A Plea for Locals to Take Action
by Lynne Miller
On a Summer Day, at the foot of Point Loma Avenue residents can hear the OB Lifeguards clearly, “Please put your feet on the ground and walk to shore. You are in a rip current!”
If the wind is just right, or wrong, we can hear bands playing by the OB Pier. Sound travels, and this proposed rooftop bar on the corner of Point Loma Ave and Sunset Cliffs Blvd (where Trinidad Motors sits) is going to have Live Music — they say so in their application. So whether you like it or not, you will hear loud sounds of music, laughter, and drinking voices leaping into high octaves. Our quiet afternoons and evenings, well, they will be a memory that young and old can share with the next generation.
We don’t know the details of the future building with the rooftop bar. We only know that the alcohol application states the building will be “mixed-use”, which means that the plans can include apartments or condos, and a rooftop bar. We don’t know how ‘high’ it will rise into vertical real estate, or how high the future patrons will be when they drive home.
We do know that the City of San Diego has a Mayor and council with a recent history of permitting construction that pushes their own concept of equity: high density, small spaces, more people. We know from experience new laws are written that waive coastal zone regulations and environmental considerations. (*A building perched close to the cliffs with an ocean view cannot possibly be low-income.)
We see the permanent changes in our city. We see apartments, condos, and high rises all over the city of San Diego. We know that Ocean Beach and Point Loma have been targeted as perfect for developers because the location is amazing, and our city government removed obstacles by streamlining the permitting process for the benefit of builders, many whom are out of state. Somehow a lot of money has come into the city as laws and permit requirements were changed.
Once, a year or two ago, there were a lot of small cottages with large lots. After the laws changed to quickly permit ADUs and Complete Communities, we don’t see many empty lots or small homes. They have been replaced by ADUs (chuckle, in fact, apartment buildings and condos). Good luck trying to find some land left for a new tree or a small garden. There are fewer yards, and fewer quiet trees for seagulls or their feathered friends to build nests or raise their babies.
How much is too much? What is the formula for ABC to declare an area saturated with businesses that serve alcohol? What is ‘our’ saturation point, as members of an Ocean Beach that once was?
TAKE ACTION NOW. If you think a rooftop bar on the corner of Point Loma Ave and Sunset Cliffs Blvd is a good idea your only action is to wait a year or two, and then sit down with a pint. If, on the other hand, you think a rooftop bar in to a residential community is not the best idea, WRITE A PROTEST TODAY.
This is not our first rodeo. The more protests written, the better chance we have to stop the approval of the liquor license. EVERY ADULT MEMBER OF ANY HOUSEHOLD can sign a protest form. You can email the forms, but it is a bit tricky, or your neighborhood can have a person collect the protests and hand-deliver them BEFORE 5:00 PM ON APRIL 4TH.
Go here for more: https://www.abc.ca.gov/information-regarding-alcoholic-beverage-license-applications-and-protests/
Look for another article very soon about the intended one-way street on a portion of Sunset Cliffs Blvd. based on the Coastal Resilience Action Plan.
Hi:
This may be a dumb question/idea, but can a “form” of protest be prepared and posted, that you can sign onto and submit? I’m not talking about one protest with a bunch of signatures, but separate protests, with much the same comments and perhaps a section where a person signing a protest could add specific, additional comments of their own? This could be “linked” on the Rag for completing and submission. My guess is that most persons protesting this would say basically the same thing, with perhaps additional thoughts of their own, would be easier for many people to complete and thus create many more protests.
/s/ Chris Kennedy
Sorry to be replying to my own idea, but perhaps the “form” of protest I mention above simply has an introduction and all the technical requirements for submitting (not a standard set of what I think would be most peoples’ comments and then a box where you can type additional comments), but just a box where you type your comments then select “submit”?
/s/ Chris Kennedy
There are online petition websites.
