Month: March 2025

By Janet O’Dea / SOHO Newsletter / March-April 2025

The City of San Diego Community Forest Advisory Board (CFAB) held a crucial meeting regarding the designation of heritage trees along Sunset Boulevard in on Hills in February 2025. It was the latest chapter in an ongoing battle to preserve the iconic trees planted by pioneering nurserywoman Kate Sessions that have defined the neighborhood for generations.

In 2009, after the establishment of the Mission Hills Historic District, I nominated the Kate Sessions California pepper tree and palm trees along Sunset Boulevard for heritage tree designation. According to City Council policy 900-19, trees qualify for heritage designation if they are “50 years or older or have a connection to some historic event, building, district, or were planted by a historically significant individual.” The CFAB in 2009 approved this heritage tree nomination.

By Kate Callen

A funny thing happened on the way to a March 27 conclave about accessory dwelling units (ADUs) featuring Mayor Todd Gloria and building industry VIPs.

It turned out there were two different ADU workshops in Mission Valley that night. I attended one of them. When I walked in and saw no mayor and no VIPs, I figured I was at the wrong event.

In fact, I had come to the right place.

The Gloria event would have trumpeted his ADU “reform” efforts to soothe public fury over massive projects by predatory developers. (One reform involves developer fees that would be “opt-in” or voluntary. Cool idea, Mr. Mayor! Let’s have “opt-in” trash fees!)

The other event took me back to the original “granny flat” concept where modest structures built by and for families create multi-generational housing with financial stability.

Parallels and pushbacks from national and local politics — Comments on Ready, Set, Grow San Diego, City of San Diego

By Anne S. Fege, Urban and Community Forester / March 27, 2025 

The first 60 days of this Administration have diminished and dismantled equity, science, and respect, and there are parallels to the local “Ready, Set, Grow San Diego” (RSG) project.   Even as the $10 million urban forestry grant will contribute modestly to climate action, it could have gained so much more in community engagement and equity. Seeing and hearing the national impacts in these 60 days now shows me great parallels. I will continue offering suggestions and advising community groups and I will not be silent, afraid, or withdrawn.

Diminished equity. 

• As this Administration attempts to “erase DEI,” I am reminded that “climate equity” was approved and celebrated by the Mayor and Council, yet this RSG grant falls short in several ways.

By Tammy Murga / The San Diego Union-Tribune / March 27, 2025

A large South County development in a fire-prone area, stalled in a yearslong legal battle, will be allowed to move forward with changes aimed at boosting the housing stock while mitigating wildfire risk.

On Wednesday, March 26, state Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that he and several environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club, Endangered Habitats League and the Center for Biological Diversity, reached a settlement in their lawsuit against developer Baldwin & Sons over the Otay Ranch Village 13 project, proposed for a site that has repeatedly burned.

In November 2020, the county Board of Supervisors approved the development despite objections that it threatened wildlife and would put too many people at risk of wildfires.

Environmental activists sued the county over claims it violated the California Environmental Quality Act. The Attorney General’s office later joined the lawsuit.

By South OB Girl

Two photos are shown below and show the care and concern the businesses one block from Sunset Cliffs Natural Park have shown for the Ocean Beach and Point Loma communities. The photos show murals painted in this area of OB.  One mural is on the wall of Trinidad Motors and the second mural is on the wall of the Little Lion.

Art Historian training inspires me to analyze the images and stories painted in these murals, but in short, locals have enjoyed these murals and the murals have contributed a pleasant aesthetic to the neighborhood. The mural at Trinidad shows four musicians walking along the beach with instruments, with a bright blue sky and bright blue ocean. The mural at the Little Lion represents part of the family’s history and individuals in the boat represent family members.

Angel Gonzalez, the owner of Trinidad Motors, has worked very hard to build his business. From the first day he moved in, he was cleaning and making repairs to the site with his family and friends and he had the whole building painted with new colors.  His mother and father were there helping in what ways they could, and Angel did the heavy lifting. The building looked (and still looks) very nice with its crisp, fresh gray paint.

