The Grants Pass City Council has decided to move the unhoused population out of all city parks starting this week.
During its Monday workshop session, the City Council adopted an implementation schedule that will move all homeless encampments out of all city parks and to two sites near the new Water Treatment Plant and the empty lot at 6th and A streets. A resolution will be on the agenda for Wednesday night's regular meeting.
The 6th and A site will be temporary as it eventually will be moved to a lot next to the Grants Pass Police Station off NE 7th Street. A building on the lot must still be demolished, but it should be ready for occupancy in early October. The general consensus of the Council was to remove campsites from all city parks especially those next to schools as classes begin next week. Those parks include Fruitdale, Eckstein and Gilbert Creek.
Other sites still under consideration include the southwest corner of Riverside Park away from the Rogue River, 850 East Park Street behind the Parkway Fire Station, and lots on SE I Street and NW Midland Avenue. The Council is still deciding how many sites it will open for camping, but there will be at least two available.
City Manager Aaron Cubic said there is no legal requirement for Grants Pass to provide services at the designated campsites, but there will be ADA-compliant porta-potties, handwashing stations and garbage service placed at the new sites.
In late June, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing Grants Pass and other cities to restrict camping in public spaces. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to drop the injunction forcing the city to allow "resting" in most city parks, but Cubic said it is expected to happen within the next couple of weeks.
According to Cubic, Legal Counsel recommended that enforcement of the new city code governing public camping go into effect this week.
