Photo by Carole Landon-Stone
Long Branch Torrey Is History
This week a crew from the city took down the “infamous” Torrey Pine on the 4600 block of Long Branch Avenue. By all accounts, the tree had died. Local resident Carole Landon-Stone had been pressuring the city to remove the tree before it caused injury or property damage. The crew came out on Thursday, Sept. 1, and began taking off branches. By Friday, the crew was cutting up the trunk.
The Torrey was famous — it had protected status — because the local neighborhood — and Rag — had saved the once-healthy tree from the axe at least twice, and to the city it was infamous because they were thwarted with carrying out its premature death sentence. OB has a rich history of Torrey Pines, a native species, which we can all learn from.
Councilwoman Campbell Concedes New Development in the Midway Will Be 10 Stories High
At the Ocean Beach Town Council public meeting on Wednesday, August 24, Councilwoman Jen Campbell conceded that new development in the Midway District — if Measure “C” is passed — would be 10 stories high. In explaining to concerned residents, Campbell stated that Measure C would only apply to the Midway District, but also “emphasized that the height limit would be raised only to 100 feet.” According to the Pt Loma – OB Monthly, Campbell stated: “So if someone tries to tell you that it’s going to be skyscrapers, no, it will not be skyscrapers. And it does not affect any other part of our coast … Ocean Beach is not part of Midway. The law describes exactly where the new zoning would go.” A building story is roughly 10 feet. One hundred feet is then ten stories. No skyscrapers here, uh-huh.
DeMaio-Aligned Group Sues City to Block Measure “C”
Save Our Access is once again suing the City of San Diego to block a ballot proposal to lift the 30-foot building height limit in the Midway District. It successfully blocked the implementation of the former ballot Measure “E” forcing the city to more environmental studies. The group, which calls itself “environmental” has since aligned with Carl DeMaio, the most Trumpiest of Trumps in San Diego County to take on the city again. SOA has filed a petition for writ of mandate which seeks to block the city from taking additional action until it has sufficiently studied all of the environmental impacts associated with taller buildings — as opposed to just analyzing impacted views — in the 1,324-acre area that includes San Diego’s sports arena. The San Diego U-T surmises, “the matter will be considered after the November election. The case has been assigned to Judge Katherine Bacal, who ruled in favor of Save Our Access in the 2020 lawsuit related to the previous measure, Measure E.”
Residents at OBTC Meeting Raise Concerns With Councilwoman Campbell Over Threats to 30-Foot Height Limit
At the most recent OB Town Council meeting, residents repeatedly peppered Councilwoman Jen Campbell, the featured speaker, with questions that “conveyed anxiety … that the effort to eliminate the 30-foot coastal height limit in the Midway District could eventually spread to other areas,” reported the Pt Loma OB Monthly. Trying to allay their concerns, Campbell may have exacerbated them. In maintaining that Measure C would only apply exclusively to the Midway District, Campbell also “emphasized that the height limit would be raised only to 100 feet.”
The Monthly also reported: “Some residents expressed astonishment that the city would advance development plans that flout current legal restrictions merely on faith that the restrictions will be lifted. Kohta Zaiser, Gloria’s District 2 representative, responded that all three redevelopment proposals were submitted with versions for the height limit remaining and being annulled. But he acknowledged that the city was working on the premise that the November election result would not differ from 2020.”
Sidewalk Vendor Regs to Go Into Effect at Coast
Coastal residents upset by a growing presence of sidewalk vendors may be breathing a sigh of relief in coming months, as San Diego officials said Friday that an agreement has been reached to allow enforcement of new city vending regulations in the coastal zone without a hearing by the California Coastal Commission. A city official said the item will go before City Council in the next month or so for the first of two hearings. San Diego U-T
In 1954, Ocean Beach Had a Kelp Problem – Video
Here is a site with a video about the kelp problem OB had in 1954.
City Fielded 235,000 Complaints Already This Year on “Get It Done” App
The city of San Diego has fielded about 235,000 complaints this year through late August from residents concerned about issues affecting their quality of life. One issue — parking violations — topped the list of concerns for residents, according to the reports filed through the city’s Get It Done app. San Diego residents are concerned with both 72-hour parking and parking zone violations, which combined made up nearly 40,000 reports so far this year. Parking complaints, followed closely by homeless encampments and illegal dumping as chief concerns for residents, have captured the city’s attention. Times of San Diego
Flesh-Eating Bugs Attack Coastal Feet
Swarms of microscopic sea bugs with needle-sharp teeth have been munching on people’s feet in California. One woman was walking along a beach in De Anza Cove, San Diego, when she was bitten by the tiny creatures. “It was painful! I was like uh! I jumped out of the water and this was so shocking. I had blood all over my foot and in between my toes,” Tara Sauvage told CBS8. “It was like small piranhas had bit me.” The bugs have been determined to be a tiny isopod called Excirolana chiltoni, which live in the shallow waters of the Pacific Ocean and seasonally migrate up and down the coast.
“It is an isopod, a relative of roly-polys that live in the ocean and in very shallow waters all the way up to Alaska and Japan. They are totally known to bite people. They really hang out in the water. They like to eat fresh meat like a dying animal or battered animal,” Ryan Hechinger, a professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, told CB8. Newsweek
Baron’s September Food Drive
The San Diego Food Bank and its North County Food Bank chapter are teaming up with Barons Market for their Fall Food Drive to raise vital funds and food for our critical hunger-relief programs. Throughout the month of September, shoppers at all San Diego County Barons Market locations can donate to the Food Bank at checkout. For every $2 donated, four meals can be provided to local families in need. The Point Loma market is located at 4001 W. Point Loma Blvd., San Diego, CA 92110.
Point Loma Nazarene’s Sun Room transcends the peninsula
In summer 2021, a human pile of sunburns and cutoff denim filled the yard of an infamous house in Ocean Beach—a house loved by nearby Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) students and not-so-loved by neighbors. The swarm of 20-somethings was so tightly packed they looked like one unit, swaying to the twangy melodies and stomping rhythms of Sun Room—a foursome of home-grown blonde-mopped surf rockers. Everyone could sense it: the band was special. San Diego Magazine
Motorcyclist Fractures Ankle in Accident on Point Loma Ave.
A man was injured in a motorcycle accident on Point Loma Boulevard at Ebers Street on Thursday evening. According to a San Diego Police Department news release, the motorcycle crash happened around 7:00 p.m. For unknown reasons, a Jeep Wrangler driver making a left turn at the intersection collided head-on with the motorcyclist. Due to the impact, the motorcyclist was thrown from his bike onto the hood of another vehicle. Soon after, paramedics responded to the scene and rushed the motorcyclist to a hospital with an open fracture to his ankle.
New Midway Re-Development Still Won’t Have Walkable Routes to Trolley
San Diego city leaders are close to selecting a plan to redevelop the 48-acre Sports Arena property with thousands of new apartments, nearly half of them set aside as affordable for low-income renters. But as things stand today, those new residents will not have a pleasant or safe walk to the nearest transit hub, said the leader of the Midway District’s community planning group. The Old Town Transit Center, a major hub for buses, trolleys and trains, is roughly a half mile from the eastern end of the arena property. Depending on the time of day and the frequency of connecting bus routes, walking can be the best way to get there.
Yet, the walk can be treacherous. Several streets along the way don’t have sidewalks. Some intersections lack crosswalks or curb ramps, making them inaccessible to wheelchair users. Shade and trees are few and far between. Street lighting is also sparse. And many of the streets are six to eight lanes wide with vehicle speeds easily topping 40 miles per hour. KPBS
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