PUSHCARTS
ties with public safety priorities,” Serrano said.
Many community leaders and business groups have been lobbying for revival of the regulations Faulconer proposed in early 2019 but then abandoned later that year.
Faulconer’s staff has attributed that to the COVID-19 pandemic, which shifted the mayor’s attention to other priorities.
The sharp reduction in tourism during the pandemic has reduced complaints about pushcart vendors in such places as the Embarcadero and outside Petco Park.
But pushcarts have remained controversial in other areas, including Pacific Beach, where the community’s town council sent Faulconer a letter demanding action shortly before his
term in office ended Dec. 10.
Before getting elected, Gloria acknowledged that a world without pushcart regulations was a kind of “Wild West” and committed to gathering input from all sides.
Faulconer was criticized for basing his proposed legislation only on complaints from merchant groups and community leaders, not from pushcart operators. His staff said it was hard to reach vendors because there is no central organization representing them.
The Center on Policy Initiatives, a local think tank focused on progressive policies, has helped advocate for street vendors during the process.
Ana Laura Martinez, the center’s leadership development coordinator, said Monday that she hopes Gloria will propose regulations that aren’t “overly restrictive” and don’t impact entrepreneurial opportunities for
minority groups.
Because Gloria supported the street vendor law while in Sacramento, Martinez said she is optimistic that Gloria knows what’s at stake.
Martinez said the city’s previous attempt at legislation was marred by wording that critics could have called racist or micro-aggressive regarding the presence of immigrants and minorities in tourist areas.
She said the proposed rules implied that street vendors were a nuisance and an eyesore, when they could be characterized as a colorful and welcome addition to the streetscape.
Critics of the vendors say it’s important for the city to limit them to the spirit of the state law, instead of allowing the vendors to sell almost anything.
Faulconer’s proposal would have banned pushcarts in such high-traffic tourist areas as the Balboa
Park Botanical Building and Lily Pond, Sunset Cliffs Natural Park and the boardwalks in Mission Beach and La Jolla Shores.
They also would have been prohibited near Petco Park on Padres game days and near the convention center when a convention is under way.
They wouldn’t have been allowed near bike racks, scooter corrals, tables, benches, parking meters, utility boxes and fire hydrants, or within 15 feet of an intersection, building entrance or public restroom.
In addition to saying that city rules must be based on health and safety, the state law says vendors who violate city rules can only be fined, not prosecuted criminally.
Other San Diego County cities that have approved pushcart regulations include Carlsbad, Vista, El Cajon and National City.