Locked gate to World Oil empty lot at Voltaire and Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
Editor: This was sent to us by an anonymous contributor.
by OBserver
What kind of neighbor is World Oil Corp.? Well since I live very close to what I’m going to refer to as “ground zero” I feel very qualified to say that they are a pretty shitty one!
They don’t give a rat’s ass about our community or they would have simply left the recycling center that used to be on the corner of Sunset Cliffs & Voltaire (with all of its beautiful and lush greenery) stand and that would have been the end of it.
A beautiful site that World Oil has left the community for the last 3 years.
Instead they tried shoving a gas station down our throats, and when the good people of O.B. rose up against that they left the corner in utter disrepair and abandonment for over 3 years now. When some good people tried to beautify it by putting plants on the property WOC quickly tore all that out and gave us a dilapidated chain link fence instead…lovely!
Who on our planning board approved this and more importantly are they getting some kind of kick backs? Hey, I’m all for free trade but where’s their community consciousness? These heartless shills need to be run out of O.B. on a rail!
There is already no place to park on the 4800 block of Voltaire and there is absolutely no use for some new high-rise medical center or a Deli (or whatever they want to cram down our throats this week) when there are plenty of empty business buildings here just waiting for someone to bring them back to life. Look at the Rock, Paper, Scissors building. Fill that before you start to build more for crying out loud!
Parking on Voltaire is already a challenge.
This is an Oil corporation that is living in the past and clinging on to antiquated ideas when it comes to not only energy, but also co-existing in a community of progressive thinkers.
Make sure the O.B. planning board knows your feelings on this matter by attending the meeting this Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center at 4726 Santa Monica Ave. Let’s get World Oil Corp. out of O.B. once and for all!!!
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent point about the old RPS building OBserver. Just as I predicted, that building is becoming the new trashy, tagged up, pan-handle grand station. It needs something in there. That place really tied the mainstreet together.
You have to figure that 100′ palm tree is going to be history too! I don’t see THAT in the artist’s rendering….
Looking back on “things” I wish the pizza place was never torn down on Sunset Cliffs and West Point Loma ( although it did need a renovation and good cleaning). Next, I wish the OBCDC would have bought the World Oil spot for a community park. Not only would it add some beauty to our entry way but would allow residents and visitors the opportunity to volunteer to maintain the park and meet new friends…not to mention bring a little pride to OB. “Voltaire Park” starting getting some respect and that’s why it was torn down so violently and without consideration. So while a new building on the corner is better than a fenced vacant lot and the adjacent vacant building, it doesn’t really do much for our community. So if anyone out there doesn’t like what’s happening say so and don’t but gas from World Oil. And the beat goes on…….
Keep in mind that the Dover Plumbing building sold out to World Oil…so if you don’t like those ants in your pants then don’t be asking them to do your plumbing.who Laura Goodwin is and why she got to buy that building is a wonder..here’s some sales history on that building at 4820 Voltaire St. which is all public record:
Sales History:
Recording Date: 05/07/2007 10/07/2002 09/17/2002 12/04/1995
Sale Price: $950,000
Nominal: Y Y Y
Sale/Tax Stamp Type: Full Unknown Unknown Full
Multi/Split Sale Type:
Buyer Name: World Oil Corp Goodwin Trust Goodwin Laura F Dover Mary Margaret
Trustee
Seller Name: Goodwin Trust Goodwin Laura F Dover Trust Dover Family Trust
07 -02 -92
Document No: 308409 862422 793799 548951
Document Type: Grant Deed Grant Deed Grant Deed Quit Claim Deed
Great…another rant by an anonymous contributer who uses profanity throughout the information but then calls himself a member of a progressive community.
Listen….Mr. Progressive Community guy… No amount of ranting really helps. You guys need to come up with smarter arguements than “its too big” and “darn you Bush” and “down with Oil”….
What about someone actually looking into the municipal code for the combining of two lots and seeing if the proposed project is actually meeting all the requirements??? that sounds like a better strategy to me. Parking…parking stall sizes…entry from the alley…those all seem like more tangible arguements.
Bulk and Scale is a “subjective” term used by the planning groups to NO avail with the true decision makers at the City. The true size of the building is guided directly by the CC 4-2 zone and are probably not excessive….so the subjective arguements are a real waste of time.
Outside of that…see my other comment on the other “rant” about why this building isn’t meeting green and sustainable characteristics that a REALLY progressive community needs to be considering…energy efficiency, water conservation, land use, material re-use…these are what you should focusing on.
just my thoughts…seing as how anyone can just “rant” all over here even if they are completely devoid of a real strategy against this effort.
Last thing…which (if any of you) ran for Planning Board at the last election? Or even voted?
Long time OB proponents were run out in two Districts and now replaced…so I’m sure that World Oil timed their review quite well.
Maybe the rag should report the voting habits of these people and the community wouuld be better informed on who to vote for instead of running long time proponents out of office.
Lisanob,
The fact that a project meets the zoning requirements or is certified by the Coastal Commission is no reason for the planning board to approve it.
