Shortly after sunrise Wednesday, scores of people began moving out of the Chula Vista park they called home as city crews moved in to close the property to camping.

Marshall Glover prepared a shopping cart to carry a small dog that belongs to a female friend, who he said he protects as if she were his daughter.

Several feet away, Anthony Brown, 65, sat on a camp chair next to his packed belongings and watched as other people scrambled to disassemble their encampments. He and his wife Phoebe Brown celebrated their third anniversary Tuesday with a dinner he prepared at the park, he said.

“We had a good time,” he said. “We put all of this nonsense aside for one day, enjoyed life before waking up at 5 a.m. to pack.”

Nearby, a 60-year-old woman known by many as Mama Heather was ready to haul away her tent and other belongings that filled two wagons. Danyell No, 35, considers Heather her “street mom” and decided they would figure out their next destination together.

By the afternoon, Harborside Park was surrounded by a newly installed 8-foot chain-link fence. Security guards were set to patrol its perimeter.

Wednesday marked the first day of a three-month closure the City Council approved on Aug. 23 because of growing concerns over reported crime and drug use.

Harborside Park, located next to an elementary school and county family resource center on Oxford Street, has been at the center of a public debate over public safety and homelessness.

Parents have urged city officials to put an immediate halt to illicit activities at the park, which they said has become too dangerous for children. The Chula Vista Elementary School District had even hired security to police campus perimeters, district Superintendent Eduardo Reyes said. Wednesday’s closure was proof to supporters of the shutdown that the city prioritized kids’ safety.

“The district stands behind the city’s decision to temporarily close Harborside Park for the safety and welfare of the students at Harborside Elementary School,” the district said in an emailed statement, adding that it will “work with the city to ensure that the permanent solution supports the needs of our students, staff and community.”

But for many homeless individuals, the park sweep was a distressing experience. As they left, a bulldozer stood ready to dispose of leftover items and construction workers waited to drill holes for the fence.

“This is a traumatic eviction, just like somebody being kicked out of their house,” said homeless advocate Michael McConnell. “Harborside Park and the camps and the tents are homes to these folks.”

As more than 60 tents began to come down, city-partnered organizations set up about three canopies where they offered people resources about sobering facilities, medical services and homeless shelters located outside the city. South County has no shelters. Chula Vista plans to open one by the end of this year and National City could open one as early as 2023. The city said 11 people accepted placement at an East County shelter, four to a detox center and one was given a hotel voucher. Others were provided with Narcan and medical services.

Toni Medina, 62, found the city’s “connect event” helpful. While she was saddened to see the people she had lived with at the park for about a year disperse, Medina said she believed the closure “had to happen so some of us could get that push we needed.” She planned to make the two-hour bus ride to the East County Transitional Living Center, the largest shelter in East County that houses hundreds of adults and children.

Nancy Rodriguez held a flyer about an addiction treatment center in Lemon Grove. For her, it was a map to a sober life that could lead to reunification with her child.

Most homeless individuals left the park without signing up for services. Many said they were hoping the city was going to offer them hotel vouchers and others believed that the resources did not accommodate their specific needs, including complicated medical conditions and that they had pets.

Several people cried, others yelled and many lined up on the sidewalk just across the street as they decided whether to stay or relocate. The stress was palpable, homeless advocates said. Chula Vista police issued one citation for misdemeanor battery that occurred near the park regarding a dispute over an item between two homeless people, said Sgt. Anthony Molina.

Heather and No decided it was best to leave Chula Vista. They pulled their wagons and headed to a nearby San Diego Trolley station. Behind them followed three other people, who asked if they could tag along.

By 9:05 a.m., Heather and No boarded the trolley and headed to a street in downtown San Diego, an area where the 60-year-old woman said she felt comfortable returning. Their plan was to look out for each other and for No to complete an online California caregiver certification program.

The three others who followed them stayed behind. One said she wanted to find a friend and the other two settled their belongings on an empty lot near Harborside Park. Several more said they planned to go to other parks.

Wednesday’s park closure comes after homeless advocates filed for a preliminary injunction Monday on behalf of homeless individuals. The injunction would have sought a temporary restraining order against the city to prevent removing people from the park. But the Chula Vista’s City Attorney’s office said Tuesday that the city was within its legal rights to close the park.

A city-led community meeting is scheduled on Sept. 21 to brainstorm options for the park’s future.

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