North Bend’s City Council has updated city code to specifically include various open spaces within its designated parks operating hours of dawn to dusk.

All city open spaces, defined as “areas accessible to humans for active or passive recreation uses, including but not limited to parks, trails, picnic areas, and areas under bridges,” are now closed during the hours of darkness.

The change, adopted unanimously in October, was made “solely for purposes of enforcement of criminal trespass laws,” and not to modify the city’s definition of parks and open spaces. It was prompted by the city’s recent defeat in municipal court in prosecuting a subject arrested for sleeping under a bridge on North Bend Way. The court did not convict the man, concluding that areas under bridges did not fall under the city’s definition of open space.

Citizens and city staff have often complained about seeing hypodermic needles, indicating illegal drug use, in this particular area, and the city has posted a sign indicating that use of the area is prohibited after dark.