The foundation document for a planning board is the precise plan. The elements of the plan include Land Use, Transportation, Urban Design, Public Facilities and Services, Natural and Cultural Resources and Economic Development. The City requires no objective criteria other than the Plan be IMPLEMENTED along the lines of the land use code, C. Commish. certification and so on and so forth.
The fact is that planning boards would rather walk away from their responsibility as stewards of a “comprehensive long range vision of the future of a community within the city as a whole” (SD City requirements for community plans) and implement a project because it’s easier than doing the research and debating an issue within the parameters of their foundation and bylaws.
Danny
OOPS!- Change “foundation” to “blueprint”
Change “bylaws” to “bylaw structure”
…and you building trades mopes may get a clue.
-d
Lisanob you obviously missed the point of how completely wrong of a fit World Oil Corp. has been and still is with Ocean Beach and instead accuse me of cursing throughout while categorizing me as a time-wasting, non-progressive, anti-community person. If you have a better plan of action then by all means implement it, but please don’t act like you are the only here one who cares about our community.
You are just as anonymous and if you consider 2 curse words to be “throughout” then maybe you need to read it again. It’s called an opinion and mine is worth just as much as yours. So, if my rant gets even one more person to the meeting tonight to help oppose the WOC then it was completely worth it, even if you disagree with my methods.
However, Lisa does bring up a very important issue. Long time advocates of Ocean Beach have recently been pushed off the board, and replaced by relative newcomers whose interests are not so much in line with the rest of the community. Some of them own businesses here, but do not live here. Those folks are very much pro corporate development in OB. I think they would just as soon wipe their butts with the precise plan. seriously.
Obviously….both of you have been under a rock for the past 5 years…good that you finally crawled out!
OB has a record of numerous projects that the board disapproved and the City approved. Down here at the City…they are widely known as the biggest complainers in the planning group system. Always voting no and then forcing appeals for no reason just to delay applicants.
Their voice has been marginalized for quite some time.
To note…I didn’t say I support the project or even WOC…and if you read my other comments on the other posts you will get a bigger picture of my opinion of the project.
So, just getting the planning board to vote no isn’t really helping you.
Cursing only makes you look ignorant and desperate. So…my statements remain true that you all just moan and complain and don’t really do your homework.
Oh yeah…by the way…me telling you my whole name is just begging for some creep to harass me more…forget it. That clearly isn’t safe.
I’m interested in the names of those who were either pushed off or run out and who the people are that have replaced them.
If someone is in power but isn’t acting in the best interest of all of OBceans because hey don’t live here, then wouldn’t even more “pushing” be in order?
Lisa, you make some great points. And I appreciate your knowledge on this issue. But let’s all try to stay on the same team here. Calling those who agree with you ignorant because you don’t approve of their methods will only alienate them from your shared goal. Educate, don’t alienate. We all want to do what we are capable of to win the best possible outcome for our community.
Hey Lisa,
Jon has done more for this community than you’ll ever know and your putting everyone else down here doesn’t make you look any more enlightened.
If we can get past all of your insults you actually make some good points, but your venomous tone and unfounded generalizations completely alienates any good will you may be trying to spread.
Once again, I hope you’re at the meeting tonight.
Dave
Lisa
I disagree with much of what you say.
Especially about forcing appeals for no reason.
Why would someone appeal an approval for a project for no reason when it takes time and money?
I was involved in supporting an appeal last year on a condo project on W Pt Loma ave. After attending several local planning board meetings, the project was finally approved. It was a close vote the board nearly split.
But when the developer came back with revisions suggested by the board the project passed.
A car load of us OB residents (complainers) went down to city hall (paid $10 for parking) and sat for 4 hours before we had our chance to speak. They thanked us for caring, but thought the project fit the community and voted for approval.
This project required demolishing two nearly 100 year old homes and replacing them with a huge condo complex on one of the busiest intersections in Ocean Beach without a traffic study.
Many of these homes along W Pt Loma had boat houses that backed up to mission bay before it was developed.
I believe this is an important part of our heritage that we should consider preserving.
This project so far has not come to be, but now I heard the property is on the market with plans for development.
Now I guess there’s more of a chance it will happen since the city just extended the permits for another year.
I,m not against progress as long as it is not going to degrade the quality of life and character of one of the last true Beach towns left in California.
There are other projects in the pipeline that will do just that.
I’ve lived and worked in OB for 33 years and I’m passionate about protecting our little slice of paradise.
Isn’t wonderful to hear that “down here” at the City Gov’t that OB voices have been “marginalized” for some time? Why should mere citizens count when the Mayor is busy hawking every big shiny thing that his developer buddies propose? There’s lot’s of “work” to be done down at City Hall maintaining America’s Finest City’s reputation of being “Scam Diego” or “Enron By The Sea!
We’ve heard many voices on how this project isn’t good for the community. But we haven’t heard on how it could be good for the community.
