Ocean Beach residents and neighbors are responding with action after watching the city remove about 16 benches at scenic viewpoints along Sunset Cliffs Natural Park and along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. The benches, which often served as a respite point for elderly walkers and ocean watchers, began disappearing in recent weeks. The origin of the benches remains shrouded in mystery and may never have been city sanctioned, though some of the benches are known to have been placed in the memory of local loved ones who have passed. While some of the benches along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard have been permanently removed for safety and liability reasons, the city has plans to place new benches at safer locations inside Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, according to Kathleen Hassenauer, deputy director with the city Park and Recreation Department’s developed regional parks division. One bench abutted a cliff guardrail, potentially endangering bench users if a vehicle struck it, she said. “We’re going to be looking at other places inside the park,” said Hassenauer. “[We will be] identifying potentially safe sites that would be suitable locations for benches and working with the (Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Recreation Council) advisory group.” Joel Siegfried, a 38-year Point Loma resident, said the gradual removal took many in the community by surprise. “It wasn’t hard to miss,” Siegfried said. “There was just a big hole and gap in the spaces where our bench was.” He said the city did a poor job of communicating with residents in advance, removing benches without notice. The city is supposed to inform the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Recreation Council (SCNPRC) about changes to the park, according to city officials. “We had no idea that the city was planning to remove those benches. We had not been notified,” said Ann Swanson, chair of the SCNPRC. The removal of the benches moved some in the community to canvass the neighborhood collecting signatures to have them brought back. Hillary Carlson said she walked along Sunset Cliffs last week speaking with neighbors and gathering signatures. Though she could not report an exact number, she said she and others had collected “many signatures.” Carlson said many in the community used the benches as a gathering spot. “Ideally, we’d like to have them where they were [but] a compromise benefits [all],” she said. District 2 Councilmember Kevin Faulconer said he sent a letter to Jay Goldstone, the city’s chief operations officer, asking that the safer benches be replaced. “The Park and [Recreation] Department usually does a very good job working with the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Recreation Council and community,” Faulconer said. “In this case, that didn’t happen. So my interest is in fixing this as quickly as possible.” The removal began after Faulconer’s office sent a letter in February asking the Department of Parks and Recreation to check the safety of the park. Because Sunset Cliffs is a major lure with its scenic, panoramic views of ocean-carved rocks, cliffs and shimmering water, safety along the cliffs has been a concern to some neighbors. A local resident, Kristan Wagner, accidentally fell to her death from the bluffs in late November. Two other people, both males, also fell from the bluffs in April and were critically injured, according to Fire and Rescue Department officials. During the evaluation of the park, a public liability consultant identified five potential solutions to avert safety hazards, according to city documents. On top of removing the benches, recommendations included filling and impacting eroded and sensitive areas of the cliffs, blocking public access at the foot of Osprey Street, delineators for pedestrians forced to walk into the street along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and removal of ice plant and other debris from the park pathways. Park and Recreation representatives will present information about the benches at the next meeting of the SCNPRC. The SCNPRC next meets Monday, June 1 at the Cabrillo Recreation Center, 3051 Cañon St., at 6:45 p.m. To contact Faulconer’s office about the issue, call (619) 236-6622.