The City of Sacramento in mid-June will move the temporary safe parking site on Front Street to a nearby location in Miller Park to address mandatory dredging maintenance at the Sacramento Marina.
The new location is just a few hundred yards from the current site, at an unused segment of Ramp Way. It is closer to the current “safe ground” camping site, where safe parking residents can utilize shower facilities.
Approximately 27 people and 17 vehicles will be moved to the new location, which is larger and offers more shade than the current location, officials said.
The old location again will be used for the short-term storage of dredged material, which needs to dry for a period of time before it can be trucked away.
“This is a good compromise solution,” said Bridgette Dean, director of the Department of Community Response, which oversees the safe parking program. “Our clients are moving to a better location, and the marina and boat ramp will get the maintenance they need to stay open.”
The safe parking site will continue to be open 24/7 and staffed around the clock with access to portable toilets, storage and meals. Case managers work out of a trailer onsite, offering social-services support and housing coordination.
The Sacramento Marina requires yearly dredging of its boat ramp and marina channel to remove the buildup of silt deposited by the normal flow of the Sacramento River, said Ryan Moore, director of the Department of Public Works.
“Completing this regular and routine maintenance enables the City to ensure its visitors and slip customers have access to the marina facilities and services safely, year-round,” Moore said.
The dredging process will take approximately two weeks in July and the drying process for the silt can take between two to three months. Permits require the dredged material to be stored onsite until it is dry.
The work is overseen and authorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and permits for disposal of dredged materials are issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Last year, the dredged material was stored in the parking lot of the Latino Center for Arts and Culture on Front Street for drying, but that location is too small to store the amount of material anticipated this year, officials said.
Moving forward, the safe parking site will remain in its new location, and the old site will again be used for overflow parking at the marina.
Cyclists who use Ramp Way will need to alter their route, as it will be closed to accommodate the new location.
Find more information on the City’s response to homelessness: homeless.cityofsacramento.org