To be clear, the ABC has a form that they request to accept a Permit for processing. that is Form ABC-510-A.
https://www.abc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/forms/ABC-510-A.pdf
This is not a pre-filled out form for people to sign. The ABC website has the list of acceptable reasons; this is not something fabricated locally. This is a State of California form, so things are a little different from City of San Diego processes:
https://www.abc.ca.gov/information-regarding-alcoholic-beverage-license-applications-and-protests/
I don’t know of anybody that has been asked to sign a pre-filled out form. These reasons are simple things: noise, traffic, public nuisance, etc.
In motion… excellent suggestions!
Yes. Things are in motion.
I think this sounds cool. Where’s the counter protest against eternally empty lots in OB and the Point Loma Ave pearl clutching sect? ;)
Last time they did this y’all got stuck with a deteriorating building for the last decade +.
Ya I’d prefer to not have a gross asphalt lot with an auto repair shop on it. Sucks for the neighbors but those are a hotel, a church, a gas station, ocean front property owners (shed a tear!), vacation rentals, and the Little Lion. I guess that does kind of suck for them since people used the paid lot to go there but there is ample parking in the neighborhood east of Sunset Cliffs, for now…….
It is easy to post a protest. It is hard to make a connection to it on a blog, but I will try. If you love the idea, you don’t have to do anything. It will just happen. Reasons the ABC cares about: Public nuisance, noise, residences too close, churches and schools adjacent. California ABC Website tells you how to submit. If you think you might not like a two-story roof-top bar in your neighborhood which could hold an unknown number of people, (200?), please bring up the form, fill it out, and follow the instructions to get it there by April 4:
https://www.abc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/forms/ABC-510-A.pdf
Please try this and let me know if it works!
I will try again. If you love the idea, you don’t have to do anything. It will happen. If you don’t want a roof-top deck with live entertainment and an ABC liquor license for Beer and wine, go to the California ABC website, “How to Protest” and instructions will come up. Fill out the form and follow the instructions to get it back to the ABC before April 4.
Nearby residents love The Little Lion, Sunnie’s, and Rosarios. They can get alcohol across the street or up the street at the Sea Trader. And yes, you can actually get your car fixed at Trinidad Motors. Some people need that more than a drink. This is the form:
https://www.abc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/forms/ABC-510-A.pdf
I’m concerned about congestion, parking, and when you see the proposed hours of operation, there’s potential safety issues for pedestrians & kids. Our neighborhood is already impacted with folks coming in droves every night for sunset & scrambling for parking places. I see adding a rooftop bar to this neighborhood as a nuisance.
How many of the rescues at the cliffs involve someone in an inebriated state? I realize that a lot of people bring their own alcohol to the parking lots at SSC Natural Park, but it seems to me that this rooftop bar will only encourage more risk-taking at the Park.
How about some neighborly understanding and support? You, who live a few blocks away might not be impacted by more traffic, more drinking and driving, more loud talking and music, all day until 11:00 pm. Or, depending on the wind, you folks who live higher up the hill might be surprised by the increase in noise level that will be traveling from high above the cliffs on a rooftop to your personal space. The City is certainly not concerned about changes to your/our way of life. Look around and “try to remember the kind of September when life was slow. . .” Many neighbors within 100 feet or 500 feet of the future bar moved into this neighborhood before Tom Jones wrote the lyrics for Try To Remember in 1960. Can you support those neighbors who would like to live what is left of their lives in peace and quiet in their own home? Can you support this protest, not because it will help you, but because it will help your neighbors who bought here long ago when houses were affordable, parking was no problem, and neighborhoods mattered? You may not have been alive when this song was on My Hit Parade, but listen and enjoy, and consider supporting neighbors who are reaching the December of their lives and want to do so in their own home, in peace. Enjoy this rendition, Relax, imagine. . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUZpjW7QHGo
I’m not sure you’ll elicit much sympathy from younger generations with the “I bought my beach home in 1960 for $10,000 and a bushel of strawberries, now get off my lawn” approach.
I’d also imagine a playground for children would be 10x louder but wouldn’t get the same outrageous reactions.
