Dan Morales

Articles by Dan Morales

Dan has written 12 articles for the OB Rag!

Opposition to Condos Drives Activist to Obtain Appointment to Ocean Beach Planning Board

December 5, 2011 by Dan Morales

Editor: This response to an article in the Beacon in mid-November is by OB Ragster Dan Morales, who is also announcing his candidacy for the OB Planning Board. (We link to the Beacon post below.)

Friends and neighbors,

I would like to thank former Lifeguard Tony De Garate for jumping into the waters surrounding a proposal to build a ten unit, three story condominium complex in Ocean Beach (Beacon 11/17/2011, pg 1).

Although his efforts appear sufficient on the surface, the author fails to recognize current developer interests, the ebb and flow of real estate finance, and the waning of a material basis for democratic community planning in the public interest.

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Ocean Beach Planners Review New Design of “Ocean Park Villas” for First Time

October 21, 2011 by Dan Morales

From street level, the Ocean Beach Planning Board’s Project Review Committee meeting of October 19, 2011, appeared as just another pedestrian exercise for determining how much floor area ratio (FAR) can fit on the head of a pin. However, below surface grade lay a potential flood of liabilities for those entrusted with the public good in a era of irresponsible private interests.

There was only one item on the agenda; a request to amend the previously granted Coastal Development permit (#6-08-100) from the developer of the property located at 1984 Abbott Street. That corner of Abbott and Saratoga is now the proposed site of what has come to be called the “Ocean Park Villas.”

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The future of Ocean Beach? Developers given free reign!

August 26, 2011 by Dan Morales

“’Tis grand! ’tis solemn! ’tis an education of itself to look upon!”

~ James Fenimore Cooper

I really can’t blame anybody for not following the OB Rag’s suggestion to attend the Coffee with Kevin Faulconer. After all, a last minute personal commitment had me arriving about a half hour late so I understand that there are principles behind our extended sense of community. And I understand that having a community meeting at 9am on a weekday pretty much bars anybody who works for a living from having a face to face with their municipal representative.

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Ocean Beach – Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine: Planning Board to Consider Grants for SANDAG Millions

July 21, 2011 by Dan Morales

The Ocean Beach Planning Board (OBPB) hosted a committee meeting Wednesday, July 20th, to begin discussion about potential community projects that could benefit from almost $24million in grants that the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is making available to provide incentives for Smart Growth projects within the region.

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“We are one” San Diego candlelight vigil honors King and today’s labor struggles

April 5, 2011 by Dan Morales

I had the opportunity to be part of a collective that went to the San Diego Civic Center to participate in a national day of action commemorating the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The circumstances surrounding Dr. King’s murder made this event not just another empty tribute to an historical figure. […]

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Stick A Fork In IT! – Ocean Beach Planning Board done for another session

March 3, 2011 by Dan Morales

Sometimes attending a meeting of the OB Planning Board is like eating a very large artichoke. One has to take time and chew on some pretty tasteless material before the heart of the matter is even the least bit savored. The Board meeting of 3/2/11 was like that for me. District 2 Representative Scott Therkalsen […]

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Evicting the Homeless From Robb Field Before the Storm

February 25, 2011 by Dan Morales

A storm is gathering for this weekend in San Diego County with record cold predicted to bring snow levels into the City. As KPBS reported, due to “lack of funds” hundreds of previously housed people will be without shelter. Add to that number the disabled vets, pregnant women, youth and their pets who made the Sunset Cliffs Blvd. side of Robb Field their home for the past six months.

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In Our Name : Ocean Beach Planning Board to Determine Future of VFW Post 1392

February 3, 2011 by Dan Morales

He that filches from me my good name robs me of that which enriches him not and makes me poor indeed. Wm Shakespeare, “Othello”, Act 3 scene 3 The February 2nd meeting of the Ocean Beach Planning Board (OBPB) began with its usual silent reading of the minutes leaving the packed room in a funereal […]

Is Paid Parking the Wave Of The Future in Ocean Beach?

