A Rare Moment Makes History: The Meeting of Community Leaders From Across San Diego

In the end, there were forty-five activists and leaders from communities all over San Diego, and they held a truly historic meeting this past Saturday, May 10. It was and is a rare moment, a moment when that many neighborhood leaders and people active in their community meet together in one room with their own agenda — and without the presence of some governmental board, agency or council.

The beautiful and vintage Point Loma Assembly Hall — over one hundred years old –was the venue for this historic occasion. Hosted by folks from Protect Point Loma who provided the hall and pizza, there were brief welcomes and introductions from Frank G and Kate C of the coordinating committee. Then there was a dramatic moment — a roll call of the communities and hands shot up after each neighborhood was named. From Bay Ho to Encanto, from University City to Linda Vista, Ocean Beach to Mira Mesa, Middletown to Clairemont. La Jolla and Point Loma. There were close to 20 communities named.

As people settled in, Kate C gave a special shout-out to two groups: to SOHO, Save Our Heritage Organization and to Neighbors for a Better San Diego, both of whom had done needed and crucial spadework on the issues for years.

Frank G then explained that the coalition was actually a coalition of community leaders — that hopefully some day would be a coalition of all the different neighborhood groups themselves — a direction the current network is moving. He said there’s at least two types of leadership. There’s one that shows by example and gets up to the top of the hill. Another is a type of leadership that gets to the top of the hill but takes everyone else with them. People nodded their heads and murmured in acquiescence. And the coalition, he said, needs that type of leadership right now.

Kate spoke of the three Planning Commissioners who back on May 1st were bold enough to just not go along with Mayor Gloria’s so-called ADU reforms, coming up with restrictions in number, height, set-backs, parking and adequate evacuation routes. They challenged the planning staff to come up with more options — which are now before the Council’s Land Use and Housing committee — meeting on May 15th. This is one of the main focuses on the coalition right now, Kate said, and the coalition wanted to have people attend or at least send emails to the City Council members who sit on the committee.

Margaret V and Eric L, from Protect Point Loma talked briefly about their group and then outlined the problems with the proposed 56-unit, four story complex just right across the street from the hall at the intersection of Rosecrans and Talbot. Next Lisa B and Erik B spoke of Neighbors for Encanto, how they got involved because of a huge project proposed for their neighborhood, how they meet every Sunday and have collected hundreds of signatures on their petitions. Bonnie K explained how her group, UC Peeps, organized in University City; she has crafted an email list of 800 plus names and publishes neighborhood alerts during the week. Next to speak was OBcean Andrea S, head of the city’s Community Planners Committee, who briefly outlined their proposed ADU reforms that had been presented May 1st.

Next on the agenda was the break-out session where two different discussions were held in separate parts of the room. One was creating a design or logo for the group for a coalition T-shirt with some kind of slogan, coordinated by Bonnie K. And a larger group moved their chairs around and coordinated by Scott C discussed “outreach” — which ended up encompassing a long wish list of tasks and needs for the network. Such as a “play book” for members, more ways to apply public pressure on government about ADUs and the role of community planning groups. Fundraising; more social media, non-profit status, legal resources – it was a long list of just about everything. Reports from each group were given when the meeting reconvened.

After a short discussion of the next monthly meeting, this one ended with reminders of the May 15 committee meeting, to eat the pizza and to spread the word.

When organizers closed up and locked the front door, there was still nearly a dozen people milling about on the porch, talking and making connections. They had been energized by the meeting — and many inside the hall during the gathering were obviously engaged. The coalition is only a month old and was already making history. Yet it is so new, it doesn’t even have a T-shirt yet.