CHULA VISTA - Leaders in one South Bay city will decided whether to close a park because of the problems associated with homeless people camping there.
Residents of Chula Vista say Harborside Park, which is next to a trolley station and an elementary school, is a haven for drinking, drug use and homeless encampments and the problem has only gotten worse in recent years.
The city council could put up a fence and hire a security firm to close access to the park for three months at a cost of about $350,000. But homeless advocates say the city could convert part of the park into a safe site where homeless people could be allowed to stay and then help them transition into permanent housing. Some non-profit organizations already visit the park weekly and offer services but there's a shortage of places where the homeless people can go besides the park.
The council will discuss the issue at its meeting Tuesday.