Long Beach has begun work to install a tall, wrought-iron fence around the Billie Jean King Main Library in downtown, a move that will drive encampments and homeless residents off the outdoor terrace where they often gather.
Workers on Tuesday began placing a temporary fence line they say will wrap three sides of the building by Wednesday. Public Works officials say it will then take eight weeks to erect three permanent fences along the building: a 6-foot-tall fence along the side facing West Broadway and another eight-foot-tall fence on the side parallel to Pacific Avenue and wrapping around the terrace facing Lincoln Park. The fence should cost at least $790,000, they said.
Along the fence line, doors will be unlocked during operating hours, allowing access to the library. After hours, they’ll be locked, keeping people from sleeping there overnight.
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The fenceline, she wrote, will “minimize indoor disruptions,” and allow for library programming like “book sales, crafts, games, lunch programs and other family-friendly events.”…