November 19, 2010 by Dan Morales

The City of San Diego has plans for the future of Ocean Beach. Unfortunately for the residents and persons who own businesses here that future doesn’t include the free beach parking and ease of access that has been a staple of our community for as long as anyone can remember. At the latest meeting of […]

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Class bias dominates OB Planning Board discussions

October 7, 2010 by Dan Morales

The Ocean Beach Planning Board as the steward of the local community plan has been making a grave strategic mistake. Although the October 6th meeting was both informative and entertaining it was also revealing in terms of class perspective.

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Impressions of OB Town Council Forum

February 25, 2010 by Dan Morales

by Danny Morales

The day of the community journalist has arrived in Ocean Beach. The blogger/activists of the OB Rag gave the Ocean Beach Town Council and the community at large a healthy dose of solutions, unity and peoples advocacy.

Last night’s meeting – double-billed as a forum for Ocean Beach Planning Board candidates and homeless discussion – started its civic booster rockets in red glare style. Firing up with a pledge of allegiance and a lineup of the usual suspects, the meeting had me looking over my shoulder from the get go. Not that I was wary of who was using the bathroom for what but when the mooks from the “I agree with everything the police do to get the varmints outta town” society got up from chuckling about the “Trolls Verboten” flier to stand at my rear, did the hair on my neck stand up.

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Ragster Rant: the OB Planning Board – An Institution In Crisis

February 7, 2010 by Dan Morales

by Danny Morales

Anyway that’s the impression another Ragster and myself got when we went to the February meeting of the Ocean Beach Planning Board. What we found was a collection of individuals who twisted logic, changed board protocols, broke the board’s bylaws and violated the board’s policy guidelines to advance their own personal agendas. But don’t hit us, gentle reader. We’re just giving a preview of what remains of the first community planning organization in California.

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Geoff Page July 29, 2021 at 11:51 am on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningBit a problem with your comparison, harry. A car crashing into a parked car is only doing damage to an empty car. A car crashing...
Geoff Page July 29, 2021 at 11:48 am on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningI know, I know! (Hand eagerly raised and waving)
Frank Gormlie July 29, 2021 at 10:46 am on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningOb Mike, since they did comply and acted in good faith to correct the situation, plus it was a few years ago, I'd rather not...
Ob Mike July 29, 2021 at 9:44 am on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningWhich restaurant are you talking about Frank???
Tyler July 29, 2021 at 9:43 am on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningThis is going to end up like 2008 when the city cut tree trimming to save money and then ended up paying more due to...
Kathleen Blavatt July 29, 2021 at 2:04 am on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningDoes anyone remember that the OB streets including Newport and Beacon flood during big storms, and have for over and over again for more than...
kh July 28, 2021 at 10:57 pm on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningI know of three incidents where cars crashed into the street patios. And i mean knocking part of them down, not just a little bump...
Bacon Bits July 28, 2021 at 9:39 pm on OB Town Council Meets Wednesday, July 28Would be nice if they sharted an agenda before a meeting....
Frank Gormlie July 28, 2021 at 7:41 pm on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningEric, I raised that issue. Even if Newport was closed to cars, would all that space remain public or would restaurants, bars and maybe other...
Eric July 28, 2021 at 7:23 pm on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningNow close Newport to cars.
harry July 28, 2021 at 7:00 pm on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningI think this is a great idea. With our climate, dinning outdoors is a natural. I don’t know why it took this long. It’s a...
Ob Mike July 28, 2021 at 6:48 pm on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor Dining"The Rag has criticized local OB businesses when they’ve encroached into public space, and we were able to have one restaurant cut back its dangerous...
sealintheSelkirks July 28, 2021 at 4:23 pm on Inside Baseball and the ‘Blueprint San Diego’ ScamAs do I! What a scam this has always been... I vaguely remember way back when reading that the Catholic Church was the 2nd largest...
Don Wood July 28, 2021 at 4:15 pm on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningIt not clear whether the city is considering selling or renting public right of way property to the restaurants concerned, or whether the city will...
sealintheSelkirks July 28, 2021 at 4:03 pm on San Diego Is About to Sell Off Our Public Spaces for Outdoor DiningTotally agree. To permanently give away public spaces to specific businesses seems rather extreme but that's what the SD City Council has always been. But...