In San Diego, one won’t find many gardens in the strips of soil that run along sidewalks, roads, medians and beneath power lines. But other cities around the country are getting creative with public spaces like this.
The New Roots Community Farm, which sits atop a channelized creek bed in the Chollas Creek neighborhood, is a rare San Diego exception. It was started by refugee farmers almost 20 years ago.
A nonprofit that is claiming management of the property evicted some farmers off the land and it’s caused a heated dispute. But, as our MacKenzie Elmer writes, it could turn out that no one has rights to farm there: It is a public right-of-way, which means it may be private land but the government can build streets or gas pipes over it or otherwise ensure it’s accessible.
San Diego doesn’t have any laws that explicitly prohibit public rights-of-way from being used as community gardens. Some past court decisions, however, have set limits on how public rights-of-way are used. And according to the city attorney, community gardens don’t fit.
Tijuana’s Image Debate Is Back
For decades a question has been hanging over Tijuana: Can the city shed its notorious reputation and the characterizations that link the city to vice, violence, corruption and urban decay?
The question has confounded civic boosters, public relations firms, tourism promoters, business groups, politicians and ordinary citizens eager to cast a positive light on the city – or at least a more balanced one, writes Border reporter Sandra Dibble.
But a recent comment from a politician has reignited the debate.
What went down: Presidential candidate Xochitl Gálvez was addressing a crowd in Cancun last month when she made the following statement: “I was just in Tijuana and they told me everything that was happening in gastronomy. The truth is that Tijuana is not pretty like Cancun. But it’s becoming a tourism destination because of its gastronomy.”
Her words sparked some pushback, but others also argued that the city’s defenders need to be more realistic about Tijuana’s challenges. Read more in the Border Report here.
Rise in Fentanyl Deaths Causes Delays at Medical Examiner’s Office
For the past two years, the county Medical Examiner’s Office has warned visitors on its website that it could take up to six months for staff to close a case. That’s largely because of a surge in fentanyl overdoses, the Union-Tribune reported.
From 2018 to 2022, the Medical Examiner’s office saw the number of deaths from drugs and alcohol in San Diego County more than double from 578 to 1,300. About two-thirds of those deaths were due to fentanyl overdoses.
Related: Our Will Huntsberry recently reported that homeless deaths in San Diego County reached a new high in 2023. The number of homeless deaths increased from 592 in 2022 to 624 in 2023.
Fentanyl has been found to be the largest contributor to homeless deaths in recent years. According to the Medical Examiner’s Office, fentanyl was detected in just six overdose cases in 2018, but in 2022, 269 homeless people had died from fentanyl overdoses.
In Other News
- Henry Foster III became San Diego’s new District 4 councilmember Monday, bringing the City Council back to its full nine members. The seat was left open after former councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe was elected to the County Board of Supervisors last year. (KPBS)
- San Diego’s Styrofoam ban is now in effect for all of the city’s small businesses. The ban took effect last year, but it allowed a one-year grace period for small businesses to comply. The city can now issue fines and violation notices to any businesses still using Styrofoam. (NBC 7).
- San Diego officials unveiled the final preferred design for the iconic 58-year-old OB Pier’s replacement. Here’s what it could look like. (Union-Tribune)
- Did you miss Monday’s solar eclipse? Read about it here. (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Tigist Layne and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña. It was edited by Scott Lewis.
Clarification: This post has been updated to clarify that the nonprofit that claims management of New Roots Community Farm evicted some farmers, not the farm from the site.