SAN DIEGO — San Diego is cracking down on businesses that operate on the sand at our local beaches. The City says the move is necessary following complaints from beachgoers, and people living near the beach, who say the events are loud and take away space meant for everyone to share.
Blulite Bonfires is among the affected businesses. From the pictures on their website, it's clear the veteran owned business has been setting up some pretty awesome experiences on our local beaches, but their propane fire pit business is about to run out of gas.
“By banning the use of professional services like ours, you're keeping our county from enjoying a beach bonfire experience,” said Blulite Bonfires CEO Rene Contreras.
The City of San Diego says it will no longer allow private companies to set up not only bonfires, but also picnics, corporate events, and other similar activities on its beaches. The City says the crackdown follows a growing number of complaints.
Andrea Schlageter, an Ocean Beach resident, agrees with the businesses on the sand need to go.
“Why do they get to profit off of everyone else's public space?” she said. “What entitles them to that right?”
Schlageter also said these vendors take away money from other businesses that are paying fees to support community safety, beautification and sidewalk cleaning.
Lifeguards also support the ban, telling CBS 8, "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."
Gregor Coffaro owns Purpose First Beach Cleanup which organizes beach clean-ups the first Saturday of every month and provides all the materials to make the event safe. He said this crackdown will make continuing cost-prohibitive.
“Taxing us per volunteer, basically charging our organization to clean the beach, I feel is very wrong,” Coffaro said.
The affected businesses were hoping the city would create a permitting process to let them continue, but the city says these activities have always been illegal under the municipal code and now they are simply enforcing the rules already in place. Although events can no longer take place on the sand, the city will allow them at nine parks near the shoreline. Event organizers will have to get a permit, and their parties will be limited to a maximum of four hours.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego City Council bans wood bonfires outside of city approved pits (Dec. 13, 2022)