Residents urge immediate action and humane outreach on Ohlone Park encampment; city manager says closure planned

Dozens of residents and park users told the Berkeley City Council on July 8 that an encampment at Ohlone Park has made the park unsafe for families and children and urged the city to enforce the no-camping law.

"Notice was given to be out by July 3. Today is July 8, and the camp... is still full of tents," said Erica Shore, a member of the public, urging a zero-tolerance enforcement approach and a thorough cleanup to restore park access. Other speakers described finding used syringes, aggressive behavior, and lost recreational uses of the park.

Several speakers, including activists with Friends of Ohlone Park, called for police enforcement and immediate removal of tents, citing public-safety concerns and neighborhood impacts. "The ability to hide has enabled drug use and sales," one speaker said, urging the city to allow police to enforce existing laws.

At the same time, other commenters urged humane responses and more housing options. Maria Sol, who said she lives near the park, asked the council to consider where people could go and urged compassion: "We could perhaps find a way to serve them such that they are actually okay along with everyone else." Another speaker thanked staff for offering hotel placements and noted the city purchased RVs and offered hotel rooms to some families.

City Manager responded to questions about the timing and process for closure. He said the notice posting (listing July 3 as the date to vacate) does not mean the city will remove people on that date; instead, closure is the result of a planned operation combined with outreach by social workers, county CARE teams and mobile outreach teams. "The Mobile Outreach Team has gone out to that camp 47 times," the manager said, and staff said the operation to close that camp "has been planned, and that camp will be closed imminently." The manager also said that prior rapid removals at other sites were prompted by specific site conditions (including a toxic contamination report at one location).

What happens next: city staff said the operation to close the camp is planned and imminent; the council and manager stressed the need to provide alternative placements and services. Members of the public signaled they will follow council actions and expect restoration of park access and follow-up communication from staff.

Provenance: multiple public-comment segments beginning with speakers who described return from July 4 holiday to see tents still in park and continuing through the city manager's explanation of outreach and logistics.