Arizona to close off state land near Groves & Lincoln Park after years of neighborhood encampment complaints

Residents near Kolb Road, Escalante Road and Irvington Road should expect major changes on a stretch of Arizona state land in the Groves and Lincoln Park neighborhood. Within the next few weeks, concrete barriers are expected to block every entrance to the property, and the land will be closed to all public use. That means no hiking, walking pets, driving or establishing encampments. The action follows years of neighborhood complaints about homeless encampments, illegal dumping and other activity that residents say has affected daily life in the surrounding area.

The closure is the result of a joint effort involving the Arizona State Land Department, the City of Tucson, Mayor Regina Romero’s office and the Tucson Police Department. James Perry of the State Land Department said the agencies met in part to hear from the community and address problems that have persisted for years. The city and state plan to notify nearby residents and install new signs explaining the restrictions. Once the closure is in place, TPD will be responsible for enforcing the trespassing rules.

Tucson police have indicated that enforcement will begin with public education about the new restrictions, but that people who enter the property after the closure could be arrested. Captain Matt Brady said officers will explain the changes and make clear that trespassing is prohibited. The land is expected to remain closed to everyone, rather than only to encampments or vehicles, meaning ordinary recreational uses such as walking and pet exercising also will no longer be allowed.

The plan also includes an outreach component. City teams are expected to visit the property and try to connect people experiencing homelessness there with available resources and support services. The State Land Department, Tucson and TPD are working together on both parts of the response, combining the physical closure and trespass enforcement with efforts to offer assistance to people who may be living at the site. The timing and results of that outreach will be closely watched by residents and neighborhood leaders.

George Orozco, president of the Groves and Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association, said the property has been a concern since he moved into the area in 1971. He described a long-running pattern of encampments, trash and people camping on the land. According to Orozco, repeated efforts to bring the issue to the attention of city and state officials have not produced a lasting solution, and conditions have worsened to the point that neighbors worry about the effect on their households, including their children and grandchildren.

Residents say previous cleanup efforts have not stopped the cycle. In an earlier response at the same location, city crews cleared four encampments and removed debris on Sept. 9. One resident told KGUN 9 that although the city eventually cleans the area, encampments and trash return afterward. The planned barriers are intended to prevent that repeated access, but the neighborhood’s response suggests that the effectiveness of the closure will depend on whether it is installed promptly and maintained over time.

Kate Cooper, a Groves and Lincoln Park resident, said the multi-agency meeting represented a hopeful development, particularly because officials came together to address the issue. At the same time, she said residents want to see visible action within weeks, not another temporary response. People who attended the community meeting described the closure plan as progress but emphasized that implementation will determine whether it changes conditions on the ground. The neighborhood association plans to check back with TPD and the State Land Department after the closure begins.

The problems around the property reflect a broader challenge for Tucson. Between October 2022 and April 2025, the city recorded 5,021 cases related to encampments, according to AZ Luminaria. In one separate outreach operation examined by the outlet, police had issued citations to several people by 8 a.m., while 13 people were taken directly to treatment facilities or housing. Across 66 contacts during those outreach operations, 39 resulted in arrests. Those figures illustrate the competing demands facing officials as they respond to neighborhood concerns, property restrictions, public safety and the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

After the state land closure takes effect, residents who see someone trespassing are being asked to call 911. Reports of encampments on the property can be made through Tucson’s 311 system. The Groves and Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association intends to monitor whether the barriers, signs, police enforcement and outreach services deliver the lasting change residents have sought for decades. For people living near Escalante and Irvington, the next few weeks will show whether closing the land can end the recurring cycle of camping, dumping and cleanup, or whether additional measures will be needed.