OB Holiday Parade during the pandemic, 2020.
OB Food & Toy Drive
During the week of December 12 — 17, volunteers from OB will conduct the annual OB Food & Toy Drive benefiting needy families and seniors throughout the Peninsula. Each year the OBTC and the OB Tree Committee work with community groups and volunteers to package a week’s worth of groceries, care packages, and new gifts and toys for the needy during the holidays. It’s back at the Masonic Center at 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. The OBTC hopes to help at least 150 families and seniors. Due to COVID, the OBTC is only accepting new, unwrapped toys to pass on to people. To stage the food and toy distribution, OB Kiwanis distributes fliers and grocery sacks door-to-door throughout the Peninsula.
The week of Dec. 12-17 donated items, food and toys, will flow into the Masonic Lodge from various churches, schools, and private people. Volunteers sort the food and toys that come in, get everything ready to start packing it up into care packages. That happens on Monday through Thursday. On Friday, everthing is packaged and its delivered on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 8-10 a.m. is when volunteers pretty much deliver everything, all of the care packages, to families. Go to www.obtowncouncil.org and click on food and toy drive. The website also lists the locations of all toy collection boxes.
Designated Toy Donation Stations:
- Pruett Realty (1845 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.);
- Diane Sullivan Realty/Anne Herrin Compass (1021 Rosecrans St.);
- Newbreak Church (2069 Ebers St.);
- Water’s Edge Faith Community (1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.);
- Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore (3555 Rosecrans St Suite 107);
- Ocean Beach Business Center (4876 Santa Monica Ave.);
- Matt Kalla Insurance (4148 Voltaire St.);
- OB MainStreet Association (1868 Bacon St.);
- CrossFit OB (1811 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.)
Did Police Move Homeless Away From Foot of Newport for the Holiday Parade?
As some in OB have expressed concerns about crime and violence during the upcoming OB Holiday Parade, others suspect the city came in Thursday morning and moved the homeless before the OB Holiday parade on Saturday. The city did something around Petco Park during the 2022 Padres playoffs. See more here.
City Received Less than Half of Allowed Applications for Short-Term Rental Licenses — Lottery for Mission Beach Still On
By the 5 pm Wednesday, Nov.30 deadline, the City had only received less than half of the maximum number of licenses allowed — 5,416, representing 1% of the city’s housing units. Less than half of 5,416 is less than 2708, a much lower figure the city had anticipated. So, there won’t be a lottery to select licenses — except for Mission Beach. That’s because Mission Beach, which has a separate cap for licenses, received more applications than its individual limit of 1,100 licenses. Applicants for that community will learn the outcome of their lottery no later than Dec. 16. KPBS reported:
The city said within the next two weeks, it will reopen the application process until the citywide cap of just over 5,400 whole-home short-term rentals is reached. “Because short-term rentals had never been regulated in San Diego, there was limited data available on the true number of hosts operating in the City. As we get closer to the STRO effective date of May 1, 2023, the City anticipates that hosts will continue to submit applications for Tiers 1, 2 and 3,” Robinson said in a statement on behalf of the city. Starting May 1, 2023, all short-term rental property owners will need a license to operate legally in San Diego.
Matt Valenti of Save San Diego Neighborhoods, an organization that opposes short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods, suspects that the low number of overall applicants means that some people may not be following the new regulations. “If all of those other vacation rentals that continue to operate illegally without a license, if they aren’t shut down, then it’s going to send a pretty clear message that the ordinance is not enforceable,” Valenti said.
OB’s Template Robbed Twice in Month – Sets Up GoFundMe
Template, a local cafe and community space has been robbed twice within a month — the latest this past Monday — but has now launched a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to ask the Ocean Beach community for donations to keep operating, including paying for damage to the business from the most recent break-in. They said that the burglar kicked in newly reinforced doors, broke a security system and stole their cash register. As of Friday morning, Template had received 151 donations and than $8,987 as they try to meet a $20,000 goal. On GoFundMe, the cafe officials wrote that they plan to use proceeds to “seed funds for a host of revenue-building services and projects at Template.”
City of San Diego to Step Up Sidewalk Vending Ordinance Enforcement in Gaslamp
In a sign that the city is moving on enforcing the new sidewalk vending ordinance in the Gaslamp Quarter at least, Ashley Bailey (who wrote briefly for the Rag) in the City’s Communication Dept sent the [edited] following:
Following weeks of outreach to sidewalk vendors, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) will begin citing violators of the City of San Diego’s Sidewalk Vending Ordinance in the Gaslamp Quarter starting today — December 2. The Sidewalk Vending Ordinance, which was passed by the City Council in May, permits roaming and stationary sidewalk vendor entrepreneurs to use the public right of way or public property for sidewalk vending, while regulating how, when and where permitted sidewalk vendors conduct business in San Diego. However, the ordinance specifically bans sidewalk vending in the Gaslamp Quarter and other specified areas, which has spurred the stepped-up enforcement.
