In November, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved strengthening an ordinance to prevent vendors from setting up in parks or sidewalks along local beaches. The decision ended weeks of lobbying by a coalition of local town councils from Ocean Beach to La Jolla.
On Friday, the beach-vending rules went into effect.
An older city ordinance strengthened the regulations against unpermitted street vendors, but the city of San Diego couldn’t enforce those regulations in a coastal zone that fell under the California Coastal Commission’s control. The decision in November by the city council overrode that state control.
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Now formalized are parameters for where vendors can physically set up — for example, 15 feet from another vendor, 50 feet from a major transit stop and 100 feet from any sidewalk or street closure. Also, vendors must pay $38 annually for a permit to sell their wares in San Diego.
“I want to thank the community and the Coastal Commission for their help in moving this ordinance forward to include the beaches and shoreline areas," City Councilmember Jennifer Campbell said, in part, in a news release issued on Friday.
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Prior to going into effect, it was not unusual to see so many vendors side-by-side that the view of the ocean could become entirely obstructed. Things will not change overnight, however: While the rules went into effect Friday, they will not be enforced until Feb. 1.
Vendors can go here for more information and to apply for a permit.
