The San Diego City Council voted against a request from two homeowners on Prospect Place to close off the end of the cul-de-sac in front of their homes. Homeowners in the 7700 block of Prospect Place had asked the city to vacate 3,100 square-feet of the land where bushes have overgrown. The homeowners, Lisa and William Barkett and Ken and Tara Nitahara, claim the area is trash-ridden and attracts crime. They wanted to build a sidewalk, install drains and lighting onsite. One of the homeowners also planned to build a garage with the extra land. The City Council voted 5-3 to reject the request March 2. The La Jolla Community Planning Association had also voted down the proposal 9-2-1 on Dec. 3, 2009. District 1 City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner, who represents La Jolla, made the motion to reject the vacation. “Prospect Place must remain a fully functional street,” Lightner said. “I’m happy to work with the applicants, the neighborhood and the city to design a cul-de-sac or a turn-around to address any concerns regarding traffic circulation and the appearance of the street.” Lightner said the neighborhood shouldn’t lose parking spaces in the process. Crime is not an issue at that end of the street, testified Lt. Jim Filley with the police department’s Northern Division at the March 2 hearing. District 8 Councilman Ben Hueso dissented on the vote. “In my mind, when an easement is no longer used for the public benefit, it’s the rightful property of the abutting property owner,” he said.