SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego residents and visitors may soon find fewer public bathrooms and fire pits available at some of the city's most popular beaches and parks.
As part of Mayor Todd Gloria's 2026 draft budget proposal, the city is considering closing select restrooms from November through March and permanently removing beach fire pits to help address an expected $258 million budget shortfall.
The proposal to eliminate fire pits at Mission Beach and other coastal areas would save the city approximately $135,000 per year.
According to Gloria's office, removing the fire pits could also reduce noise levels at night, decrease illegal activity, and lower costs associated with city workers cleaning up the pits.
Local residents have mixed reactions to the proposal.
Rogelio Huerta believes beach fire pits benefit local businesses and questions whether their removal is justified.
"No, $135,000 isn't worth it," Huerta said. "Maybe you invest a little more in managing the resources and prove that they're not efficient before you take away the public's benefits because we, you know, we pay taxes."
Others, like Christian Barroso, support the removal of fire pits due to concerns about trash and safety.
"I don't think it's very safe having these fire pits around," Barroso said.
City officials acknowledge potential drawbacks to eliminating the fire pits, including the possibility of illegal fires.
The draft budget also includes a proposal to close a portion of public bathrooms at beaches and parks from November through March, which Gloria's office said would save more than $1 million annually.
The city justifies this measure by noting decreased visitor traffic during winter months.
Most facilities would remain operational year-round.
For example, Gloria's office said that at Mission Bay Park, only 13 out of 28 bathrooms would close during the winter season, while at Balboa Park, 7 out of 23 would be affected.
Resident Steve Jones supports the seasonal closure of the bathrooms.
"I believe it's a good thing for them to do that because it'll help balance the budget and alleviate other cuts to resources that are more important than the bathrooms, like police and fire for our public safety," Jones said.
These proposed cuts are not set in stone.
They're among several measures in Mayor Gloria's draft budget, which he presented to the City Council earlier in April.
The proposal aims to address the city's significant budget shortfall while minimizing impacts on core services.
The affected areas would include popular destinations such as La Jolla, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, and other coastal neighborhoods.
