The Meat of the Meeting — Cracking a Greasy Nutshell: A Report of the OB Planning Board

By Lynne Miller

May 6, 2025
OB PLANNING BOARD MEETING
OB REC CENTER

Before I write about what I learned at last night’s Ocean Beach Planning Board, I want to thank the members of the board for their time and commitment to our community.  If I could do one thing for the Board and OB I would somehow get a law passed that required the City of San Diego to listen and act on the recommendations of the community planning boards.  I thought we had a system that allowed citizens of San Diego to have a voice in their local communities. Apparently we do not, which means the OBPB and sister organizations around the city do not have power to insert their recommendations into city law.

The San Diego Police Association reported that there was a discussion at the City about the budgets for several departments, including the Police Department.  The city of San Diego is losing about 150 officers to retirement, and some others to higher pay outside of San Diego.  It was noted that police response time was often too long.  The policeman encouraged us to voice support of increased funding to the City reminding us that there are many agencies vying for funding.  My thoughts:  imagine the response time if funding is cut!

The meat of the meeting was all new to me.  In a greasy nutshell, Valvoline has leased a plot of land and hired an architecture firm to create a new instant oil business on the corner of Sunset Cliffs Blvd, West Point Loma Blvd, and Lotus Street.  The builders presented their new rendition of a new building on that corner reminding us that the drive-in/driveout concept was not negotiable.  Impacted neighbors had some solutions that seemed simple and reasonable.

• Cut a driveway onto West Point Loma, making the drive-in entry from Sunset Cliffs and the drive-out entry onto West Point Loma.
• Remove the drive-through concept completely for reasons of safety and traffic flow
• Move the newly planted building to a different location on the lot with the proper City setbacks which would provide the required visibility triangle.(The project will delete two or three street parking spaces).

From my perch on a folding chair I was puzzled. The local folks seemed to have great solutions that were not considered viable.  So I asked the builders: “Why is there such pushback to cutting a driveway into West Point Loma?  Who is pushing back?”  Can you guess?  In another nutshell, the City.  No Big Surprise.  The crack in this nut (shell) is that the city is breaking its own laws for new building setbacks and visibility triangles. In addition, it is ‘unlikely’ that a full traffic analysis of this new corner business was initiated or completed.

Again, sitting in the OB Rec center room, considering wrecks based on a business that will have to impact traffic flow,( both pedestrian and auto), and visibility triangles, I raised my hand once more–only once.  “Who do we contact at the City to discuss this?”  The answer popped my naive bubble of simple collaboration with the City of San Diego. The builder educated me in a sentence.  “We have been working on this project for 2.5 years.”

I admit that I removed my attention from the dingy Rec Room and went with my wandering mind to the Bonus ADUs that were not only permitted in 30 days or less, but built before the next door neighbor could raise a virtual hand at the City Planning Board. My mind wandered to Lotus, that tiny street that functions as a one-way street, and imagined a line of cars waiting to drive in for that quick 30-minute oil change, maybe a tire change.  I saw in my wandering mind the steady stream of traffic leaving OB at sunset, clocking the egress at 25 minutes.

My mind wandered further to the pattern of behavior I saw at the OB Planning Board and the City Planning meeting.  Standing to fight the ‘battle of the build’ was not the owner, or the lessee of a new business.  Standing there with weapons of AI charts and rehearsed memes were the builders, the architects of the project.  The clients were never named, the owners were hidden behind layers of winks and handshakes and new City Laws written by WHOM???

“I SECOND THE MOTION.”  That snapped me back into my hard, folding metal chair as the OBPB completed their vote which was NOT to approve the In-and-Out project as it stands now.  The builders will take the recommendations back to the leasee and/or the owner of the property.  And so the 2.5 years will extend deeper into 2025. At the same time the ADUs will pop up down the block, or worse, next door. In the blink of new law and a rubber stamp held by the Mayor and City council ADUs will grow in our back yards and even Roundup will not stop them.

On a brighter note a young woman stood, saying, “This is my 3rd day on the job, so be patient with me. I work for Tasha Boener.” The young college graduate was gentle and wore the openness that is inspiring to those of us who have danced with the darker side of people in politics.  She proudly said her new boss had been instrumental in passing some bills.  The only bill she had not been able to pass is AB 1055, which would streamline more ADU opportunities by the City.  When I asked her if she could expand on that law, she could not.  Sorry Senma (?), I didn’t hear your name correctly, and I wish you well and encourage you to stay open and hopeful.

Since I didn’t know anything about AB 1055 I looked it up.  Here is the short version.

“This bill would additionally authorize a local agency to require proof of residential occupancy for any streamlining of accessory dwelling units or junior accessory dwelling units. the property owner to certify, as specified, that the accessory dwelling unit will be occupied as a residential dwelling unit for at least 6 months out of each calendar year. The bill would authorize the local agency to annually recertify, as specified, that the accessory dwelling unit is occupied as a residential dwelling unit for at least 6 months out of each calendar year.”

I am not so sure AB 1055 is a change in ADU laws that I personally embrace.  I keep hoping to find anything inside of the City Government that is clear, relatively simple, and serves the community. Ministerial approval is part of the bill, and that means the local residents do not have to be notified, or approve of the construction.  I don’t approve of that dictate, and I assume most locals feel the same.

It was reported at the meeting that the first-ever Mobility Master Plan has been written. I heard that part of that plan is to remove close to 50% of the bus routes.  This spurred a man in the audience to say that many of the Complete Communities and ADU permit approvals were based on the bus stop routes that have now been altered. I agree with his thoughts that the logical City Planning action would be to reevaluate the building codes and the new bus routes, and remove permits that are no longer compliant with the .5 mile distance to bus stops, (or the more lenient 1 mile distance that was recently applied).

As the OBPB got closer to the 8:00 ending, some important business was discussed.  I fully support grants or community contributions that will improve the conditions for conducting business.  The Board was asking for approval to research better technology for creating and sharing the board meetings with the public.

I SECOND THAT MOTION!  I used to go the OB Rec center as a teenager playing volleyball, volley tennis, and before that I attended Thursday night dances for Junior High School kids. When I go to the meetings it is like stepping back into the past.

That said, I understand OB is not a wealthy community and our meeting facilities reflect that. At the top of the article I thanked the OBPB for their volunteer work.  Please know they work in an old facility, and rather than asking to improve their work environment they are considering how to better serve the public through zoom meetings and upgraded technology.  They get my vote for an outstanding example of local governing at it’s best.

They won’t ask for this, but I am.  Is there a way to support an improved meeting room, with some conference tables and comfortable chairs.  Is there another facility that would better serve the OBPB? I think we should all take a field trip to the City Planning Board to speak on our topic of choice and view their cushy pedestal seats and technology their volunteers enjoy!

Editordude: See Geoff Page’s report on the smog station from August 2022 here.