Point Loma to Get Famosa Townhomes at Catalina and Voltaire
Here is more info on the townhouses being built at Voltaire and Catalina (here’s our original post):
Veritas Urban Properties has broken ground on The Famosa Townhomes, a mixed-use townhome development at Voltaire and Catalina streets in Point Loma. The project, which features nine for-sale units and a pedestrian-oriented retail component, is the second local urban community to be built by Veritas since the company’s founding in 2011.
The Famosa Townhomes is expected to revitalize an existing 13,000-square-foot vacant parcel on the northwest corner of Voltaire and Catalina streets. The site has been vacant and a community eyesore for 17 years.
Brothers Russ and Scott Murfey, founders and principals of Veritas, pinpointed it as an ideal location for urban infill residential with street-level retail to engage and enhance the neighborhood.
The project was approved unanimously by the San Diego Planning Commission in May 2013.
Named after the nearby Famosa ecological preserve, The Famosa Townhomes offers three-story row-style homes which flank a private drive located off the alley. Set above two-car garages, there is a mix between three-bedroom/two-bath units and two-bedroom/three-bath units, all with balconies and some with rooftop view decks. All units are equipped with solar for energy and cost savings.
The anticipated completion date for The Famosa Townhomes is fall 2014, with sales prices anticipated to start in the mid-$400,000 range.
Garrison Street residents’ holiday spirit extends beyond light displays — humanism is the key
By Dave Schwab/ sdnews.com
Neighbors on Garrison Street in Point Loma have a Christmas tradition that begins and ends with charity. The street is known for its dazzling Yuletide light show and displays, which start on Thanksgiving and end after New Year’s. And right in the middle of it is the annual “Cocoa for a Cure” fundraiser held in the courtyard of the Freitas family at 3616 Garrison St.
This year, the 14th installment of the hot-chocolate charity event is being held from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. The fundraiser will benefit the fight against juvenile diabetes, which has impacted several local families in the Point Loma community.
Last year’s Garrison Street charity fundraiser recipient was Will Barton, a 21-year-old Point Loma High School alum who was shot in a case of mistaken identity near Balboa Park and critically wounded — only to rebound slowly but surely beyond the wildest expectations of doctors, who gave the victim almost no chance of survival. The neighborhood raised over $4,000 for his family.
For the rest of this article, go to sdnews.com.
Man carjacked in Point Loma Heights by woman he met online and male accomplice
A man was carjacked in Point Loma Heights by a young woman he met online and a gun-wielding male accomplice, a police officer said.
The victim went to meet the 19-year-old woman shortly after 3:30 a.m. in the 4200 block of Voltaire Street near Catalina Boulevard, and she got into his car, San Diego police Officer Dino Delimitros said.
Shortly after, the woman let the armed man into the car and they ordered the victim out, Delimitros said. The pair then sped away in the victim’s car, the officer said.
The male suspect was described as white, about 20 years old, and around 5 feet 10 with a thin build
Mission Beach man who robbed 2 banks sentenced to 16 years in prison
By SanDiego6
A Mission Beach man who robbed two banks near his home over the span of a month in 2010 was sentenced today to 16 years in state prison.
Bryan Leasure, 51, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a pair of robbery counts. He was sentenced by San Diego Superior Court Judge Albert Harutunian III.
Authorities said Leasure used demand notes to rob a Bank of America branch in the 900 block of Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach and a Wells Fargo bank four blocks to the east on the same street in July and August of 2010.
Surveillance cameras captured images of the bandit, but Leasure was not arrested until January at his Quivira Road home, police said.
Baby Jesus Snatched from Point Loma Front Yard
The decorations were family keepsakes from Panama
A holiday “Grinch” has ruined a Christmas tradition, for a Point Loma family. NBC 7’s Monica Dean explains why a simple yard decoration means so much to these parents and their three young boys.
A thief has ruined a Christmas tradition from a Point Loma family.
On Monday morning, Charo Mouritzen discovered that Baby Jesus had been stolen from the nativity scene in the front yard of her Chatsworth Boulevard home.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Mouritzen said. “Why would somebody take Baby Jesus?”