Officers from SDPD’s Central Division will be contacting vendors operating illegally in the area and citing them for violations. Those found in violation face potential fines ranging from $200 up to $1,000. Violators can also be subject to impoundment of carts, equipment and goods. City Park Rangers are responsible for sidewalk vending enforcement at beaches and parks in San Diego. To review the ordinance and learn more about the application process for vendors, visit sandiego.gov/sidewalk-vending.
Nick’s Fantasy Football Advice
By Nick Hancock at The Point – PLNU Student News Media: After an eventful Thanksgiving weekend of football, we have reached Week 13—the second to last week where some teams are on a bye. The complications of having players sit out are almost over, and after that, we’ll have four weeks of football with no one sitting. Thanksgiving weekend was a significant one, with several players having breakout games during the biggest week of football. This leads us into an exciting Week 13, with multiple teams entering tight playoff chases. We will see what players will rise to the occasion. In this week’s edition of Fantasy Football Advice we’ll be looking to replace players of yours that may play for the Arizona Cardinals or Carolina Panthers. For the balance of this column, go to LomaBeat.com
OB Planning Leader Reacts to Law Suit to Stop Work on New OB Pier
The vice-chair of the OB Planning Board had some choice words for the law suit filed by attorney Bryan Pease who is trying to get a permanent injunction “restraining any action taken to carry out the (pier replacement) project until CEQA has been complied with.” Kevin Hastings, speaking on his own behalf said: “I think it’s safe to say Mr. Pease speaks for himself here. This case has nothing to with concerns over fumes or impacts of studying the stability of the sea floor, and everything to do with Mr. Pease’s opposition to recreational fishing and eating fish, and thereby the fishing pier that enables it.” Pease filed the suit in mid-November on behalf of the nonprofit Animal Protection and Rescue League, Inc.
Suspected Drunk Driver Who Killed Point Loma Woman Has PreLim in January
A sailor accused of second-degree murder while allegedly driving drunk in the wrong-way freeway death of a Point Loma woman will have his preliminary hearing on Jan. 9, 2023. The hearing for Eric Deangelo Ramos Cortez, 25, concerning the death of Sarah Lombardi was set for the Monday before the Thanksgiving holiday, but it was delayed to a more appropriate time and also because the defense requested more time to prepare. Lombardi, 54, was driving home from work on Dec. 20, 2021, on Interstate 8 just east of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard at 11:30 p.m. when her Toyota Camry was struck by a Subaru Outback SUV driven by Ramos. Ramos has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and driving with more than a .15 blood/alcohol limit. For more.
3 ADUs Planned Over Wonderland Coin Laundry on Abbott Street
The City made the following announcement: “As a property owner, tenant, or person who has requested notice, you should know that the Development Services Department Staff will make a decision to approve, conditionally approve, modify or deny an application for a Coastal Development Permit to construct (3) new accessory dwelling units of 669 sq. ft. for the first unit, 637 sq. ft. for the second unit, and 806 sq. ft. for the third unit over an existing 2,495 sq. ft. commercial building at 2171, 2175 and 2179 Abbott St.
“An additional 203 sq. ft. of new construction will be added to the existing ground level commercial building for a total of 2,315 sq. ft. of new construction. The existing site includes (4) detached dwelling units and (1) detached single-car garage at 5086, 5090, and 5092 Muir Avenue that will remain with no new construction proposed. The 0.22- acre site is in the RM-2-4, Coastal Overlay (non-appealable) and Coastal Height Overlay zone of the Ocean Beach Community Plan area within Council District 2. This development is within the Coastal Overlay zone and the application was filed on November 4, 2022.”
Point Loma – OB Democrats Holding Holiday Party and Toy Drive – Dec. 4
Here’s their announcement: “We’re delighted to announce our first Holiday Party and Toy Drive since 2019! — at the home of Leslie Bruce in Pt Loma — from 1:30-3:30PM. Come enjoy the start of the holidays with your fellow Dems, and celebrate all of the great mid-term victories. We’ll be serving drinks and appetizers. There’s no entry charge, but the Party is for members only. If you’re not yet a member, you can signup for 2023 membership. Pay your dues and confirm your Democratic credentials — online here. Absolutely no pets allowed. Party is from 1:30-3:30PM.
With COVID-19 still at large we’ll be having the event outdoors, so we’ve moved up the start time to 1:30PM to catch some sun and warmth. Be mindful of the weather report before heading over. Please invite potential members to attend and meet fellow Democrats in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The Club will be collecting unwrapped new toys for the Toy Drive of the Western Service Workers Association, and Brandon McDonald will talk about the great work that the WSWA does in San Diego. Be mindful of the weather report before heading over.”
Sunset Cliffs North Residents Want to Set Up Neighborhood Watch
Residents of the Sunset Cliffs North area has several areas of concern: The number of people attending “classes” on the cliffs; people camping in front of residences; street lights not working; break-ins, etc. So they want to establish a Neighborhood Watch group in that area. If you’re interested send organizers an email at SunsetcliffsSNW@gmail.com and you will be put on the mailing list for our next meeting.
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