was just so much more community involvement this year than last year. The amount of people that we had come this year to be involved with the community … was just phenomenal. We really want to thank our sponsors and our volunteers who made this all possible.”
