Month: October 2016

We’ve been following what’s happening with OB’s vegetarian Mexican food restaurant, Ranchos, over these last couple of weeks with concern.

Now, we find out something dark has been going on. The owner of Ranchos has apparently posted signs in the windows explaining that they are moving – and why they are moving.

In hand-lettered signs – in places hard to decipher – , the Ranchos owner charges their landlord with racism and a hatred of Mexicans.

And the Ranchos owner says they will be moving in a month to another location in San Diego – and invites his loyal customers to a new place with mariachis – and fresh fish and lamb added to a new menu – with better prices. No address of a new location was listed.

Nelco Properties – the developer of the controversial construction project in Ocean Beach at Ebers and Greene Streets has made a statement to the local press. We reprint it here without edit or comment (From CBS8 News:)

Full Statement on behalf of Nelco Properties:

Nelco Properties is a strong supporter of the Ocean Beach community and its residents. With this project we are working to beautify the community and bring increased home values to the surrounding neighborhood. The project conforms to all required municipal codes, city development regulations, and has obtained all required permits; it has been approved by City and County agencies.

Close to 70 people crowded into the Ocean Beach Recreation Center’s meeting room last night, Wednesday, October 19th, for a special Town Hall meeting on the controversial construction project at Ebers and Greene Streets.

The town hall-type gathering was called for at last weekend’s rally against the project, and the heads of both the OB and Peninsula Planning Boards had committed to help make it happen.

After nearly an hour and half of discussion on ‘what to do?’, the assembled residents fairly-unanimously decided to demand a “Stop Work” order by Mayor Faulconer on the project. No city official appeared – despite being invited – and no one from the developer was in attendance.

Restaurant Review

Plant Power
2204 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
(Note: Menu has address at 22014 – )
San Diego, CA 92107
619-450-6845

I wasn’t going to do it. I knew that if I reviewed this restaurant there would be many comments – some favorable, but mostly unfavorable towards the review. However, I have been asked by so many people what I thought about it. I decided to “bite the bullet” and go.

My friend Barbara and I have talked about “Plant Power” for months. I should immediately point out that neither of us are vegans. We like our meats; we like our breads; we like so many things that are not offered at this restaurant. But we went in with an open mind and decided to order several items so that we could sample the menu.

To begin with I want to say that once you get into the parking lot (off of Voltaire) there was ample parking.

By David McCullough / UrbDeZine

Earlier this year, a hosted panel of local decision makers was brought together to discuss future of San Diego. Much of the conversation was around the convention center expansion.

If you’ve been following the local news, you’ve noticed much of the dialog is about the benefits of a larger meeting space.

The conversation is often about the need for more space to keep Comic-Con in San Diego or the heavy regional impact, the tax revenues, or the attention it all brings to our city. At the end of the panel discussion, a younger, seemingly naive gentleman stood up to ask a question. The question was, “Why do we need a larger convention center when it seems vacant for most of the year?”

The O.B. Rag web site is up and running, but the editor is currently without internet access and unable to…

In Order to Keep Project, Owner May Be Creating “Guest Quarters”

By Geoff Page / Special to the OB Rag

After reviewing the Correction Notice and a few other things as well, it appears to me that the developer – Curtis Nelson of Nelco Properties – and the City of San Diego are changing this development in reaction to public attention. This means that what they may be doing needs scrutiny.

It looks like they plan to designate one of the buildings a guest quarters and only one of the two buildings could possibly qualify – and that would be the existing house.

OB Town Hall Meeting
Wed., Oct. 19th – 6pm
OB Rec Center

The Ocean Beach Town Hall meeting on the construction project at Ebers and Greene has been set for Wednesday October 19th at 6pm at the OB Recreation Center, 4726 Santa Monica Avenue.

The Town Hall meeting idea grew out of the rally against the project held last Saturday, the 15th. Both chairs of the OB Planning Board and of the Peninsula Community Planning Board had agreed during the rally to organize the gathering.

A city crew has begun chopping off limbs of the Torrey Pine located on Greene Street right next to Ebers Street. This began around noon, Monday, October 17.

Why is the city doing this?

Sixty OB residents rallied on Saturday, October 15th against the Nelco Property’s project at Ebers and Greene Streets. With signs, speakers and spirit, OBceans showed their displeasure with the troubled project.

Several TV stations showed up at the protest organized by local residents and the OB Rag. Allison and Mick Rush were introduced by MC Frank Gormlie to the crowd as the couple that got the ball rolling in standing up to the project.

Gormlie called on Mayor Faulconer to order a “Work Stoppage” as was done at the Emerson-Evergreen project in Point Loma.

By Terrie Best / Americans for Safe Access SDASA / October 17, 2016

When medical marijuana patient Shaun Smith won his case with a ten minute not guilty verdict in June, he could not have known the District Attorney had already spent the cash they took from his medical cannabis collective and that the Sheriff’s department would take such a long time to return the motorcycle confiscated from Shaun’s home. But, both DA Bonnie Dumanis and Sheriff Gore have so far failed to return the property of a vindicated citizen.

In June, Shaun’s case moved through the San Diego North County courthouse very quickly and within 10 minutes a jury had reached a verdict of not guilty on the possession for sale and manufacturing charges the DA had levied after a raid on Shuan’s Oceanside home. Shaun was operating a legal collective and the group was saving for a storefront location.

The folks who do the annual Orchids and Onions awards in San Diego, have awarded an Ocean Beach building a stinky Onion Award.

One of our favorite buildings to knock, World Oil’s Sunset Plaza at the corner of Voltaire and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, received the Onion. The nomination described the building as:

“… an ugly, ill-advised eyesore besmirching the otherwise beautiful entrance to Ocean Beach.”

The awards were just announced and showcased in Roger Showley’s recent article in the SD U-T. Here’s Roger’s opening:

Orchids & Onions celebrates its 40th anniversary this month after celebrating the good and skewering the bad in San Diego’s architecture, landscapes and other elements of the “built environment.”