By Colleen O’Connor
More resistance to the Mayor’s mega plans for neighborhoods is afoot. Not just North Park’s frustration over the high-rise, no parking, increased bicycle lanes and tone deaf “push on” responses from the Council and Mayor, but repeats in Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Mission Hills, Clairemont, etc.
Always the rush. The closed session meetings, the insistence on a major development will “improve” the obvious problems.
The latest “solution” to homelessness is a proposed 1,000 bed facility on Kettner & Vine. This in addition to the Tent City dwellings along near Balboa Park on Pershing Drive, the Barracks near the airport and now this.
How has the homeless problem been solved thus far under the Mayor’s leadership? And why would we expect anything other than “transactional” politics and campaign contributions?
Remember the past city real estate debacles – including the 101 Ash St. scandal and the city’s controversial purchase of a shuttered East Village skydiving center. Perhaps, this means there will likely be increased scrutiny of the long-term lease deal, the Middletown warehouse’s building’s condition and its ownership.
Voice of San Diego confirmed that San Diego real estate and hospitality guru Douglas Hamm purchased the property for $13.25 million after months in escrow.
Flyers are being distributed. Signs made. Petitions online. Though lots of popular opposition already exists (the OB Planning Board voting “NO” on a planned development) shows that resistance is NOT futile.
It is up to the Council to decide. What’s the rush? Why not listening to the community? Where is community impact study and environmental reviews? No answers coming.
Hence, the “NO TO KETTNER & VINE/WRONG” 12:30 meeting Saturday at the Mission Hills/Knox Library.
Remember there is an election. Your voice and your vote matter.
Bill Walton is right. See his opinion: Like LBJ in 1968, Todd Gloria Should Drop Out of Mayoral Election
In a Thursday statement, Vargas wrote that Father Joe’s was proud to be selected to overhaul the property he acknowledged has been evaluated for “many different purposes” over the years.
“We at Father Joe’s Villages have found a way to build upon the structure’s strengths to the benefit of the community,” Vargas wrote. “By repurposing the existing site while employing high-performance building materials, we can scale the building to 15 floors with 176 units of 100 percent affordable housing.”
https://voiceofsandiego.org/2024/05/15/whats-next-for-the-skydiving-center-turned-city-homeless-service-hub/
The history of this building is abysmal starting with Faulconer and now Gloria. What is it with San Diego and incompetent mayors?
Artist renderings have been added to the skydiving building article. But no price tag or other details yet.
From Bill Walton: “While our once-great city crumbles, burns and disintegrates into chaos, anarchy and misery under the crushing, self-inflicted wounds of homelessness, crony-capitalism, financial dealing, corruption, deceit and deception, Gloria has chosen to focus on his own future.”
Calls for Gloria to resign!
From the Presidio Sentinel
COSTS! “Early cost estimates are that the shelter, in the first year alone, is almost $50M ($1.9 million rent plus $18 million to refurbish the site plus $30 million in operating expenses) which equals almost $50,000 per person, per year or $4,200 per person, per month – far above the average rent paid in San Diego.”
Another Ash Street boondoggle.
I love the title, “Resistance is not futile,” which implies that Todd Gloria and his running pack are not the BORG. But as long as they can falsely claim that high density, high rise, unregulated apartment buildings will solve homelessness, they are not going to listen to property owners and taxpayers. That is why I am promoting Larry Turner, running on an Independent ticket to reverse the craziness at City Hall. Resistance is NOT futile.
Ron May
Property owner, tax payer, and former Point Loma resident.
Meeting 12:30 Saturday.: “NO TO KETTNER & VINE/WRONG” 12:30 at Mission Hills/Knox Library. Show up. It matters.
Todd Gloria is responsible for the ongoing scandal involving 1401 Imperial Ave. (the vacant skydiving building with 2 forged appraisals).
The highest and best use for this functionally obsolete building is to use 1401 Market Street as a model for building subsidized low-income senior housing without government subsidies. Using this idea of leasing the land, The City should sell a sixty-year leasehold estate to the winning bidders who will build a 10-story high rise composed entirely of 4 bedroom 2 baths units for 3 low-income seniors and a caregiver. Minimal parking will be provided because seniors do not drive. The lease payments will be a percentage of gross rents collected. Without using federal money, the city would be free to use whatever criteria they want to rent the units. The money earned by the lease could be used to subsidize rent.