Ocean Beach’s Robb Field, plagued by homelessness and drug problems, has a new issue to contend with: complaints of people living out of their vehicles monopolizing the park’s parking lot.

The problem came into focus for Peninsula resident Kristen Keltner on Saturday, Feb. 22, when she got a parking ticket at about noon while enjoying her daughter and niece’s softball games.

“My car was parked (along with numerous other Peninsula Youth Softball Association parents, grandparents, and visitor team vehicles) in a dirt area adjacent to the paved parking lot because zero parking spaces were available,” Keltner said.

“The parking situation at Robb Field feels increasingly unbalanced. Stakeholders, such as PYSA and Albion soccer who pay for permits along with hundreds of families, who pay registration fees to utilize this space for athletics, seem to have fewer rights than the people inhabiting their vehicles and calling Robb Field home,” Keltner said.

“I’ve counted as many as 80 campers and vans in this parking lot, often taking up more than one space and/or not moving for days,” continued Keltner. “If the City is unable or unwilling to enforce violations for everyone – then traffic enforcement should not give citations to Robb Field visitors who are attending events, which the park is intended for.”

Given that police are prohibited from enforcing the City’s vehicle habitation and oversized vehicle ordinances because of continuing legal challenges, the only action police presently can take is writing citations for RVs and other vehicles parked in the Robb Field lot when the park is closed overnight between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

In response to ongoing complaints about RVs monopolizing Robb Field, the San Diego Police Department has acknowledged they’re aware of neighborhood “hotspots” like Robb Field, where vehicle habitation has impacted residents and businesses. SDPD said they have a team assisting Western and Neighborhood Policing Divisions to “work within the legal constraints set by the courts to address this ongoing issue,” adding that “expanding safe parking is part of that solution, providing a structured, safer alternative for those in need.”

Claudia Bender, who identified herself as a sports permit payer, agreed that Robb Field’s parking lot has become problematic. “Many people have weighed in on the parking of RVs by homeless folks,” Bender noted adding, “Some of the RVs are clearly ‘not’ homeless. They are tourists with very nice rigs and money to travel. If the police cannot handle the overnight camping, then they should at least enforce the no smoking and vaping in San Diego public parks and beaches. Those of us contributing substantial fees so our children can play sports at Robb, have an expectation that these fees include parking near the fields.”

Resident Scott Lewis, though sympathetic to the plight of the homeless, nonetheless concurred with Keltner and Bender believing something needs to be done to alleviate the Robb Field parking conundrum. “The City urgently needs places for people to go if they are facing homelessness but for their vehicles,” he said.

“I sympathize greatly with people who are clinging to their vehicles and doing all they can to stay off the streets. The City and County should urgently provide space for them. But Robb Field serves thousands of families from across the City every day and it doesn’t have the facilities or space to accommodate this many people. And there appear to be some visitors who are treating Robb Field as a recreational campsite, and they need to move along at night,” Lewis said

Jill Wyatt, past president of PYSA, concurred with others who believe parking at Robb Field has gotten out of hand. “Robb Field is not a designated safe parking lot, however lately it feels that way,” Wyatt said. “There are public message boards for the van life community. On several occasions, I’ve seen posts promoting Robb Field saying, ‘Go to Robb, there’s plenty of parking and they don’t check. Lots of corners to tuck away into.’

“One year ago, the City posted street signs in the parking lot forbidding overnight camping,” continued Wyatt. “It feels like a bad joke when you look at the parking lots full of vans right now parked directly in front of those signs. The best way to keep the park healthy is for our groups to activate it with its intended usage. However, user safety has to remain a priority. Otherwise, our families will go elsewhere, and the park will become completely overtaken by misuse.”

Keltner has shared her concerns about alleged illegal parking at Robb Field with the City and encourages others to do so by reaching out to Councilmember Jennifer Campbell via Manuel Reyes at [email protected], and Mayor Todd Gloria via Randy Reyes at [email protected].