In an effort to clear the largest homeless encampment in the South Bay, San Jose city leaders announced plans to open what the city is calling its first Safe Sleeping Site next week at Watson Park.

The site, also known as the Taylor Street Navigation Hub, will feature 56 tents, including eight that meet ADA standards. City officials said it's designed to serve as a temporary stop for unsheltered adults, many of them currently living at Columbus Park.

"This site will act as a navigation center, a first stop, a safe place to stabilize, access services, and be moved up to the next step in one of our interim housing sites," San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said.

The sleeping site will provide caseworkers to help people transition into interim or permanent housing. The city's goal is to move residents from the tents into more stable housing within 30 days.

The announcement came during a tense press conference on Friday morning, when a homeless advocate interrupted the mayor as he tried to speak.

"Right now at Columbus Park, you're taking away homes from women," Shaunn Cartwright shouted at the mayor.

"This is inappropriate," Mahan responded to Cartwright as he walked away from the podium.  "Alright, we'll take a little pause."

The confrontation focused on the city's removal of Pauline Torres' trailer from Columbus Park earlier that day.

"My trailer right here and then I had my other trailer right here. They took them both," Torres said.

She said she refuses to leave the encampment until the city finds housing for her and her two adult sons.

"I want somewhere, a safe house with my kids, my special-needs son and my disabled son.  And that's what HomeFirst was supposed to do.  But no, they put me in a tiny home.  They put my son over there [at a motel] on Tully Road," Torres said. "I don't know, really, I don't know.  I don't believe in the system no more."

Torres claimed the city wasn't moving fast enough to find them a shared unit.

The city began clearing Columbus Park about two weeks ago, but dozens of RVs and cars remain. Mahan said that's intentional.

"Every single person who said 'yes' will get housing.  They're not being asked to leave.  We are slowly and methodically moving them in.  In fact, we said to folks we're not sweeping Columbus Park, we're doing a two-to-three-month process of relocating people into housing," he explained.

Some families and individuals have already been moved into motels. Others will be allowed to stay at the park until more beds become available.

Supporters of the plan said it's a positive step, but some worry the tents won't be comfortable during the hot summer months.

"It's hot. It's big," said Gail Osmer, founder of Hands 4 Helping, a longtime unhoused advocate.  "But right now, it's very warm in here. I hate to be negative, but it's very warm."

Mahan acknowledged the imperfections of the plan but defended it as necessary.

"As imperfect as a safe sleeping site may be, it is significantly safer, cleaner, and more dignified than the conditions we see in our tent encampments across the city," he said.

The mayor said the city will have enough beds for everyone still living at Columbus Park. The challenge, he added, is that some people refuse services due to addiction, mental health issues, or other factors. He called on the county and state to do more to help those individuals.

San Jose modeled the program after a similar site in San Diego, though that location has faced issues. San Jose officials said that's why the city is starting on a smaller scale.