For some time, Elings Park has made it clear that locals are unwelcome. They’ve been increasing prices for dog passes year over year and focusing on events targeted for the privileged and wealthy. Our streets are flooded with cars when Elings Park holds events, and the shrieks of drunken revelers echo through our pristine canyons on the weekends.

But Elings Park has gone too far this time. Last year they built a gate at the end of Calle Poniente, which they are increasingly using to lock their neighbors out of the park, even when there are no events to “protect.” Now they have built a new fence, without a gate, to simply block entrance through a path into the park at the end of Marquard Terrace that the neighborhood uses regularly.

Elings Park will claim that this is COVID-19 related because they are limiting park hours. However, if that was truly the case, there would be a gate. Rather, Elings Park is leveraging the moment to literally wall itself off and further its interests as a private, essentially for-profit, enterprise, rather than operating as a shared community space.

We feel it is important to alert the community of Elings Park’s shameful behavior. A park should not be building Trumpian edifices to enforce the class divide it is intentionally cultivating.

Login

Please note this login is to submit events or press releases. Use this page here to login for your Independent subscription

Not a member? Sign up here.