It looks like the San Diego city council has had it with street vendors who don’t follow the rules.
The unanimous decision by a city council committee to crack down on street vendors who violate the current ordinance means a revised ordinance that will be crafted to prevent the mess that is going on right now across the city.
From the boardwalk to Balboa Park and from the Gaslamp to the embarcadero, you might call it the street vendor invasion that has been going on.
Retail shops and businesses have complained and so do some residents and tourists. Sometimes the scene in Balboa Park and elsewhere looks more like a swap meet.
Council member Jennifer Campbell offered up the plan this week that moves on to the full city council. She calls it a “balance between protecting constitutional rights and maintaining public order.”
There is no doubt that things have gotten out of hand.
And when it comes to a city like San Diego that thrives and depends on tourism and a welcoming and pleasant place to visit for its success, the street vendor problem is one that has to be solved.
(Photo c.e. albert)