The nativity decorations are simple, just figures painted on fiberboard, but they hold special meaning for the Mouritzen family. Mouritzen said she and her husband brought the nativity scene from her native Panama 18 years ago.
“This is all we have left of our Baby Jesus, just these pictures,” she said. flipping through a family photo album.
The Mouritzens are devout Catholics. They hope someone will hear their story and return Jesus.
“You’ve taken away a big tradition from our family,” Mouritzen said. “We would love to have it back.”
The family said they will file a police report. Anyone with information can call the San Diego Police Department.
Ex-PLHS, UCHS teacher, 67, gets 7-year sentence
A retired teacher at Point Loma and University City high schools was sentenced Dec. 6 to seven years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to obtaining child pornography on his home computer.
James Rick Mitchell, 67, was allowed to remain free on bond until he surrenders by Feb. 7 in the courtroom of U.S. District Court Judge Janis Sammartino.
Mitchell worked for the San Diego Unified School District for 34 years from 1969 until his retirement in 2003. He worked as a math teacher and track coach at Point Loma High School and University City High School, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
His most recent work included 24 years at University City High. He also worked at Einstein Junior High School as a physical-education teacher.
There are no allegations of molestation. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service and he was identified as purchasing videos and images of minors engaging in sexual activity. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Mitchell was in possession of 4,751 videos of child porn and many more images.
Sammartino told Mitchell he had cast a “pallor” on his career as an educator. She said child pornography does cause “acute harm” to children depicted in the images.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office calculated that Mitchell paid about $4,300 to purchase the images and videos.
Kiwanis Club ramps up for holiday food drive
Residents wanting to help the Ocean Beach/Point Loma Holiday Food Drive, but who can’t take their donation to a drop-off site can call on the Kiwanis Club of Ocean Beach, which is offering to pick up donations from donor’s homes and deliver them to the collection center.
The food drive is run by the Ocean Beach Town Council, in cooperation with local social-service agencies.
Anyone needing a pickup should call (619) 225-8705 and give their address. They can call any time between today and 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. Pickups will be made that afternoon.
Donations requested are unopened, nonperishable food items; new or nearly-new toys; and unopened general household supplies.
They will be used to make up gift boxes for needy families and seniors in Ocean Beach and Point Loma.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
looks like a nice development on the vacant lot at Voltaire and Catalina. The sketch is a little misleading. I can’t believe that corner will ever look that nice. Although the units do look nice. Hope it works
fstued – Check out the comments to the other post about this development here http://obrag.org/?p=78790 – lots of comments that this development will greatly worsen the traffic in the area – traffic that is already in the process of maxing out.
Is the OB Rag becoming OB’s “Police Blotter”?
Well, OB Joe – there’s an old OB Rag saying: “If you don’t like the news, go out and make your own.” Actually, we try to report on all the smaller articles that the local mainstream media publish – and at times, it’s all about crime and miscreant behavior. We don’t have enough resources to investigate the real crime, the ‘crime in the suites’.
I’ve lived within a mile, one way or another, of the Catalina and Voltaire corner for 58 years. I remember buying gas from Pat who looked like a Hell’s Angel alumni. Nice guy.
First, as far as traffic, it makes no sense to bellyache about traffic if you drive a car. You’re either part of the solution or part of the problem.
Second, in-fill development means that we’re saving wilderness. I’d rather have humans build up, than out. A good example is the You Are Here in-fill at 25th and F Street on Grant Hill. It provides living for about a dozen people, a yoga studio and professional office on a lot that used to house a gas station. It’s a great addition to that neighborhood!
Third, man carjacked by woman he met on-line. LOL. He didn’t “meet” her on-line, he “hired” her on line.
Keep up the good work, love the Rag for the humor.
Hey Famosa townhomes are almost done and actually look like the artists drawing…expect the trees which may be coming.
Anyhow, there is some good news to the construction of these units which I recently saw in an article…..”each comes with its own photovoltaic solar array consisting of 6 panels manufactured by Solar World. The Sunmodule panels are American made and feature the newest innovative inverter technologies, and a ballasted non-penetrating racking system. Each system is potentially expandable and comes with a 25-year linear performance warranty and 10-year product warranty.
Solar….American….Warranty-this is good :-)