Month: June 2018

The Ocean Beach Town Council is holding their monthly public meeting, Wednesday, June 27, and high on their agenda is a forum on short term vacation rentals – and “how to save community character and keep local residents.”

They meet at the Masonic Center, 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, San Diego, CA 92107, form 7-9pm. It’s free and open to the public and well worth your effort.

From OBTC Facebook:

Short-term Vacation Rentals, or STVRs, create a cascade of problems in our neighborhoods.

By Geoff Page

Tribalism. It is a vestigial feature, much like an appendix. It once served the purpose of self-protection but has long since out-lived its usefulness. It is, in fact, harmful in an advanced society. But, unlike an appendix, it is not easily excised; it seems to be an indelible imprint on the psyche of homo sapiens.

This was demonstrated clearly, and sadly, at the Midway/Pacific Highway Community Planning Group’s regular monthly meeting on June 20 at the San Diego City College – West City Campus on Fordham Street. It seems that the planning group boundaries now are tribal boundaries.

Meeting Heats Up Over Midway Community Plan

The meeting got heated over Midway’s Community Plan

– Chant and Response: “We are with you. We hear you. We will not forget you.” -“Estamos contigos. Les oyemos. No les olvidamos.”

By Kathy Stadler / San Diego Free Press

With so many events taking place around the immigration travesty, it seems one may have gone under-noticed. During the PICO California statewide day of action Sunday, June 24, it was clear that the people being detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, could hear the protesters outside and tried to make contact – shouting and drumming.

PICO California, “the largest multi-racial faith-based community-organizing network in the state” organized a statewide weekend of action

Are so-called “granny flats” the future of Ocean Beach and of Point Loma?

It certainly appears to be so – at least for OB, given what happened at the last meeting of the OB Planning Board’s Project Review Committee. Wednesday night, June 20, the sub-committee of the full Board sent recommendations for approval for three granny flats in Ocean Beach. The full Board will meet in August to make the final determinations of approval (the Board is dark Wed, July 4).

Granny flats – also known as secondary units, backyard cottages, or ADUs – accessory dwelling units – have become all the rage now because California has just recently changed the laws surrounding the building of ADUs, making it easier, requiring less fees and dropping parking requirements. Some housing advocates, planning panels – and many construction companies – see them as a panacea for the state’s housing crisis.

Essentially, the state has mandated that if a proposed secondary unit meets certain requirements, than a city or volunteer planning board must allow it.

And this is what happened last week

UPDATE: Neither the OB Rag nor our primary source can confirm the death of the man who was airlifted from Sunset Cliffs June 14A young man who had to be air-lifted by chopper from rocks at the foot of Sunset Cliffs near Hill Street after a 30 foot fall on June 14, actually died from his injuries. He has not been publicly identified.

This is what happened, according to Julie Klein, who has chaired the Public Safety Committee for the OB Mainstreet Association for years. Usually, Julie is the one of the first to hear news from police officers and is very credible on such issues.

Following is a speech given by U.S. Senator Kamala Harris on Friday, June 22.

So let’s shout for the children and families. Let’s shout for them. So, first of all, I want to thank everyone for coming out and for all the work that everyone has been doing to give voice to these families, to these children, and to this issue.

I was just in there, I got a tour of that detention facility and then I sat down and spoke for some time and visited with the mothers who are there. And my heart is broken. These mothers, these mothers have given testimony, if you will, have given the stories, have shared their stories, their personal stories that are a story of a human rights abuse being committed by the United States government.

By Geoff Page

The Peninsula Community Planning Board’s regular monthly meetings at the Point Loma Library are becoming one of the best shows in town and the June 19 meeting was no exception.

This time the show was about an classic battle between a public agency and the community. The excitement was over that piece of open land on the south side of Famosa Blvd. across from Cleator Park. There was a large audience present, most of whom were there to express their displeasure with the San Diego Housing Commission’s plans to build 78 low income housing units on that site.

Community Displeasure With Planning Board’s June 2017 Letter Recommending Housing at Site in Question

Actually, the immediate displeasure had to do with a letter about “Affordable/Workforce” housing the PCPB sent to Councilmember Zapf and the San Diego Housing Commission in June of 2017.

Alone on the plane, I had the same thought that I always do: “we could crash and my life might end at any time.” As always, images of the moments before death subsumed me. I imagined the faces of my fellow passengers contorted in horror. I heard the weeping, the screaming, the voices futilely attempting to leave last messages for their loved ones on their cellphones, all to no avail.

My fantasy was real enough that amidst a banal announcement about expected turbulence, I came close to tears as I thought of never seeing my wife or son again and went on to consider the weight of the collective losses of all the souls on the plane.

But, in this case, what used to be a source of physical anxiety gave way to a feeling of absolute groundlessness.

There is something liberating about anonymity and the small pleasure of being unrecognized in the odd womblike environment of a passenger jet.

By Colleen Cochran

The California Public Utilities Commission placed the welfare of San Diego County citizens and wildlife ahead of San Diego Gas & Electric’s profits yesterday, June 21.

The 5-member commission voted unanimously to reject SDG&E and its partner Southern California Gas’ bid to install 47 miles of new pipeline from the Rainbow Metering Station near Fallbrook down through Miramar, mostly along Interstate 15. Another potential route these utilities were considering would have taken the line through Mission Trails Regional Park.

The rejected Pipeline 3602 would have been 36 inches wide and have had five times the carrying capacity of existent 16-inch-wide Pipeline 1600. In an effort to avoid making potential repairs to Line 1600, SDG&E’s plan was to reduce the operating pressure on that line and to run new Pipeline 3602 at high pressure.

You can’t get away from it. Point Loma and Ocean Beach between them have three of the top four most dangerous intersections for bicyclists within the City of San Diego.

This, according to an analysis as part of a project by local attorney Michael Bomberger, who is trying to make local bicycle riders more aware of the most dangerous areas.

Of the City of San Diego’s top 4 worse intersections, 3 are in OB and Point Loma:

The County of San Diego’s Water Quality Program has issued an immediate advisory to avoid contact with any water at Dog Beach in OB.

The advisory covers the San Diego River outlet south three hundred (300) feet. The County says “Bacteria levels may exceed health standards.”

Here is their Advisory

From the Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association:

The 39th Annual Ocean Beach Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Festival will offer attendees eclectic fun in the sun for all ages. Join more than 70,000 visitors from 10am to 8pm on Saturday, June 23, 2018, for tasty festival nosh, art, beachfront entertainment, shopping, and more. Entry to the Street Fair is always free!

Here’s the Four Stage Line-Up of Continuous Music: