Author: Staff

A majority of the San Diego City Council on Tuesday, July 30, voted to approve a controversial 5-story housing development in Pacific Beach despite the project’s breech of the sacrosanct 30-foot height limit and incorrect numbers given by the developer to city staff and local planning group members.

The approval was over strong objections from Councilmembers Joe LaCava and Raul Campillo, who urged the council not to reward developers who actively mislead community planning groups and violate the voter approved 30-foot height limit.

LaCava stated:

“This is most egregious bait and switch I have ever heard of in my long career (on development and housing issues). I cannot and will not vote to fund a project that is dishonest with the voters.”

Spinners, a tiny, hole in the wall, Middle-Eastern restaurant in Ocean Beach is up for sale.

Located at 4884 Newport Avenue, the place is on the docket for $120,000.

Today, Thursday, July 25, the City Council’s Community & Neighborhood Services (CNS) Committee will be discussing the STRO ordinance.

This will be the first city discussion since the ordinance went into effect May 1, 2023. San Diego residents have a chance to share our experiences and offer suggestions. We need to make our voices heard.

There’s lots of problems with the current ordinance and how it’s enforced. For starters,

University Community Plan Update Also on Docket

A number of grassroots and community groups are inviting their fellow San Diegans to an important hearing today by the City Council. The Council will hold a meeting on the General Plan Update including the controversial “Blue Print San Diego” and an update to the University Community Plan Update. The hearing begins at 2 pm, today, Tuesday, July 23 in Council Chambers at the 12th floor of the City Administration Building, 202 C Street, San Diego, California 92101.

Observers of the comings and goings of businesses on Newport Avenue — the main commercial drag in Ocean Beach — couldn’t help but notice that just a couple weeks after OB’s winery closed and had its “last hurrah”, a brand new wine bar opened down the street.

On July 6, Gianni Buonomo Vintners had their last party on Newport Ave, and are opening a large facility in the Midway District at 3492 Pickett Street.

On August 10, there will be a celebration of life for Stew Shaw, a long time Mission Beach resident, community activist and an early staff member of the Beach Area Community Clinic.

Stew passed away peacefully of heart and kidney disease in June. He is also remembered as a member of the La Jolla Symphony Chorus and a frequent tennis player at the Barnes Tennis Center. He is survived by a daughter.

The Celebration of Life for Stewart Henry Shaw will be Saturday August 10th 11AM at the Congregational Church of La Jolla

Dog Beach in Ocean Beach won the “day after” award — it had the most trash from the celebrations from July 4th. Volunteers organized by Surfrider Foundation removed 1,575 pounds of trash at Dog Beach. And then including the 120 pounds from around the OB Pier, the Ocean Beach contribution to the landfill was finalized at nearly 1,700 pounds.

Every year, Surfrider organizes these “Morning After Mess” cleanups. According to the organization, 688 volunteers collected 3,906 pounds of trash at nine San Diego County beaches in three hours, with most of the refuse consisting primarily of plastics that otherwise could have washed out to sea, the nonprofit environmental organization said.

“On Saturday 6-29-24, for Black Music Month I attended this first ever event,” wrote a cultural reporter for the Rag, Byron Morton. “It was a celebration filled with music, creativity and heritage at the San Diego Black Arts and Culture District Music Festival.”

The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint reported:

From 11AM until 8PM on the last Saturday of this June, music lovers were able to listen to a melody of free music compliments of the San Diego Black Arts and Culture District and their variety of sponsors at MLK Park on Skyline Dr.

Two men were stabbed early Sunday morning, July 7, in an OB bar, and the attacker has been arrested by police.

All identities of victims and attacker have been withheld by police.

Pandas have returned to the San Diego Zoo.

The Rag finally heard back from the Liberty Station Community Association, which is responsible for maintaining the grounds at Liberty Station, about the removal of at least 20 large trees last week.

Sarah Olsen, property manager of Liberty Station Community Association c/o Reliable Property Management Services, sent us the following email:

Please see the following regarding the Landscape Renovation project at Liberty Station: