Author: Frank Gormlie

Union actions and labor solidarity events have been happening in San Diego of late and here’s an update and summary.

United Food and Commercial Workers unions in San Diego are getting ready to act in solidarity with their compatriots up in LA and Orange Counties, plus today, Monday, Oct. 21, thousands of Kaiser Permanente mental health workers in Southern California, including more than 300 workers in San Diego, went on strike. Then a week ago, Hilton San Diego Bayfront workers overwhelmingly ratified a new contract following a 38-day strike.

Last Friday, Oct. 18, UFCW Locals 770 and 324 in Los Angeles and Orange Counties launched Unfair Labor Practice strikes at 7 CVS Pharmacy locations and although UFCW Local 135 in San Diego is not yet on strike, the union stands in solidarity with those on the picket lines and is preparing to take similar actions.

There’s a four-story apartment building being planned for a busy corner on a major street in Point Loma, but neither neighbors nor the local Peninsula Planning Board can get any details on the project out of the City of San Diego. It’s coming in at the former site of the San Diego County Credit Union building.

Residents are very concerned about impacts on the community from the project at 1400 Rosecrans, at the intersection with Talbot. For instance, the 56-unit complex would be built literally next door to the Cabrillo Elementary School.

Yet, residents’ concerns are not being met with details from the city.

The City of San Diego has finalized the design for the new Ocean Beach Pier and it will be showcased at a community workshop on October 26. The workshop will be at the Liberty Station Conference Center at 2600 Laring Road.

In a news release, the city announced:

“During this workshop, the city of San Diego and its consultants will share updates to amenities and features of the preferred pier design concept released in April, based on public input received since its original release.”

This will be the fifth workshop on the pier and is scheduled for 3 hours, from 12 noon to 3 pm on Saturday, October 26. Officials from the city and the consultants are expected to give a short presentation at 12:15, and then invite attendees to some interactive stations and a video display. Public comments will also be taken, it’s assumed. 7NBC

It was always a long shot – the Larry Turner for San Diego Mayor campaign — but when a poll came out in mid-September ( 10News-San Diego Union-Tribune ) that showed a fairly tight race between Gloria and Turner, hope appeared — not at Vine Street but within the Turner camp and among all those San Diego residents disgusted with Gloria.

According to the poll, 37% of those asked said they’d vote for Gloria if they were filling out their ballot right now, while 33 % said they’d vote for Turner. Meanwhile, 28% indicated they were undecided. This totally upset the campaign of coasting to victory for Gloria and even the U-T called him out on it.

Yet, as the race settles down in its last few weeks, it has become clear the San Diego establishment has turned against Turner.

Back in September, a group called Kalonymus LLC filed a building permit application with the city of San Diego’s development services department. This type of interaction occurs every week. So what’s the big deal?

What’s different is that Kalonymous wants to build a 239-foot-tall, mixed-use tower in Pacific Beach, just a couple of blocks from the beach at 970 Turquoise St.

The project this for-profit development firm wants would hold 213 total units — including 10 residential units reserved for very-low and middle-income families — and 311 parking spaces on the 0.67-acre site.

As more and more cities within San Diego County pass “No Camping” bans, the numbers of our fellow citizens who live along the San Diego River have increased until now it’s over 400.

According to figures just released by the San Diego River Park Foundation, there’s an estimated 423 people living along the San Diego Riverbed, marking an increase over the last count in the spring. That figure comes from the Foundation’s homelessness census, conducted by volunteers over four days in late September.

The Rag is just now receiving information about a crazy project being proposed for Pacific Beach. A “Pencil” tower is potentially coming to the beach community.

A developer is proposing a 23-story high rise at 970 Turquoise Street in PB. It is supposed to have 139 hotel rooms on 9 floors and 74 housing units on the other floors, including a whooping 10 units as affordable (5 very low income and 5 moderate income). It proposes 7 floors (2 below ground) of parking alone.

The City Development Services staff has apparently labeled the permit for the “pencil” skyscraper as “discretionary” which means because it meets certain criteria, it can bypass public scrutiny and just be built.

If built, Project “Vela” would be a little over 238 feet.

KPBS News Presents San Diego Mayoral Debate 2024 LIVE

The candidates running for San Diego mayor will join KPBS in a live debate on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 8PM. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and challenger Larry Turner will debate the most pressing issues facing San Diegans including housing and homelessness; public safety; and money matters.

This live debate will be moderated by KPBS Public Matters investigative reporter Amita Sharma along with panelists Voice of San Diego CEO and editor-in-chief Scott Lewis, inewsource managing editor Jamie Self and KPBS metro reporter Andrew Bowen.

The OB Town Council “rebrand” – the OB Community Foundation — is still having problems, apparently.

There have been now four recent resignations from the Board that governs the organization — two from members just elected in June. So, obviously, the problem-plagued group is still swimming in troubled-waters.

The most recent resignations include Nicole Cox Murray and Margaret Morghen — both just elected to the board in late June and early July. So, within just three months, two brand new board members felt there were problems enough for them to call it quits. Plus, a more-long time board member, Aaron Null, has also resigned from the board of directors.

A small apartment building in Ocean Beach on Bacon Street was just sold for $1.86 million. And it’s unfortunate what will probably happen next.

It’s vacant and 2175-77 Bacon St., is slated to be torn down. Among its multiple units, is a two-bedroom/one-bath unit and a studio. It’s unclear what the adjoining single-story building contains – or if it’s even part of the sale.

Conor Brennan, senior vice president, investments in Marcus & Millichap’s San Diego Downtown office was quoted by Times of San Diego:

By Paul Krueger and Frank Gormlie

On Thursday, September 26, the Rag received an email from the Larry Turner for Mayor campaign with a troubling announcement.

Turner’s campaign announced that he has been “blocked from participating in a Mayoral Forum at Politifest 2024.”

Politifest is an annual forum run and managed by the media outlet Voice of San Diego with reporter Scott Lewis as the editor.

It’s new, it’s modular, modern and ready to go but New Earth Recycling Center hasn’t been able to recycle one thing or make one buck. It’s been sitting on the east side of Littickers on Voltaire waiting for the city to assist them in removing the roadblocks (read new permits required by the city) that have stalled its opening for 9 months. And it looks like it may take another 4 months or so and another $15,000 for Josh Turchine and his business partner. Once it opens, however, it will even recycle electronics.

Here’s a brief Fox5San Diego report on the situation (go see the video report).