It’s not over yet.

That was the visceral reaction of some Point Lomans opposing H Barracks being turned into a 190-space overnight Safe Parking Lot for vehicle dwellers.

San Diego City Council recently approved a one-year contract, with four one-year renewal options, with the nonprofit Jewish Family Service of San Diego to continue running the City’s Safe Parking Program including H Barracks near San Diego International Airport.

The City abandoned a previously controversial plan to convert H Barracks, formerly used for police and fire department training, into a comprehensive, large-scale homelessness services shelter. The City pivoted instead to turning the site into a Safe Parking Lot. That action followed the City’s encountering blowback from some Point Loma residents contending a homeless shelter there would negatively impact the safety of local businesses and several schools nearby in Liberty Station.

On April 22, the City Council approved adding H Barracks, as early as May, to the mix of four existing Safe Parking sites at Rose Canyon, Aero Drive, Balboa Avenue, and Mission Valley.

CITY’S POSITION

“The individuals and families served through the Safe Parking Program are our neighbors, and many are experiencing homelessness for the first time – needing just a little bit of help to get back on their feet,” said the City in a news release. “Programs like Safe Parking give us a chance to intervene early and get folks on a path back to housing, and with the H Barracks site, we’ll be able to help hundreds more struggling San Diegans.”

In his recent newsletter, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria noted the new JFS contract “allows us to continue progress on opening a new 190-space Safe Parking site at H Barracks, nearly doubling the number of safe overnight parking spaces available in our City. This site will serve people living in their vehicles who need a secure place to sleep while receiving services that help them transition back into permanent housing.”

Added Gloria: “Safe parking is one of our most effective early intervention tools. It meets people where they are – often before they’ve entered the shelter system – and connects them to housing navigation, mental health services, job training, and more. I want to thank Jewish Family Service for their continued partnership and the City Council for supporting the expansion of this highly successful program.”

OPPOSITION’S STANCE

Not everyone however is convinced downgrading H Barracks from a tented homeless shelter to a Safe Parking Lot is a serviceable short- or long-term homelessness solution. Derek Falconer and Margaret Virissimo of nonprofit Point Loma Cares warn that the City could ultimately upgrade H Barracks back into a full-fledged homeless shelter until a Pure Water facility is scheduled to be built there in 2029.

“A safe parking lot with 190 parking spaces is just phase one,” contended Falconer, noting the project’s Coastal Development Permit “spells out phase two as including two, 350-person event-style tent shelters. They (City) won’t say why they put in phase two. But it’s in there marked.”

Falconer noted a H Barracks tent shelter would resemble the existing temporary 150-bed Alpha Project tent shelter in the 3800 block of Rosecrans Street in the Midway District. That facility is on County-owned land adjacent to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Complex. Alpha Project’s contract to run that shelter is set to expire June 30. The mayor has opted not to include nearly $5 million in operations funding for the Alpha Project Midway Shelter in this year’s preliminary City budget.

“The biggest issue we have is that the City has been unwilling to have a conversation addressing the issues with the community about H Barracks,” said Virissimo, who added there are many questions to be answered such as, “Will there be 24-hour security onsite? That makes us uncomfortable with their (City’s) wanting to put Safe Parking in near the airport and next to parks and recreation and residential homes.”

“Why spend money on new tent shelters when we can’t afford to run the ones we have now like the Midway Shelter?” asked Falconer.

DEVELOPER’S LAWSUIT

Another wrinkle in the City’s ongoing effort to turn H Barracks into a Safe Parking Lot involves an ongoing lawsuit brought by McMillin-NTC, developers of Liberty Station, against the City and the California Coastal Commission. McMillin’s lawsuit argues the City’s plans to use H Barracks for Safe Parking violates an existing agreement between the City and the federal government barring homeless services on the site.

The McMillin suit also contends the City failed to both get a proper use permit, and comply with state environmental law, in pursuing a safe parking lot, and that the Coastal Commission’s decision granting a coastal development permit for the project violates the state Coastal Act.

Superior Court Judge Gregory W. Pollack was asked by McMillin to grant an injunction while McMillin’s legal fight over the H Barracks Safe Parking project continues. On April 30, Pollack ruled in the City’s favor and against McMillin’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have prevented the swift opening of a Safe Parking Program at H Barracks.

“The ruling is a win for all San Diegans, as it clears the way for the use of City-owned land near the airport for people living in vehicles to come off the streets to safety and get connected to the services that will help end their homelessness,” said Gloria. “Not only is Safe Parking our most successful homelessness intervention; it also addresses the region’s fastest-growing segment of unhoused people. I commend the City Attorney’s Office for the great work they did on this case.”

BIGGER NOT BETTER

Falconer suggested the City would be better off utilizing smaller, more numerous, and widely scattered 50- or 60-bed homeless shelters rather than promoting “unprecedentedly large” mega-shelter concepts like H Barracks.

Falconer pointed out only one of the four existing Safe Parking Lots Citywide operate around the clock asking, “What’s the plan if people in their vehicles using the site aren’t allowed to be there from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.?”

Virissimo said the City can be assured the community will be closely tracking how it carries out its plans for H Barracks should they come to fruition. “We’re going to be monitoring and watching,” she said. “We’re not going to let this slide by if there’s an issue with this project getting way out of control spilling out into the community.”