An ordinance outlawing smoking at all City of San Diego beaches and parks has created some disagreement over whether or not beach boardwalks will also be smoke-free.
While Council President Scott Peters has expressed an interest in amending the ordinance to include the boardwalk, Mayor Jerry Sanders released a statement in favor of excluding the boardwalk.
George Biagi, deputy press secretary for the mayor, said that currently there is nothing on the table to include the boardwalk in the ordinance. Pending consultation with advisory committees, the mayor envisions allowing smoking in leasehold areas within city parkland and on public rights of way, according to a press release from the Park and Recreation Department.
But according to Pam Hardy, spokeswoman for Peters, the ordinance, which passed with an 8-0 vote by the City Council June 19, was created with the intent of including the boardwalk areas. However, the boardwalk is a public right-of-way, making it part of the city’s streets division, not the city beach and park areas, she continued.
Hardy confirmed that an amendment to the original ordinance is still in progress, as reported last week in The Peninsula Beacon. The amended ordinance will require another vote and must wait until after the legislative recess, which ends Sept. 12.
However, the ban does include all city-owned open space, including city-owned and operated golf courses, community pool facilities and in tennis centers, said Andy Field, administrative services manager for the Park and Recreation Department.
Recognizing that some park users want to smoke, the Park and Recreation Department will be soliciting input from community groups and organizations during the next 60 days regarding “designated smoking permitted areas” within the City’s park system.
These areas will be discussed throughout the month of September, with Sanders giving the final decision as to which areas of the city’s park system would allow smoking, Field said.
The goal is to have the “designated smoking permitted areas” established well before the end of the calendar year, Field said.
The original ordinance, which bans smoking on beaches and parks, will take effect Thursday, Aug. 17 and fine violators initial penalties of $250. The chore of enforcing the ban will be enforced by lifeguards and police while on patrol.
People smoking on the boardwalk will not be fined, though that may change in the coming months.