Santa Cruz Council approves Main Beach curfew

The Santa Cruz City Council approved adding a curfew on Main Beach, in a 6-1 vote Tuesday night. They are also calling the documented conditions that led to this policy a “public nuisance”.

The vote is intended to limit homeless camping on the beach, where more than a dozen tents have been set up in recent weeks.

The vote implements a “Main Beach Public Access” policy that would close the dry sand portion of Main Beach between midnight and “one hour before sunrise”. However, the dry sand area can be used to access the wet sand portion, which will remain open 24 hours a day.

This new policy will automatically sunset six months from its implementation, which is September 11, 2019. However, a future public hearing and review over its effectiveness against “negative public health and safety problems” could lead to a modified or extended policy.