Author: Staff

OB Rag Staff Report

Rag stories about Balboa Park have what reporters call “legs” — they get lots of views and comments. This has been especially true since City Hall imposed parking fees that have threatened the Park’s solvency by driving away visitors.

So we weren’t surprised when our April 27 story on a $1.8 million reduction in the 2027 Park budget became a “top post.” Commenters generally agreed that the city has utterly failed the park and must turn over its management to an independent nonprofit.

But one comment piqued our interest. Don said the city hadn’t actually cut $1.8 million from the park. He contended that the city was simply going to shift $1.8 million from a “Developed Regional Parks” fund over to pay for Balboa Park operating expenses.

The San Diego Community Coalition publishes this email bulletin to keep our members and the general San Diego public informed about important Council and Planning Commission hearings and other city public meetings.

Budget Review May 4 — May 8

The Council will spend all five days this week (May 4–May 8) in one continuous meeting to review the proposed FY2027 budget. Here’s the link to the week-long agenda of city department budget presentations

A quick review shows that Mayor Gloria is making good on his threat that the defeat of the 2024 Measure E sales tax increase would result in cuts to community services.

The “Community Services Branch Expenditures Summary” lists a reduction of 38 positions or 8.8% ($3.4M) out of 434 in the Library Department; 94 positions or 8% ($8.8M) out of 1,168 in Parks and Recreation; and 33 positions or 4.3% ($2.8M) out of 760 in Engineering and Capital Projects.

The Ocean Beach Planning Board meets Tuesday night, May 5 at 6 p.m. at the OB Rec Center for their monthly meeting. \

The major item on the Board’s agenda is part 2 of the District 2 Candidate Forum. Candidates Josh Coyne, Richard Bailey, Nicole Crosby and Mike Rickey will be in attendance and each will be given 15 minutes to make introductory statements and answer questions from the board and the audience.

By Jillian Butler

On April 27, 2026, more than 200 residents gathered at the Liberty Station Conference Center, shared with Point Loma Nazarene University, for a wide-ranging forum featuring candidates vying to represent San Diego’s District 2. Hosted by the League of Women Voters, the event gave Peninsula residents a chance to hear directly from those hoping to replace termed-out Councilmember Jennifer Campbell.

OBceans and Point Loma residents hope that the next councilperson will take the concerns of Peninsula residents seriously. Currently, there are six individuals vying for Ms. Campbell’s position.

Mr. Josh Coyne is a former Campbell aide who has a professional background in Student Affairs at the University of San Diego. He has a robust background in providing aid to LBGTQ+ youth. Ms. Nicole Crosby is a former City Attorney and a mother. She is extremely involved with Parent-Teacher Association meetings, and her experience as a devoted parent drives her desire to better her community.

Ms. Mandy Havlik is the wife of a disabled veteran– a group of Point Loma voters that is often overlooked. Mr. Jacob Mitchell is a younger man with no political background who is hoping to make this region more affordable. Mr. Paul Suppa is an attorney and fellow alumni of the University of San Diego. Finally, Mr. Richard Bailey the former mayor of Coronado is throwing his hat in the ring for a District Two seat.

OB Rag Staff Report

At the same time City Hall claims new parking fees are increasing support for Balboa Park, the city’s proposed FY2027 budget will actually decrease Park funding by more than $1.8 million, a 12-percent reduction.

General fund expenditures for Balboa Park will fall from $15.5 million in 2026 to $13.6 million in 2027. This is happening concurrently with the elimination of $11.8 million in city funding to local arts organizations, including a number of Park institutions.

A new item in the 2027 budget, “Developed Regional Parks,” accounts for a first-time allocation of $10.8 million. Balboa Park is considered a “developed regional park,” but it isn’t clear if it will receive any money from that allocation.

And it still isn’t clear what, if anything, the Park is receiving from the new parking fees, which were imposed to help fill the City’s budget gap.

A Report of the Ocean Beach Historical Society Meeting

By Jillian Butler

On April 17th, 2026, the Ocean Beach Historical Society held a presentation about the history of the “Dutch Flats”. Hosted in OB Joyfull (formerly known as Water’s Edge Community Center and OB’s Methodist church), with 30-50 present, this gathering delved into what few know is home of the roots of air travel in America.

The Ocean Beach Historical Society is a grassroots organization that “helps preserve local history through programs, postcards, the Sea Scrolls, articles, local events, and history conferences”. Their general meetings are held every third Thursday at OB Joyfull at seven PM. They are free and open to the public.

