Category: San Diego

Mission Bay Park is Not Surplus Land

By Donna Frye

A little over nine months ago, the issue of whether three properties in Mission Bay Park would be declared “surplus land” was being discussed at the City Council’s Land Use and Housing Committee. The committee voted to support that declaration and within a week, the public was informed about it by Geoff Page in the OB Rag.The three properties were Marina Village banquet and conference center, Dana Landing Marina and Sportsmen’s Seafood restaurant.

The reason cited by the city for the surplus land declaration was the State Surplus Land Act which required the city council to declare the properties “surplus” in order to request proposals for leases for a period longer than 15 years.

By declaring the land as surplus, first priority would be given to housing developers who could force the city into negotiations to build housing in Mission Bay Park.

The problem is that Mission Bay Park is dedicated public park land and San Diego City Charter Section 55 prohibits housing development in Mission Bay Park.

The public opposition to declare Mission Bay Park “surplus land” was instantaneous and unanimous. When the proposal made its way to the full city council for a vote on July 29, the item was continued instead of being approved.

By Alexandra Mendoza and Kristen Taketa / San Diego Union-Tribune / April 7, 2026

Immigration arrests in the San Diego area appear to have decreased in the first two months of this year compared to late last year, though they are still much more frequent than under the Biden administration, recently released data show.

The slowdown comes after a year in which arrests increased by over 1,300% from 2024, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement data provided to the Deportation Data Project by the agency in response to a public record request and analyzed by the Union-Tribune.

The data now covers more than a year into the second term of the Trump administration, which has been notable for its increased efforts to crack down on immigration.

ICE made about 8,300 arrests in the San Diego field office in 2025, up from about 600 the previous year, the data show. The office oversees San Diego and Imperial counties. December alone saw almost 1,500 arrests.

Over the past year, Trump administration officials have repeatedly stated that they will target the “worst of the worst,” referring to individuals with serious criminal records.

However, from January 2025 through March 10, 2026, data show that approximately 59% of arrests at the San Diego field office were individuals with no pending criminal charges or prior convictions.

The Log Staff / April 9, 2026

The Port of San Diego is continuing to advance its efforts to balance coastal protection with environmental restoration, announcing two new habitat-focused shoreline projects following the success of an earlier pilot program in San Diego Bay. The Board of Port Commissioners approved a $2.9 million construction contract on March 10, 2026, awarding the work to Power Engineering Construction Co. for improvements at Harbor Island Park and along the Chula Vista side of the Sweetwater Channel.

Much of San Diego Bay’s shoreline has long been reinforced with traditional infrastructure such as seawalls and riprap, which account for roughly three-quarters of the waterfront. While these methods are effective at preventing erosion, they offer little benefit to marine ecosystems. In response, the Port has been working to introduce nature-based alternatives that enhance habitat while maintaining the structural integrity needed to protect the coastline.

California sues Trump over order to open oil pipeline on Santa Barbara coast

California sued the Trump administration Monday to block what it says is an unprecedented power grab: using emergency authority to force the restart of an offshore oil operation shut down more than a decade ago. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, argues a March 13 order by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright oversteps his authority under the Defense Production Act, a Cold War-era law.

Toronto real estate giant was funder behind killing height limit – 2020’s “Yes on E”

Brookfield Properties supplied Over $400K

A secretive, Canada-based global development giant, backed by cash from Qatar among other shadowy investors, is the primary backer of San Diego’s Measure E, a proposal on next month’s ballot to lift building height limits in proximity to the city-owned sports arena, potentially providing the firm with a multi-billion-dollar windfall.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently requested information on all of San Diego County’s land parcels.

Land parcels are defined as specific pieces of property recognized as a distinct unit for the sake of legal ownership, land use and tax purposes. The San Francisco Chronicle first reported that CBP asked for information on every land parcel in San Diego County, including who owns each one. This information is managed by the San Diego Geographic Information Source, also known as SanGIS.

“The Blunt” Staff Re-Union — Dissident Newspaper at Point Loma Nazarene University Celebrated

Former student journalists and supporters of The Blunt, a newspaper that was formed after The Point was shut down by the university in 1976, reunited at Point Loma Nazarene University to celebrate its 50th anniversary on Feb. 20, during Homecoming. 

