Now that the Grants Pass City Council has approved a resolution adding two resting sites for unhoused individuals, the plan will be implemented this week.
Last Wednesday night, the City Council voted 6-2 to approve the plan to meet Josephine County Circuit Judge Sarah McGloughlin's requirements for the preliminary injunction to be lifted -- space must be provided for 150 resting sites and at least some of the sites must demonstrate ADA compliance.
The current resting sites at 704 NW 6th Street and 712 NE 7th Street will remain in place. They accommodate a total of approximately 99 resting sites. Additional locations for resting will be 714 NW 6th Street and 711 NW 5th Street. They will provide room for more than 50 resting sites to reach the mandated total of 150.
The 6th and 5th street sites are adjacent to each other, but they will be separated by fencing.
Beginning Wednesday, the employee parking lot at 711 NW 5th Street will officially transition into a designated resting site. To alleviate some of the impact on the neighborhood around Grants Pass City Hall due to increased street parking, the City is renting approximately 40 spaces at a nearby church for its employees.
Once the new resting sites are operational, the City's legal counsel will ask the court to lift the injunction that currently prohibits the enforcement of camping regulations in public places except Riverside and Reinhart Volunteer parks.
