1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I’m writing as a lifelong San Diegan and a member of Strong Towns San Diego to express my concern over the proposed removal of fire pits from our beaches and Mission Bay. I understand the very real pressure of closing a $258 million budget deficit. But eliminating this long-standing civic asset to save $135,000 is not just shortsighted—it’s a false economy that undermines the kind of resilient, community-centered city we’re all trying to build. San Diego’s fire pits are more than concrete rings. They’re one of the few remaining truly public, intergenerational gathering places in our city. I have memories around those fires from every stage of my life: as a kid roasting marshmallows with my parents, as a teenager bonding with friends, and now as a parent myself. The fire pits have hosted countless small but powerful acts of community—birthday parties, reunions, spontaneous conversations between strangers. They’re one of the few public spaces where residents and tourists, old and young, wealthy and working-class, all mix. That’s rare, and worth protecting. Cutting them may seem like a small sacrifice in the face of a massive budget gap, but it’s not just about dollars. It’s about values. We need more places for people to gather freely, not fewer. Our car-centric environment has already hollowed out opportunities for shared public life. Removing the fire pits—like banning alcohol before it—doesn’t address the root causes of disorder or nuisance behavior. It simply shifts responsibility away from systems and toward punitive restrictions that erode trust in public space. Instead of cutting, we should be asking: how do we make these assets sustainable? Other cities have figured this out—through partnerships, user fees, permitting systems, even philanthropy. Could local businesses sponsor fire pit maintenance in exchange for recognition? Could reservations generate modest revenue during peak season? Could community groups “adopt a pit”? There are models we haven’t even tried. Removing the fire pits now is a one-way decision. Once gone, the political will and capital investment needed to reinstall them later will be far greater—if it ever returns at all. Worse, banning the city-provided fire rings may lead people to bring their own, creating more danger, more mess, and more enforcement challenges than we have today. San Diego doesn’t need fewer community amenities. It needs more trust, more gathering spaces, more small-scale infrastructure that invites connection and joy. The fire pits may not be a big budget line item, but they’re a big part of what makes this city feel like home. Please reconsider this proposal. Let’s find a smarter, more sustainable way to preserve a tradition that builds social capital and makes San Diego stronger.