By Lynne Miller

“Oh Auntie Em, There’s No Place Like Home!”

Well Dorothy, we local types who live in Ocean Beach, Point Loma, and Sunset Cliffs love your sentiment.  We are working pretty hard to keep our small beach village simple and pristine.  We aren’t worried about a tornado taking us away to Oz, where witches and munchkins live.  In fact, we live in this place now, that has its own kind of magic.  Not too long ago our village by the sea was scattered with beach cottages, and a sunny life style.  There used to be a theater in town, several small retail stores, restaurants and beach bars.  Its magic is slowly being replaced by ideas that see our old-school magic as a threat.

It sounds crazy but we are fighting ideas. Remember when our ideas into laws about safe traffic flow,  land use that resulted in specific zoning, like R1, R2, commercial and residential zones.  Many here fought to preserve our history, our environment, and our coastal zone. OBceans have always been willing to fight for things like clean air and water,  bike lanes, Dog Beach. and against takeover by Big Corporations.

Originally posted March 31, 2009

César Chávez is one of the greatest labor leaders and human rights activists in the United States history and the world. He fought for a better life for migrant farm workers, and founded the first successful farm workers’ union. César was the president of the United Farm Workers, AFL-CIO.

César Estrada Chávez was able to accomplish his goals through the philosophy of non-violence that he inherited and followed from leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King.

On Monday, March 31, the City of San Diego’s administrative offices and other services will be closed in observance of César Chávez Day. The following is a guide to which services will be impacted by the holiday closure next week and which will still operate on a normal schedule.

 WHAT’S CLOSED

•  All City of San Diego administrative offices.
• All?City libraries?will be closed Monday, March 31, and will reopen at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1.

Due to an all-day medical procedure tomorrow, Thursday, March 27, I will not be able to administer the Rag during the day and the site will be dark. That means there will not be any new posts and I will not be able to okay comments.

The following is from a report by Ann Jarmusch in her San Diego Historical Resources: Designations and Board Reports in the March-April newsletter from SOHO.

During their January 2025 meeting, the City of San Diego Historical Resources Board considered a 1912 Point Loma house on Fernando Street. It is currently boarded up and the owner has a 90-day permit for demolition. The Board expects to rehear the case at its April meeting.

Regarding designations, an interesting case of history and change over time occupied the board with three lengthy reports and public comment on the nomination of a 1912 Prairie style house at 310 San Fernando Street. An early and rare example of the style in San Diego, historic photos depict the two-story, square home as an outpost seven miles from the city and rising from Point Loma’s nearly vacant La Playa area. Neighbors noted that it is one of La Playa’s oldest remaining house and an important touchstone for the community.

Pro-democracy critics warn the presidential directive “represents a significant overreach of executive power and poses a direct threat to the fundamental right to vote.”

By Jon Queally / Common Dreams / Mar 26, 2025

Voting rights groups and pro-democracy advocates responded with uproar after President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening issued what they warn amounts to a far-reaching “authoritarian power grab” in the form of an “unlawful” executive order that would restrict voter access nationwide and punish states that make it easier for citizens to have their political preferences registered at the ballot box.

The official executive order—under the Orwellian header “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections”—would do the very opposite, warn critics, by making it more difficult for tens of millions of eligible U.S. citizens to cast their ballots in state and national elections.

The order, said Brett Edkins, managing director for policy and political affairs with the progressive advocacy group Stand Up America, “is a blatant effort to usurp state and congressional authority over our elections and stop millions of American citizens from voting.”

“This is a blatant attack on democracy.” —Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizen

In 2023, the City of San Diego began a $13.2 million project to improve University Avenue and the surrounding roads while ostensibly increasing safety for pedestrians in City Heights.

And now we’re told the University Avenue Complete Street project is nearing its completion. This will bring much relief to local businesses along University Ave as many have had to chain their doors during the construction that seemed to have many delays, and for residents who’ve had difficulty finding parking. Fox5 San Diego is the latest local media to give voice to the frustrations among those business owners. (See this report by David Garrick of the San Diego U-T in early February 2025)