Looking down and west on the district’s main drag – Point Loma Avenue.
As we complete our romping review of Ocean Beach’s planning districts, we round out our visit with District 7 – the South End of OB.
This has been our efforts at a public service as the OB Planning Board is holding its annual election on Tuesday, March 11th, between 4 and 7pm at the OB Recreation Center, 4826 Santa Monica Avenue.
(Editor: here are our reviews of District 1, District 2 , District 3, District 4, District 5 , and District 6. Here’s why it’s important.)
Here’s District 7
Here in south OB, the ubiquitous airplanes are off in the distance, as are the other attributes of living in a highly packed urban beach area, the noise, the traffic, the parking problems, the congestion, the tourists and other visitors. One can almost feel part of a different neighborhood than the raucous community to the north, the loud OB.
With nearly a dozen blocks as residential within its area, District 7 does have a slice of a business district along its main east-west artery – Point Loma Avenue.
Other than that, it’s all quiet streets bordered on the west by the beautiful Sunset Cliffs, on the east by Froude Street, on its north by the alley between Coronado and Del Mar Avenues, and on its south by a dirt alley that runs between Adair and Tivioli streets.
The entire southern rump of OB is included in District 7, with the east-west avenues of Del Mar, Orchard, Pescadero, Bermuda, Point Loma and Adair adding their flair to the overall community. North-south, it includes Sunset Cliffs Boulevard of course and Ebers and Froude.
District 7 is geographically one of the larger districts within the OB Planning Area, but it’s probably one of the least dense in terms of residents. Except for the high-rises on the cliffs, there are not hardly any apartments or multi-unit complexes in this district. Like District 6, this district has some of the higher economic strata of OB – and you can see that in the new 2 and 3 story rehabs. And like District 6, views and view corridors are important issues.
Based on a windshield informal survey, District 7 does not have the same variety of housing stock as the more north and western districts have. This is probably due to the abilities of the higher economic levels to finance rehabs and new construction of large single family mansions. There is no mystery here.
Point Loma Avenue
The commercial corridor of District 7 is along Point Loma Avenue, primarily.
It includes the Warren Walker private school, a gas station, a liquor store, a pizza place, coffee shop, a picture frame store, a prominent church, a wash and dry, some professional offices – and it includes the building that no one wants to be leased.
It’s a very quiet business zone, hardly anyone on the street. Some like it that way.
The vacant building on the corner of Ebers and Point Loma Avenue just cannot get a new tenant. It once housed a mini-store and restaurant related to Ranchos Mexican food restaurant. When that closed, it remained vacant for a long while.
Then the VFW wanted to move in – but neighbors rose up – citing the image of drunken vets stumbling into kiddie sandboxes – and put a kibosh on their plan.
More recently, a restaurateur wanted to open a fancy place in the building – but his plans too were shot down by rowdy neighbors who complained to anyone who would listen that the restaurant would bring drunks, loud music and karaoke singers. So, the place just sits there.
The Sea Trader has been here for ions.
Last gas. Always there, always more expensive.
What’s part of the mural and what’s real?
The laundry-mat has a very large mural on its exterior wall – looks like it needs repair, though.
Inside the frame shop.
Paintings for sale at the frame store, with reflections of the street.
This district has some wonderful pocket beaches – particularly at the end of Bermuda.
It also includes a section of the Sunset Cliffs Nature Park.
Other Issues
Other issues of this district include the city’s efforts to shore up the cliffs with massive boulder drops over the side.
Other issues include a local hotel holding weddings on its fabulous clifftop, with neighbors complaining of all the parking being gobbled up by the wedding guests.
Yet, another is the exact boundary of the district: is it the middle of Adair Street as some would say or does it go down the middle of the alley to the south of Adair?
High-Rise
District 7 has the largest high-rise apartment and condo complexes in OB – and they’re right on the cliffs themselves. The massive buildings at the end of Orchard and the one at the end of Pescadero helped give rise to the grassroots movement that passed the thirty-foot height limit.
For awhile a local OB group, the OB Ecology Action Committee organized picket lines and other lobbying efforts in the mid and early Seventies in attempts to tamp down any enthusiasm for these massive cliff invaders.
The exercise of some “property rights” can be detrimental to the community over-all. Here, back in the Seventies, developers installed this massive complex – and sparked a revolution against unbridled construction.
Where Is the District 7’s Southern Boundary
Is this the boundary? Looking east up the hill.
There has been some confusion over just where the southern boundary of the district lays, and since it is the last district in OB going south, it’s also an issue for the entire Planning Board. At a late 2013 planning board meeting, the board reconfirmed that the border is the alley between Adair and Tivoli, and not Adair itself. Some old maps show the line goes down the street.
The alley in question is a dirt one. Imagine – dirt allies in Ocean Beach.
Planning Board Reps
One of the seats for District 7 is vacant for the upcoming election. Ginese Quann was the rep but she has just resigned, having been just appointed last Juen. The other seat is held by Raeanon Hartigan, the head of the elections committee, whose term ends in one year.
Take a walk – check these out.
Warren Walker private school on Point Loma Ave.
Beautiful but expensive rehabs.
An older cliff house.
The “Hippie House” of Sunset Cliffs
This is District 7.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the coverage of the districts Frank! I didn’t know there was confusion about the southern boundary of OB. I think it is important to clarify the southern boundary because there may be someone on the south side of Adair who would like to serve on the OBPB, or to be eligible to vote for board members.
One small correction. There was never a restaurant on the corner of Adair and Point Loma Ave. That building has never been permitted as an assembly building, it has always been retail. Ranchos had a small retail (mostly organic food) store there, and they inserted a Deli. They had a few tables inside , but eventually the tables were removed. Thanks for the article and the pictures!
Lynne, thanks for the update. However, if it walks like a duck … I had several experiences there at the corner of Pt Loma and Ebers (not Adair) when Ranchos ran part of the place as a restaurant – not a deli, so it was a restaurant, you know, with tables, menus, servers, the whole gambit.
Regarding Ranchos, the only difference in Frank’s definition and Lynne’s was the appearance of servers on his list. But as for today, I understand that the rent is $7000 a month. This is hard for a small business to make ends meet. Or maybe it is $8000, I have heard both numbers. What could go there? Do permits mean anything? And who is expected to make the building habitable, the tenant or the landlord? This is private property. The landlord must operate within the law, just like the rest of us.
Sea Trader employee told me last week landlord refused to financially assist with repairs of building. Kodiak restaurant owner decided against moving into space. He also mentioned a high rent.