The Grants Pass City Council has selected a path by which it hopes to satisfy a preliminary court injunction that is currently keeping it from restricting camping of the unhoused population in most city parks.
During a Special Workshop session on Tuesday, the City Council decided to open a paved employee parking lot adjacent to the homeless "resting" site at the corner of 6th and A streets for additional space. The informal vote was 6-1, with Councilor Rick Riker dissenting. Councilor Indra Nicholas was absent.
Josephine County Circuit Judge Sarah McGlaughlin put the injunction in place last week, but told attorneys representing the city that she would likely lift it if Grants Pass expands the space for camping and at least some of the sites are paved to provide better access for disabled people. It's all part of "Disability Rights Oregon versus The City of Grants Pass," a lawsuit filed in late January in response to the newly-minted Council shutting down one of two existing campsites and restricting the other.
City Manager Aaron Cubic opened the workshop with a short presentation about city-owned properties that could be utilized for additional camping space, with an estimated number of sites for each. The target is a total of 150 resting sites, with the current campgrounds on 6th and 7th streets providing an estimated 99 spaces.
The city employee parking lot at 5th and A streets will provide at least 50 more spaces to meet the court-mandated target. The former OnTrack property just north of the 6th Street site is not ready to be opened, but it could be opened in the future if necessary. It is also paved.
A resolution is on the agenda for the next City Council meeting on Wednesday, April 16th, at 6 pm. Once the Council votes in favor of the resolution, city staff will begin preparing the adjacent parking lots for additional resting sites.
