Concrete barriers are headed for every access point of a stretch of state land near Kolb Road in Tucson's Groves & Lincoln Park neighborhood, part of a plan to shut the property to all public use after years of complaints about encampments and illegal dumping. The closure, which covers land off Escalante and Irvington, will bar hiking, pet walking, driving and encampments outright, and it's expected to take effect within the next few weeks.
The plan emerged from a joint meeting between the Arizona State Land Department, the City of Tucson, Mayor Regina Romero's office and the Tucson Police Department, according to KGUN 9. The station reports that the closure order followed years of complaints from nearby residents about homeless encampments, illegal waste dumping and other activity on the property. James Perry said the meeting was meant to gather community input on the plan, per the outlet's reporting.
Once the closure takes effect, the city and state will notify residents in the surrounding neighborhood and post new signs on the property, the station notes. Tucson Police Department will be responsible for enforcing the new restrictions. Tucson Police Captain Matt Brady said the public would be educated about the changes and that trespassers would be arrested, according to the same report.
A Neighborhood Association President's Decades-Long Watch
George Orozco, president of the Groves and Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association, said the land has concerned the community since he moved to the area in 1971, per the station's account. He said repeated contacts with the city and state have not resolved the situation, and that conditions have in fact worsened for nearby residents. Orozco said the illegal activity is affecting neighbors along with their children and grandchildren, the report states.
Another neighbor, Kate Cooper, said she hopes the multi-agency response produces concrete results within a couple of weeks, according to the same KGUN 9 report. Attendees at the community meeting described the plan as a step forward but stressed that timely follow-through matters, the station notes. The Groves and Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association plans to follow up with Tucson Police Department and the Arizona State Land Department once the closure takes effect, per the outlet's reporting.
A Recurring Problem Despite Past Cleanups
This isn't the first time crews have cleared the property. In earlier reporting on the same location, the city said its teams resolved four encampments and removed debris on September 9, according to KGUN 9's coverage of neighbor frustrations. One resident told the station that while the city eventually cleans the site out, the trash and encampments keep returning.
The problem extends well beyond this one parcel. Tucson created 5,021 cases related to encampments between October 2022 and April 2025, according to AZ Luminaria. In a separate outreach operation the outlet examined involving a city wash, police had cited multiple people by 8 a.m. and taken 13 people directly to treatment facilities or housing. AZ Luminaria also reported that of 66 contacts made during those homeless outreach operations, 39 resulted in arrests.
Outreach Planned Alongside Enforcement
The Arizona State Land Department is working with the City of Tucson and Tucson Police Department not just to close the area and enforce trespassing laws, but also to offer support to people experiencing homelessness there, KGUN 9 reports. The city plans to send outreach teams onto the land to connect those individuals with available resources and support services once the closure process begins.
Anyone who observes trespassing on the state land once the closure takes effect is asked to call 9-1-1, while those who spot encampments on the property can contact 3-1-1, according to the station's reporting. Under Arizona law, criminal trespass in the third degree is classified as a class 3 misdemeanor, per the Arizona Legislature, though it remains unclear how that classification would apply to individuals found on this particular parcel once barriers go up.