But you are correct in that either way, it won’t impact me much since I live in a noisy area anyway and don’t (always) mind it. I’m more upset over abandoned, decaying buildings and empty lots than a neighborhood bar/restaurant with a rooftop and great views. Just different perspectives I suppose.
Playground probably wouldn’t be allowed because the land was and still is environmentally condemned (I think). Old gas tanks. Used to be a gas station. Also, waaaay too much traffic for a playground. People already get hit often at this intersection. Not sure statistics on accidents since the four way stop. Don’t mind the four way stop, but people still get hit and still accidents.
In the March 25th article about this property, there is a photo which shows 2 murals. Zoom in a little on that photo to see the murals. One is on the south wall of the Little Lion. I was told once that the people in the mural represent parts of the story of the Little Lion and their family’s history. The second mural is on the south wall of Trinidad Motors, showing 4 musicians walking on the beach. Angel, 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 with his family and friends and he had the whole structure painted with new colors (you can see the new paint colors in the March 25th article). And the building looked (and still looks) very nice. Shortly after painting the building he had the mural painted and everyone loved it. Angel has put thought and detail into everything. He has special high tech lock boxes for customer keys and night time lighting providing light for safety (but not too much light which might wake up neighbors). Even the chairs for customers to sit in and wait were picked with care, and plants too. He has also kept the property clean and tidy. The full lot is split with Ace Parking and he has respected that boundary even when he probably could have used extra parking spots. He has 3 (maybe 4?) mechanics working for him. Angel and his mechanics are always helpful and a lot of people have had excellent experiences. His business grew and grew and thrived. Angel worked very hard to build his business and now he is being told to leave. Part of the success of his business was the location. Empty handed now without a new location picked, he may never find a location where he can be as successful. And all the new plans for the property which we are hearing about will upset the peace and quiet of our community.
Another concern is that OB was over saturated with liquor licenses back when CVS was trying to move in and replace Apple Tree. Years ago!! The maximum number of liquor licenses had already been reached back then. CVS barely got a liquor license. Local leaders (OB Planning Board members and OB Town Council members) and residents too had a lot of concerns about another place for booze in OB. The CVS liquor license was supposed to be the last one in the area. It was sort of “off the record” going to be the last one. Think that whole idea went to sh*t and I guess all the laws about liquor license saturation have changed since then. Even Sunnie’s on PL Ave. faced difficulties getting a liquor license and I think they did not get one.
Let’s also keep in mind this land was previously environmentally CONDEMNED due to previous gas tanks (only suitable business use was an auto shop). And let’s also keep in mind that this is Environmentally Sensitive Land in the coastal zone and one block from Sunset Cliffs Natural Park.
I speak for many others: we do not want our community to turn into PB. And we would like to support our existing local businesses.
We wanted to share our message on this post, too, and keep the dialogue going. We hope to meet you all.
—-
Hello everyone. We are the owners of Daylight Coffee, the business referenced in this article. Since there is a lot of speculation in the article, we wanted to provide some information to the community about our plans and ourselves, as well as provide the opportunity for us all to meet in person on the property to discuss the project and answer any questions.
We are planning to convert the existing building into a neighborhood cafe serving coffee, espresso drinks, fresh-baked baguette sandwiches, and beer/ wine/ pizza in the afternoons and evenings. Our hope is to create a kid-friendly, community space welcoming all ages where you can grab a coffee with a friend and go on a walk or sit down for a slow beer. We all live in the neighborhood. This is a passion project and something we hope turns the space into something all people can enjoy. We believe that every wonderful neighborhood is anchored by a place where people can gather, and we believe this is sorely missing from ours.
We are a team of 3 people: Justin Burr, Spencer Gordon, and Jenna Gordon. Jenna and Spencer are the founders of a local women’s health company called Uqora. They now live together in Sunset Cliffs with 10 month old baby, Josie. Spencer and Justin grew up together in San Diego and Justin lives in OB.