Lisa, since your the only proponent here. Please enlighten us. You did bring up some rather valid points, but your delivery was weak. Can you back up your allegations? Your insults and accusations about people who are clearly active citizens in this community only hurt your case. You rant about ignorance but your only defense are insults and harsh words. These are traits that I see quite often with conservative thinkers these days. These are signs that despite your dedication to your cause, even you have your doubts about what your fighting for.
Speaking only for myself and not about any particular project, I would also like to voice some disagreements with Lisa’s take. I definitely agree with the notion that arguments against projects must have teeth to be effective, but your comments lead me to believe that you may have a fundamental misunderstanding of the community’s role in the process. The primary purpose of a community planning board is not to enforce the City’s Zoning Ordinance, it is to help give the community a voice in local planning and development issues.
It is not at all unusual for any jurisdiction to have additional considerations or restrictions beyond their Zoning Ordinances such as those outlined in community plans, design review boards, fire protection plans or even the City’s of SD’s own General Plan. Yes, much of these are in fact subjective considerations by nature, which does in fact make them harder to enforce in a legally-defensible manner. But for whatever it is worth, a Zoning Ordinance is chock full of things which are pretty subjective. Ask anyone who has ever tried to pull a permit and gotten three different answers on three different days from the same zoning counter.
Let’s also be perfectly clear that Ocean Beach is a thriving and livable community whose character is absolutely worth preserving. There are many planners and designers who wish they had the ability to craft the kind of policy that would help to create vibrant places such as this one.
Well, they might not have figured out how to do that yet, but Ocean Beach has. Try to remember that next time you are flipping through the Zoning Ordinance.
Attempting to enforce their own Precise Plan does not make a community or planning board “complainers”, it makes them citizens actively engaged in the democratic process — also known as the “public”, who municipal employees are sworn to represent.
Okay, so now that it appears we are literally “stuck” with this thing, now what? How do we continue to put the pressure on to make sure green codes are adhered to and that local businesses get a fair shot at renting space, etc…? When life gives you lemons make lemonade right? Well life is giving OB an onion. WTF do you make with an onion? salsa!
Seth – very well put.
Pat, Jon, and the three “D’s” Dave, Doug, Dallas – right arm!
Thanks Guys
Now I don’t feel like such a whiner.
Seth it was nice to meet you last night, I do have a question though.
What’s to stop “World Oil/Marketing Corp.” from greasing a few palms to get their building approved? I’m not calling anyone in particular on the board out, I’m just asking if there are any safeguards to prevent it from happening?
The way I see it is, if WOMC can afford to lose years of rent/income on that lot and the Dover lot, then they must certainly be able to afford to procure anything else they desire.
Because after hearing all the reasons for the “Cox” project to be denied, (not that I was for it) the same logic (400’ waiver excepted) should have been used to deny the “Sunset Plaza” building as well, at least in my humble opinion.
Some things that made me go hmmmm…
I heard one board member say they were “late because of traffic” but when I brought up the fact that it’s only going to get worse after that building goes in, my comments ended up being in vain.
I heard another member say, “that isn’t even considered the entryway to O.B.” but I’ll bet if a traffic study was done you’d find that just as many vehicles stay on Sunset Cliffs as those who turn onto West Point Loma Blvd.
There are also no safeguards against WOMC renting space to whomever they please…they could literally put a national deli chain, another liquor store or even adult entertainment.
Lastly, I would please ask that World Oil/Marketing Corp. start becoming better neighbor right away and at the very least clean up the trash on THEIR property.
What happened at the meeting? Is there a project being put forth by WOC (which also owns the Exxon station once called OB Gas)? It’s time to abate the nuisances at once was the recycling center property and at what was once Dover’s Plumbing. Incidentally, I see no more evidence that the OBPB ever was given as say on the nuisance that exists at the corner than that the Rag has bothered to do its homework on this apparently not-a-project mess. While I’m at it, I’d like to see a live music venue at Dover’s.
PS: Somehow I missed those supposed swear words.
Dave, it was nice to meet you as well. I try not to offer opinions on specific projects outside of meetings, but I am always listening. Some other brief thoughts as a private citizen:
~ The OBPB is an advisory board with no binding authority to enforce its recommendations.
~ No one has ever offered me a bribe and I certainly wouldn’t take one. I would be surprised if anyone on the board would.
~ No one was pushed off the board. There was an election and two of seven seats were contested. One incumbent got more votes than his opponent and another did not. That’s just democracy.
Thanks Seth,
Like I said, I wasn’t calling anyone in particular on the board out, but rather wondering out loud what safeguards were in place.
I never really hear about any board elections either, but did find out today that there is an 8 year term limit. Not sure if the board chair person can serve 8 as a member and another 8 as board chair but hope that all members are aware that O.B. is “Slow Be” when it comes to outside influences of growth filling up our little slice of heaven.
I’m still not too happy about how the Sunset Plaza (or whatever they’re going to rename it) vote turned out but do think out of all of the members, that you showed the most integrity.
World Oil Marketing Corp. as of today has still neglected to clean up it’s trash but someone did remove the graffiti from their Dover building’s front window…baby steps I guess….