Month: November 2025

On Friday, Oct. 31, a dozen of us crowded around a long table at NewBreak Cafe on Abbott Street in OB to discuss and learn how to support OB’s historical district, which is on the City of San Diego’s chopping block. All our eyes were on the presenters, Bruce and Alana Coons from SOHO (Save Our Heritage Organization) who had traveled all the way from Point Loma to teach us the basics and guide us through the process.

Formerly entitled the Ocean Beach Cottage Emerging Historical District — which has been around since 1999 — it was on the chopping block as a city staff recommendation because a little over a year ago, the San Diego Planning Commission voted to spare OB from a horrendous development project of 24 ADUs on Point Loma Avenue precisely because of the existence of OB’s historic district. And at the end of the hearing on August 29, 2024, one of the commissioners turned to staff and urged them to change the city’s Municipal Code to get rid of the district as a basis for exempting OB from some of the worse housing policies of Todd Gloria’s administration, called “Complete Communities.”

And a year later, the staff did just that: they came up a “fix”

Every Saturday at 10:30 am. San Diego Climate Mobilization Coalition Meetings
Every Saturday 10 am – 12 pm Peace Vigil for Palestine:

The San Diego River Park Foundation has volunteer opportunities in Ocean Beach: Point Loma Native Plant Garden Club on the 2nd and 4th Sundays

November 3rd Monday 12 pm – 1 pm Interfaith Vigil for Earth Justice

November 4th Tuesday Vote for Prop 50 and fight fire with fire, resist Republicans’ efforts at rigging 2026 electiion.

November 4th Tuesday Reject USDG Protest
November 5th Wednesday 7:20 am – 8:30 am 5pm Resist Trump Flash Banner Action Normal Heights
November 6th Thursday 9 a.m. Testify and / or support the OB Emerging Cottage Historic District at San Diego Housing Commission hearing,
November 6th Thursday 7 pm – 8:30 pm Oceans of Bach – A Science Music Experience  

By South OB Girl

Dear San Diego Planning Commission and City’s Development Services Department:

I would like to know how many of the new apartment buildings along highway 8 are full and have no vacancies.  I am curious if construction is complete for all of the buildings being built to replace what was formerly the golf course in Mission Valley.

Is construction of those buildings complete and are all of the dwelling units now occupied?  How many of those units are expected to facilitate solving the housing crisis?  I recently saw some new apartment buildings off Clairemont Drive.  Are they full to capacity?  How many of all these new structures throughout the city – in Mission Valley, Clairemont, and elsewhere – qualify as affordable housing?

The City’s answer in response to most new plans for construction and ADUs these days is that there is a housing crisis.  The City and developers believe they are creating housing solutions and promote the mission that their plans are providing housing solutions in response to the housing crisis.  So in support of that mission, is there a status report somewhere? Some quantitative data?

Like any federal, state, or city project, there should be a status report or something that resembles a status report detailing how far along we are as a city

By Donna Frye

An update to the 2025-2026 City of San Diego’s Legislative Platform will be heard Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at the  Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting. It is Item-5 on the agenda.

According to the city, “The 2025-2026 State and Federal Legislative Platform defines the City of San Diego’s Guiding Principles and Policy Priorities and provides a means to advance and protect the City’s interests on issues at the federal and state levels.”

The legislative platform has three guiding principles and seven policy priorities. The policy priorities include over 290 state policies and 270 federal policies dealing with issues such as homelessness, housing affordability and community services and sustainability, environmental quality and infrastructure.

The issues in the legislative platform are all important, however, the  “preserve local control” principle and the state surplus land housing policy stand out due to recent experiences over housing development issues.

‘Join me Monday morning to remind the City Council that providing constituents with basic info on government process is a core responsibility.’

By Paul Krueger

On Wednesday, October 29, someone placed an item about a City of San Diego legal battle on the City Council’s Closed Session Agenda for Monday, November 3.

On Thursday, someone took it off.

We don’t know who put the item on the agenda. And we don’t know who removed it. Neither the Mayor’s office, Council President Joe La Cava’s staff, nor the independently elected City Attorney’s office will answer any questions about the process.

This was not a routine item. The City is ready to double down on its continuing efforts to circumvent the voter-approved 30-foot height limit west of Interstate 5. And, as usual, it is operating in stealth.

In a strongly-worded unanimous decision issued October 17, California’s 4th District Court of Appeal said the city failed to produce an adequate environmental study of the negative impacts of high-density, high-rise development throughout the Midway District.