By Sandra G. Leon

A parking lot at Liberty Station for overnight sleeping in cars has been approved by the state, paving the way for up to 190 cars and RVs to cue up each night instead of parking on local streets.

The California Coastal Commission this week approved the City of San Diego’s application for a permit to operate the parking lot at what used to be the H Barracks when Liberty Station was part of the old Naval Training Center.

The City has since demolished old buildings and created a parking lot.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria had previously designated the 5-acre H Barracks site to be a homeless shelter for up to 700 people but changed plans after local residents opposed the placement of unhoused individuals in the upscale neighborhood just west of the San Diego International Airport.

The new state permit allows the City to offer 190 parking spaces, restrooms, security, and a pet relief area. The City will also coordinate to have resource providers connect those in need to services, including housing and healthcare.

But the state permit also allows the City to add temporary shelter structures for up to 600 people in a second phase of the project that may come later.

City of San Diego has four other designated safe parking lots for people living in vehicles, including 9882 Aero Drive, 8804 Balboa Avenue, 2334 Mission Village Drive, and 3775 Morena Blvd. Those lots are operated by Jewish Family Services of San Diego.

Gloria abandoned the plan for a homeless shelter at the H Barracks site when he announced a new plan for a larger shelter facility within a warehouse at the corner of Kettner and Vine north of the airport.

The proposed facility would house up to 1,000 people and provide wrap-around services. The plan was criticized as too expensive when it was unveiled as a 35-year building lease with no option to buy the property, and an estimated $30 million per year operating budget.

Since the plan was first announced, Gloria has scaled back the lease to be a 30-year deal at a lower annual rate, an option for first right of refusal to purchase the property if the owner decides to sell it, and a 14% profit split with the City if the owner sells the building within the first five years of the lease.

The current proposal is expected to come before the full San Diego City Council in the next two weeks.