Veteran- and minority-owned small business owners and supporters of Restore San Diego met on March 26 at La Jolla Shores to protest what they claim is “an unexpected shift by the City” to ban private businesses from hosting events, including pop-up picnics, on San Diego beaches.
“There are 100 small businesses who make their livelihood putting on events for families, and even businesses, here on the sand,” said Amy Reichert, who founded Restore San Diego in 2020. “What the City said on Feb. 1 is, ‘Nope, we’re not even going to have a permitting process, the sand is off limits.’ So what these businesses are simply asking for is a permitting process where they can comply with fire and insurance regulations. They want to make sure the beach is open for everybody.”
“There has been no change in policy or regulations, and no recent ‘ban,’ as alleged by some business owners, just enforcement of longstanding policy and municipal code,” said José Ysea, City public safety media services manager.
“The City Parks and Recreation Department has created a permitting process for commercial activity for pop-up and luxury picnics in coastal areas and Balboa Park. Commercialized activity on parkland and beaches is currently illegal,” Ysea said. “However, these new guidelines will expand opportunities for commercial vendors to conduct business legally within 12 permittable locations, and will align these business activities with the City’s existing municipal code and the new Sidewalk Vendor Ordinance recently adopted unanimously by the City Council.”
“We want our community to see how dedicated we are to creating a better process for our community to enjoy beach bonfire services,” said Rene Contreras, founder and owner of Blulight Bonfires providing clean-burning fire pits. “The current Sidewalk Vendor Ordinance has been updated. The vocabulary now eliminates the use of professional beach services on all City beaches. That is creating an issue because we have so many individuals who are coming out here (La Jolla Shores) who require our services. Some of them (businesses) are handicapped and require wheelchairs. Other ones are just not capable of bringing heavy equipment onto the beaches.”
“San Diego beaches are public spaces for all to enjoy,” said San Diego lifeguards in a statement. “Unregulated commercial activity on the sand takes up public space, negatively affects the beach, and creates a distraction for lifeguards. Lifeguard resources must be dedicated to public safety and water observation.”
Asked what he hoped to accomplish by participating in the press conference, Contreras replied: “We just want to get some support from our City to highlight our services, and to show our community that we need processes in place to be able to meet the demand for a healthier, cleaner beach-bonfire experience.”
“A new section has been added to the Parks and Recreation Department permit center website to provide interested vendors with information about the guidelines, locations, and how to secure permits,” continued Ysea adding, “Outreach to commercial vendors is ongoing to guide these new requirements.”
