Author: Staff

If San Diego planning officials get their way, the community of Hillcrest will undergo significant changes with the current update to the community’s blueprint for the future. The changes include dozens of 20- and 30-story buildings, more one-way streets, roughly 50,000 more residents, new public promenades, plus an LGBTQ historic district– and were unveiled in late October.

The proposals would translate to downtown-style high-rise housing in Hillcrest along existing transportation corridors and revamped versions of the neighborhood’s two large hospital campuses.

See this news video from CBS8 on the proposed changes; Mat Wahlstrom is interviewed;

Here are some of more of the elements/consequences of the new proposals:

• 20,000 new units of housing in Hillcrest
• 50,000 new residents
• proposal would double current density maximum now allowed of 109 dwelling units per acre, which typically allows for buildings of 10 to 12 stories to 218 units per acre in some areas and nearly triple it in some limited spots to 290 units per acre. That means buildings of 20 and even 30 stories could be built in Hillcrest.
  

The City of San Diego served notice on October 23, 2023, of a upcoming decision by the Development Services Dept on the permit to build a new 3-storty multi-unit complex at 4705 Point Loma Avenue in south OB.

Development Services Staff will make a decision to approve, conditionally approve, modify, or deny an application for a (Process 2) Coastal Development Permit to demolish an existing commercial structure and to construct a new 3-story multi-dwelling unit, located at 4705 Point Loma Av.

Development of the 0.17-acre site has long been anticipated – and the corner itself has an interesting and controversial history.

Earlier this month U-T reporter Phillip Molnar wrote that a new study by Lending Tree, a loan website, determined that “6 percent of homes in the San Diego metropolitan area — which includes all of San Diego County — are vacant. In terms of raw numbers, that is 74,936 homes.”

Again, that is nearly 75,000 homes, houses, apartments, condos, studios, ADUs – that are taking up space that have no humans in them. In an area in an affordable housing crisis, that’s an astounding number.

Thousands of Kaiser Permanente health care workers went on strike this morning, Wed., Oct. 4 at hospitals and medical offices in San Diego and across the country.

Kaiser has failed to reach a deal with a coalition of unions to renew a contract that expired Sept. 30. Union leaders are fighting for more staffing and higher annual pay raises, arguing their wages have not kept up with the rising cost of living and inflation.

There’s 2 projects up for review at the Wednesday, Oct. 4th monthly meeting of the OB Planning Board.

The first one is the Valvoline Oil Changing Station at the corner of W. Pt Loma Blvd and Sunset Cliffs Blvd at 4805 WPL.

The second project is the Dish Wireless at the Masonic Lodge.

Forum at Correia Planned for Monday, Sept. 11.

Last Thursday morning, Sept 7, a group of parents and students stood outside Correia Middle School on Valeta Street before the bell rang with some holding signs that read “See something, say something,” “Believe them,” and “Zero tolerance for guns at school.”

The small rally was organized by parents concerned about reports of a gun on campus being brandished plus allegations of sexual harassment by boys from over a dozen girl students. Also, part of parents’ grief was the milquetoast response by school officials that denigrated parents’ concerns and students’ claims.

By Geoff Page

The agenda item that generated the longest discussion at the Ocean Beach Planning Board meeting, Wednesday, September 6, illustrated that long-running concerns about wireless transmissions and health are still alive and kicking.

There was also an interesting update on San Diego Airport’s Terminal One construction progress. And, there was a discussion of by-laws changes that need to be made to have the OBPB “recognized” next year by the city as the planning group for OB.

DISH Wireless

DISH was seeking approval for a wireless project located in a parking lot of St. Peter’s by the sea Lutheran Church. The church sits on a large lot bounded by Point Loma Ave., Sunset Cliffs Blvd., Adair Street, and an alley on the east side. There is a parking lot across the alley next to the laundromat that belongs to the church.

The work involves placing two 30-foot-tall light standards with DISH equipment at the top in a “24 by 24” enclosure. The original design for a “48 x 48” enclosure was down-sized when the OBPB Project Review subcommittee criticized it by saying it looked like a refrigerator on a tall stick.

The Ocean Beach Planning Board meets Wednesday night, Sept. 6 at the OB Rec Center at 6 pm.

There is one project on the agenda. St. Peter’s By-the-Sea at 1371 Sunset Cliffs Blvd has submitted an application for a conditional use permit and coastal development permit to install a Dish Wireless with 3 panel antennas and 6 remote radio units and a bunch of ancillary equipment.When the Project Review Committee looked at the application on Aug. 16, they decided not to make any recommendation and simply forwarded the issue to the full Board without a denial or approval. (See agenda below) Here are the documents : Dish Wireless – 1371 Sunset Cliffs Blvd

An update on the airport’s Terminal 1 project will also be provided by a rep from the Airport Authority.

By Luke Harold / Pt Loma – OB Monthly / Aug. 27, 2023

A group of elected leaders who represent cities in San Diego County’s coastal zone sent a letter this month to state lawmakers about their concerns over a bill that would streamline development along the coast.

Senate Bill 423, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, chairman of the Senate Housing Committee, would remove a 2025 sunset provision for Senate Bill 35, which created a “builder’s remedy” that streamlines housing development in cities that are behind on their state-mandated housing goals.

More notably, SB 423 would extend the streamlining to cities in the coastal zone.

The OB Rag annual fundraising drive, begun on August 11, has exceeded our goal of $1500 by more than $500.

And we expect a few more checks to flood in to our PO Box.

Having received proposals from redevelopment teams for the NAVWAR property last week, the Navy is absolutely mum on the number and types of proposals and who are the teams and their financial models and development schedules. It’s the final leg of the eating frenzy to select who will remake this huge prime piece of real estate.

Jennifer van Grove at the U-T reported late last week:

The United States Navy has moved into the final leg of a real estate competition to replace its obsolete NAVWAR facilities and remake the rest of the 70.3-acre military campus that bumps up against Interstate 5 in San Diego’s Midway District.