Some notable corrections to the article:
-We intend to close at 9pm. We would love to open a rooftop deck in the long term, but this is not part of our initial plans.
-We are not building residential units. We purchased the lot from a developer who was looking to sell it to another developer. A property like this is difficult to make economically viable without developing. It would be a lot more profitable to develop the lot into apartments but instead we are working on this passion project.
-Those who live in the immediate area (500 feet) would have received the letter we distributed along with our ABC application, introducing ourselves to the community.
-We are not planning to build any new structures.
-We are a cafe serving beer and wine. We are not a bar. We are not serving liquor and our license application is explicitly for a restaurant.
We hope you find that our goals with the property are as aligned with the existing resident’s as possible and we would love the opportunity to meet and hear you out. We will host an information session on the South side of the lot on Sunday April 6th at 11am and we hope to see you all there at 1404 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Thank you!
-Jenna, Spencer, and Justin
Sounds good to me.
The Little Lion sells a lot of coffee and espresso drinks.. It’s menu is very popular. Sunnies sells a lot of coffee and espresso drinks. The gas station sells hot coffee and bottled drinks/coffee. Is this going to be a coffee war? How much coffee does a neighborhood need? So it’s a coffee war that’s going to evict Angel who has been a great tenant and worked hard to build his business.
How are you going to incorporate this concept into a “third space” for our neighborhood and young people? How is his different from every other available kid friendly pizza place and cafe we have access to, besides being together and in a residential space?
Would you be willing to amend your ABC application to reflect your stated intentions here? I think much of the resistance you are feeling is from a long-standing tradition of developers stating their intentions that do not align with the reality after permits have been issued.
Sounds amazing! Good luck with the business. Hope you get the license.
As long as the coffee can at least compete w the best coffee in the area; Kakawa coffee, they might have a chance. :) This is quite a bench mark in my opinion as most of the coffee shops around make espresso w a bitter or sour finish and use too much milk. Could be lack of skill, could be old or improperly stored beans.. or both..? (a coffee pot sitting on a burner is not coffee, its bean juice. haha) Admittedly I’m an espresso snob when a 6oz Cortado / cup of pick-me-up isnt theee most pleasant creation at $6 a cup :) Did I already mention Kakawa coffee on Voltaire has no peer.
I’ve watched ob descend into a sad strip of corporate owned, tourist store, alcohol soaked bore. It USED to be a real neighborhood. It used to be a community for the people who lived there, who struggle every which way to maintain that. Now it’s a mixture of PB and Mission Beach and lost all of it’s charm that made it OB to begin with. The very few places in between all the airbnbs, cheap yet overpriced SD pride tourist shops, and super slick corporate owned eateries and bars are falling more and more every day. Our favorite places are closing down, leaving town. Yuppies move in, and entire homes and apartments are bought up by out of country real estate investors or shell corporations and locals can’t afford to live locally anymore.
What’s another bar in our back yards in an also over saturated community? Well, it’s just like the huge adu’s going up inside our back yards, stealing our space and running through dozens if not hundreds of strangers with weekly rentals. It’s partying every day of the week in your back yard, loud music and smoking and drug paraphernalia falling into your space every which way and cops shrugging and telling you they can’t do anything about it. It’s a new rotation of people coming into our back yards to party, throwing up over balconies onto our yards and on our cars. And it’s all already happening, as these are all experiences I have had to put up with since dealing with our own neighboring out of country investor turning all of our neighboring homes into multi level multi unit weekly rentals. And now imagine how that’s going to go if he threw a bar over it. We’re already fighting for parking on the daily. Every week I am towing multiple cars out of our driveway, shooing away drunken strangers that enter our space and even walk right into my home because they’re not sure which house they rented after partying all day. I have children, we used to play in the yards and keep the windows and doors open to smell the ocean and now there’s strangers walking through the sides looking into our home, it’s not safe. We have up put bars up and security doors stay locked full time. I don’t feel safe letting them in the yards with them drunk driving around our streets.
There already taken out neighborhood. And they’re going to just keep on doing this.