La Mesa Municipal Code Ch. 10.52 Use of Public Property and Private Property

The public streets and areas within the city of La Mesa should be readily accessible and available to residents and the public at large. The use of these areas for camping purposes or storage of personal property interferes with the rights of others to use the areas for which they were intended. The purpose of this chapter is to maintain public streets and areas within the city of La Mesa in a clean and accessible condition.

(Ord. 2662 § 1; December 12, 1995)

Unless the particular provisions or the context otherwise requires, the definitions contained in this section shall govern the construction, meaning and application of words and phrases used in this chapter.

(a) "Camp" means to pitch or occupy camp facilities; to live temporarily in a camp facility or outdoors; to use camp paraphernalia.

(b) "Campsite" means any place where any bedding, sleeping bag or other sleeping matter is placed, established or maintained, whether or not such place incorporates the use of any tent, lean-to, shack or any other structure, or any vehicle or part thereof.

(c) "Camp paraphernalia" includes, but is not limited to, tarpaulins, cots, beds, sleeping bags, hammocks or non-city-designated cooking facilities and similar equipment.

(d) "Store" means to put aside or accumulate for use when needed, to put for safekeeping, to place or leave in a location.

(Ord. 2662 § 1; December 12, 1995)

No person shall camp in or upon any city sidewalk, street, alley, lane, park, public right-of-way or any other place to which the general public has access, or under any bridgeway or viaduct, unless otherwise specifically authorized by this code or by declaration by the mayor in emergency circumstances. This section shall not be deemed to prohibit camping at designated campsites.

(Ord. 2662 § 1; December 12, 1995)

No person shall store personal property, including camp facilities and camp paraphernalia, in the following areas, except as specifically authorized by the city council: any sidewalk, street, alley, lane, park, public right-of-way or any other place to which the general public has access, or under any bridgeway or viaduct and any public parking lot or public area, improved or unimproved.

(Ord. 2662 § 1; December 12, 1995)

(a) No person shall camp, lodge, sleep or tarry overnight in any recreational vehicle, camper, tent, or otherwise, on any private property without permission of the owner or lessee of such property.

(b) No person shall camp, lodge, sleep or tarry overnight in any recreational vehicle, camper, tent, or otherwise, on any private property with permission of the owner or lessee of such property for a period of time longer than two weeks in any one calendar year.

(Ord. 2662 § 1; December 12, 1995)

No person shall sleep or recline in any automobile parked upon any public street or highway within the city for any period greater than two hours continuously.

(Ord. 2662 § 1; December 12, 1995)

No person shall stand or sit on any crosswalk, sidewalk or any other public street, highway, public park or arcade, shopping center or other property opened or dedicated to public use or to which the public is invited, so as in any manner to obstruct the free use thereof by the public passage therein or thereon by pedestrians, or to hinder, molest or annoy any person or persons in passing along the same, or to obstruct the entrance of any public hall, public building or public park.

(Ord. 2662 § 1; December 12, 1995)

It shall be unlawful for any person to urinate or defecate in or upon any street, sidewalk, alley, parkway, plaza, park, school or educational facility, commercial shopping facility, public building or publicly maintained lands or areas in or about any public facilities or, in any place open to the public or exposed to public view, which is not done in a restroom urinal, toilet or facility designed for the sanitary disposal of human waste.

(Ord. 2662 § 1; December 12, 1995)

It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provisions of this chapter. A violation of any of the provisions or failing to comply with any mandatory requirements of this chapter shall be subject to the provisions of the general penalty clause as set out in Section 1.01.080 of the code of the city of La Mesa, except as provided in Section 1.01.130.

(Ord. 2662 § 1; December 12, 1995)