Before delving into the history of Dutch Flats, the meeting began with a general recap including the rebrand of Water’s Edge to OB Joyfull and the Wisteria Patio Party. It was also announced that the Ocean Beach Historical Society has branched out on social media, including both Instagram and Facebook.

Representatives from other local advocacy organizations were present as well. Lynn Miller from Coastal Caretakers, an organization centered around fighting against overdevelopment in San Diego took to the floor. She announced that Coastal Caretakers has paired with Save Our Heritage Organization to file a lawsuit against the city for failing to protect historical communities from developers. She is confident they will win, but requested donations from attendees.

Editordude: Rag writer Paul Krueger had a Letter to the Editor published in Sunday’s U-T, April 18. He was responding to the article, “Layoffs, deep cuts proposed to close $146M gap” from April 15.

By Paul Krueger

After ignoring criticism for years, Mayor Gloria has finally acknowledged the overwhelming lack of public support for bike lanes.

His decision to eliminate his bike lane team is a welcome reversal of a policy that deprived neighborhoods of much-needed parking and hurt struggling small businesses.

The San Diego Community Coalition publishes this email bulletin to keep our members and the San Diego public in general informed about important Council and Planning Commission hearings and other city public meetings.

Monday, April 20: City Council, 10:00 a.m.

Closed Session Agenda:

Item CS-3: Class action case alleges the City violated Proposition 218 by charging tiered water rates to single family residential water customers and seeks refunds. City Attorney’s Office will update Mayor and City Council on status and seek direction.

Why it matters: “Recent court rulings on tiered water rates are creating confusion and uncertainty at water agencies across California, including in San Diego, where one ruling will mean rate hikes for most single-family homes.” [Union-Tribune, March 13]

Item CS-4: The Council will meet with its negotiator on price and payment terms for potential long-term ground leases with Midway Rising, LLC, to redevelop the City-owned real property.

Why it matters: The state Court of Appeal ruled that the city failed to perform an adequate environmental review of the Midway-Pacific Highway area around the proposed project. The Supreme Court agreed and declined to hear the city’s appeal. So why is the city moving ahead to negotiate price and payment terms for the project without analyzing the environmental impacts and the scope of the court’s ruling?

Pazzo’s Italian
2163 Abbott St. in Ocean Beach (92107)
619.230.5303
https://pazzos.net (sadly there’s no content here)

by LK Bruce

Just when you thought you knew a place. Your neighborhood. After all these years. Then a Rag reporter says why not review Pazzo’s and you go, “huh?” having never heard of it. Well this is word that needs to get out.

Abbott Street in OB is the second location for Pazzo’s, the first being in Scripps Ranch. The original, Pazzo’s Pizza was founded way back in ’93 by four guys of Italian descent – southern Italian to be exact – using recipes from Grandma Antonia. Everything is made fresh daily, including breads, dough and sauces.

The OB shop opened in 2024 and is located on the corner of Abbott and Muir in northern OB where Sugarlab Bakery & Desserts, Surfrider Pizza and Wild Things Pizza all used to be. The owners made good use of the corner locale to foster people-watching through large rolling garage-door style windows. A few tables dot the center of the space, better for those not into dining on stools.

The menu consists of “Sicilian, Italian, and California Nouveau-style” food says the owner and though the OB menu is not on their website, we’ve got you covered with a pic. First we tried the pizza because if that’s what you’re primarily known for, it better be good. It is.

The City continues to charge $10 per hour at downtown parking meters during Padres’ games and other “special events”.

Padres’ fans are definitely not the only ones subject to this outrageous fee, which starts two hours before the event, and continues for four hours from the event’s start time, for a total of six hours.

The area subject to this $60 per event fee extends well beyond any logical boundaries, all the way north to Broadway, and east to 17th Street and the I-5.

Worse, it’s a devastatingly regressive tax, because it penalizes renters who don’t have off-street parking, and can only park at meters. It hurts downtown’s restaurants and small businesses, who lose customers who can’t or won’t pay $10 an hour to buy groceries, mail a package, or eat a meal.

Rag intrepid reporter Geoff Page checked out what was going on at the foot of Narragansett.

The Rag was prompted by a reader who requested we investigate the scene, and “request immediate clarification regarding the apparent staging and anticipated installation of fencing at the western terminus of Narragansett Avenue in Ocean Beach, near the coastal open space and shoreline access points adjacent to the pier area.”

Instead of a written report, Geoff offered these photos.