By Casey Amaral and Stephen de Ropp

About 100 people filled the Santa Cruz City Hall Chamber on Oct. 13 to voice their dissatisfaction with the upcoming closure of the Beach Flats Community Garden. The future of the garden is threatened by the property’s owner, Santa Cruz Seaside Company, which plans to use the space for its own landscaping project. The garden wasn’t officially on the agenda for the meeting, but the City Council agreed to add the item to its Oct. 27 meeting agenda. Official agenda items discussed by the council during the Oct. 13 meeting included the master plan for city parks and public spaces, the city’s policies on renting out accessory dwelling units — additional houses or structures on the same lot as the original house such as back houses — and a RV parking ban on West Cliff Drive near the Lighthouse.

At the same time as the meeting, dozens of individuals who are houseless and activists assembled in front of City Hall to participate in the 13th Tuesday night sleepout. The group members call themselves the “Freedom Sleepers,” and have been camping out in front of the City Hall on the second and fourth Tuesdays in protest of the city’s camping ban. In response, police have cited people for sleeping in the courtyard, and the city has employed private security guards and large aerial lights to deter the protesters.

Police have responded to the semimonthly sleepout with numerous citations and arrests. Violations have ranged from illegal camping to public urination. Photo by Stephen de Ropp.
Police have responded to the semimonthly sleepout with numerous citations and arrests. Violations have ranged from illegal camping to public urination. Photo by Stephen de Ropp.
Don Emilio Martinez Castañeda, a gardener at the Beach Flats Community Garden, addresses Santa Cruz City Council members during the public comment section on Oct. 13. The future of the Beach Flats Community Garden will be City Council’s meeting agenda for Oct. 27. Photo by Stephen de Ropp.
Don Emilio Martinez Castañeda, a gardener at the Beach Flats Community Garden, addresses Santa Cruz City Council members during the public comment section on Oct. 13. The future of the Beach Flats Community Garden will be City Council’s meeting agenda for Oct. 27. Photo by Stephen de Ropp.
In addition to police ticketing, the City of Santa Cruz has employed private security guards and high-powered lighting in an effort to deter people from sleeping in front of the Santa Cruz City Hall. Photo by Stephen de Ropp.
In addition to police ticketing, the City of Santa Cruz has employed private security guards and high-powered lighting in an effort to deter people from sleeping in front of the Santa Cruz City Hall. Photo by Stephen de Ropp.
A woman sits outside of Santa Cruz City Hall to protest the Santa Cruz law that makes camping out in public spaces an offense. To draw attention to the law, protesters have been gathering outside of City Hall since the Fouth of July and planning sleepouts in front of the building. Photo by Casey Amaral.
A woman sits outside of Santa Cruz City Hall to protest the Santa Cruz law that makes camping out in public spaces an offense. To draw attention to the law, protesters have been gathering outside of City Hall since the Fouth of July and planning sleepouts in front of the building. Photo by Casey Amaral.