Do you want this Ocean Beach house for free? This is a 2-bedroom craftsman’s house in beautiful Ocean Beach – free for the asking! Maybe. This would be such an incredible deal!
This older-looking single-story residence is just sitting there at 4921 Voltaire Street in northern OB – just waiting, potentially, for somebody to come and get it. And move it.
At the last OB Planning Board meeting, the architect of a new mixed-use building coming onto the site, Kent Smith, dropped a comment that if somebody came and got the house, they could have it for free.
The OB Rag contacted Kent this morning, and he’s down with the idea, but at this moment, he has a call into the owner to see if they will give the okay.
But if the owner goes for it – that would be the deal. You come and get it – and you have to come move it within a crucial time period – over the next 3 to 6 months.
Otherwise, the building will be demolished – completely demolished – save for the front porch, which will be integrated into the new 2-story, mixed-use building to be constructed on the site. The project passed the Ocean Beach Planning Board last week.
According to architect Kent Smith, the old foundation is “pretty poor”. And the flooring is of an old framed house. It has one bath and is 826 square feet.
Some members of the OB Planning Board believe it could be the very first craftsman building built in Ocean Beach. However, the current owner brought it before the San Diego Historic Review Board and they found nothing of historical significance.
So, think about it. Until we hear from the owner, all inquiries will be handled by the OB Rag; contact us at obragblog@gmail.com
Planned mixed-use building; design has incorporated the original porch, eave and columns into the new front. 2 residential units upstairs.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Are you freakin’ kiddin’ me??
Houses of that vintage have frames of full dimension redwood construction. My house had the original portions untouched by termites- who went after the newer (non-redwood) construction instead. So you would have that going for you…
Their achilles heel is the foundation- it is probably spalling (flaking and turning back to beach sand). The good news is that if you were going to take it, you would not be using the foundation.
I wish they would incorporate the full front facade into the new construction. It is so cool.
Perhaps we could raise the thousands it would cost to move it and plop it in the middle of Dusty Rhodes Park, and remodel it into a model green building.
Well that’s a good one! Made me laugh — but also a good idea. And citizens can keep gear in it to do their own maintenance of the park! Apparently people left shovels and tools etc. at the park and they kept getting removed (heard that at Dusty Rhodes Park Rec Council meeting in July).
After reading this story, hopefully people in OB will understand it’s the land not these decaying, un-functional structure that are being sold. When a building is knocked down or given away its value is about zero.
Move it to the foot of Newport (make it green) instead of “the wall” and carve veterans names in the wood instead of having to buy metal plaques…that would be cheaper no?
Sell ice cream cones out of it and raise money to keep the beach clean and pier repaired.
The developer should have to reuse or recycle all of the beautiful old wood.
OB. is not broken. Please stop this kind of development. These houses are a big part of what makes O.B. O.B…. I also think there are way too many bars on Newport now. Great for the bottom line but it’s taking away the charm.
If there were a vacant lot for sale at a semi-reasonable price somewhere in OB, I’d be on this like stink on a pair of week-old underwear.
I’m coming down to have a look
Hey – house dreamers – remember, the owner has not given a final okay to this offer. In the meantime, if you are interested, send all inquiries to the OB Rag obragblog@gmail.com – and if the owners do give their OK, we’ll forward those inquiries to them.
Judging by those crawlspace vents on the front of the house… this is a raised foundation and not slab on grade.
So it certainly could be relocated, if someone was willing.
I need it raising a 7 year old by myself in sd money is a tissue 4me and my son deserves it more than me
Do you have the thousands of dollars it would take to move it?