Street-Corner Vendors in Imperial Beach

In Imperial Beach, residents who park their car on the lawn or have a yard sale without a permit say they can expect a visit from a code-compliance officer. Some of those same residents object to vendors setting up shop on sidewalks outside their homes.

During the last few weeks of June, street-corner vendors have offered graduation-themed balloons, necklaces, and stuffed animals. They stay on the corners for about two hours but do a brisk business. When asked if they had a permit to sell, one young vendor looked into the distance and said her aunt had it; others ignored the question.

Several city officials were recently queried about what the city policy is and whether or not they had plans to investigate. No response was received.

Imperial Beach building-code official Rafael Adame said, “Code enforcement is complaint-driven and we currently have a 30-day backlog.” Asked if the vendors could be cited or shutdown without a citizen’s complaint, Adame explained, “If we are driving down the main thoroughfare and the problem is so egregious that it hits us in the face, we would have to do something.”