We, the undersigned residents of Sunset Cliffs Park, oppose the unnecessary paving of our historic dirt alleys. These alleys have remained unpaved for over 50 years, preserving the unique charm, environmental benefits, and walkability of our neighborhood.
Why We Oppose Paving:
- Historic Preservation: Paving would erase a defining feature of our Cottage District.
- Environmental Impact: Dirt alleys provide better drainage and reduce runoff, preventing erosion and flooding.
- Community Character: The natural alleys enhance our neighborhood’s rustic, pedestrian-friendly feel.
- Traffic & Safety: Unpaved alleys slow down vehicles, creating safer spaces for walking, biking, and social interaction.
Call to Action:
We urge the city to reconsider this decision and explore alternatives that maintain our neighborhood’s historic integrity while addressing any maintenance concerns.
WE LOVE OUR DIRT ALLEYS!!!!! LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!! Some of them are technically under the jurisdiction of the Peninsula Planning Board (up and down along the Cliffs). And we love those alleys too. The City doesn’t have to do much to maintain the dirt and a lot of locals keep the dirt looking good. Paving the alleys would require more involvement and repair over time by the City than the dirt alleys currently do. They mainly get ignored but continue to function perfectly fine.
Ever been to Hawaii? Lots of rustic little roads there. In a world where technology takes over more and more every day, our dirt alleys give us a sense of the past and simpler times. When our flip flops hit the dirt alleys, many of us begin to feel the joy of a day at the beach. A trip to the beach starts for me the second my flip flops hit the dirt alley way, and then the sand. I notice the palm trees standing tall and I notice the sound of the waves. Worries begin to drift away. Very few things give many of us such a reprieve from our busy, high tech, modern world. Our dirt alleys should be protected as if sacred grounds.
Please don’t pave our dirt alleys! It’s a simple thing that is very important to me and a lot of others in our community. Paving the alleys would be an unnecessary use of city funding and resources. I’ve lived in OB/Sunset Cliffs all my life and have great memories exploring the dirt alleys as a child and as then as an adult with my own child. Why must everything be paved over?
I’ll leave you with some words my brother says often “let me show you my favorite alley”.
Hope this works out and they don’t get paved. Once they’re paved, they become riddled with potholes and the city never fills them because it’s just an alley and not a real street.
If I didn’t know better I would say that the city of San Diego is doing everything they can to grab the good things about Ocean Beach and Destroy them! Seriously! From ADUs to Complete Communities the city is making Ocean Beach the playground for builders. Too bad residents, you don’t want overbuilding, you don’t want too much traffic, you don’t want cottages surrounded, even entombed by giant buildings. Well too bad. We the powerful and mighty, we the elected and appointed officials, DON’T CARE! Good intentions can turn into power grabs. I was hoping to keep the ‘alley’ issue low profile, and maybe it would be ignored. Tell me this, Jenn Campbell, Manny said street lights in OB/PL could not be replaced because there was no money in the budget? If that is true, money has been mismanaged, and you don’t have surplus, so maybe you can give OB a break! Don’t pave the alleys. Let the dirt absorb rain to help with the runoff during storms and help our flooding problems. Be kind to OB. How about recognize OB is in fact and on paper a REAL Historic District, and protect this beach community from the horrific walls of apartments seen all over our city. How about listening to the residents, the locals, your constituents instead of the mantras of the mayor and the big corporations who are waiting to pounce on OB and destroy what is left? How about that?
Please be aware that these alley pavings are NOT being paid for by the city. They are attached to any project proposed, mostly existing homeowners. Also in other neighborhoods, 180+ units where there were previously 3, are soon coming to OB. The only ones possibly being paid for by the city are associated with one-way Sunset Cliffs, which seems important to the city for some reason I don’t understand. There has to be a way for cars to exit once they reach the South end, not part of that proposal. These alleys are the un-stated future streets for cars looking for parking, if nothing else, along with their exit use.
Who pays the taxes and grading when they become rutted. Does trash truck use dirt alleys or do the refer to them as private roads.
Just curious…..
I think it varies by location. Some dirt alleys are just little roads where people walk their dogs. Some are like streets and some trash truck routes may use certain dirt alleys.. Some dirt alleys/streets are used publicly but are owned by easement and owned by the property owner along that portion of their property. And the property owner and not the City takes care of it. I don’t know all the trash truck routes but all kinds of trucks and sometimes trash trucks use some of the dirt roads I’ve seen.