Democrats Running in the 48th Face a New Math

Democrats running in California’s 48th District Congressional race jumped into the field with the aim of unseating high-profile Republican incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa. At the last minute, he dropped out of the race last month and left a wide-open field that suddenly needed to recalibrate its strategy.

By Deborah Boss

It was disappointing learning about Akilah Weber Pierson’s Senate Bill 958 focused on a workaround to eliminate CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) review for Midway Rising. It’s slated to be one of the largest developments of affordable housing for the State of California.

Do people understand why CEQA was formed and why developers can’t just go around these protections?  Stan Kroenke certainly doesn’t understand.  He finds ways to work around it when he creates his multi-million dollar stadiums.

Midway Rising is a different kind of development because most of it will be housing and when homes sink into the ground, they have sewage problems or floods someone has to pay.  But, should it be the citizens of San Diego?  How many times should Save Our Access have to go to court to force the City to accept CEQA review?  The California Appellate Court has ruled twice and the California Supreme Court has denied hearing which is why Akilah Weber Pierson’s Bill 978 is coming to fruition in the legislature.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) was established in 1970 to require state and local agencies to identify, disclose, and mitigate the environmental impacts of public and private development projects. It was enacted to promote transparency, public participation, and environmental protection in land-use decisions. It is the state’s most important environmental law.

Inflated land prices aren’t an unintended consequence. They were the expected outcome.

By Lisa Sinclair

San Diego’s housing strategy is built on a simple premise: rezone large swaths of the city to increase the housing supply until everyone can live where they want, and pay a rent they want to pay.

It’s a simplistic version of supply and demand that ignores the one factor that matters most— land value.

When governments increase the number of units that can be built on a property, they increase the value of that land. That is basic economics that everyone can understand.

In fact, during the implementation of the 2005–2006 Downtown Community Plan, officials warned that increasing density would drive up land prices, decreasing affordability.

A taxpayers’ effort to overturn San Diego’s trash fee has — at least for now — survived a legal challenge, the case appears headed for trial or a settlement that could significantly reduce the controversial monthly fee.

In a tentative ruling issued Wednesday, April 8, Judge Euketa Oliver rejected the City’s argument that the evidence overwhelmingly shows that it is not charging taxpayers more than the actually cost of the trash collection.

Editordude: Paul Krueger testified before the City Council on Monday, April 6, about his experiences collecting signatures for a “Repeal the Fees” November ballot measure. This essay is based on his remarks to the council.

By Paul Krueger

I stand with the 81 percent of San Diegans who strongly oppose paid parking in Balboa Park.

Last Saturday, during the “Repeal The Fees” ballot measure rally at the Organ Pavilion, I stood by the parking payment kiosk behind the pavilion to gather signatures for the initiative. And I talked with locals and tourists as they waited in line to pay. What I heard – and saw – was both enlightening and infuriating.

The line at the kiosk stretched as long as 20 yards. It moved painfully slow. There is no display of instructions at that kiosk, so many visitors couldn’t begin to figure out how to pay. Some didn’t know they needed their license plate number to process their payment. If they had to go back to their car to get that information, they lost their place. Others didn’t know if they needed to return to their vehicle to put their payment receipt on their dashboards (they don’t).

When the wait hit 10 minutes or longer, some visitors worried they’d get a citation before they could pay. This was a legitimate concern; I saw at least one parking enforcement officer checking plates. Others were upset they might miss performances at the Houses of Hospitality or Balboa Park Club which brought them to the park.

No Fireworks on Nights of Drone Shows — California Coastal Commission Meeting is April 15

By Donna Frye

Sea World San Diego is seeking a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) from the California Coastal Commission to conduct up to 110 aerial drone shows, that would be approximately 15 minutes in length and “include up to 1,000 illuminated drones above the waters of Mission Bay for a pilot period of one year from the date of CDP issuance.” The Coastal Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 15 to hear the request; it is Item Number 10b on the agenda.

The Coastal Commission staff report states in part:

“SeaWorld San Diego has traditionally ended many of its park days with a nighttime fireworks show. However, in response to growing concerns related to the impact of fireworks on coastal resources, as well as improvements in drone entertainment technology, SeaWorld is proposing a pilot period of one year for aerial drone shows.The drone shows would involve up to 1,000 illuminated aerial drones that would be programmed to autonomously take off, perform an up to 15-minute show up to 660 feet above Mission Bay, and then return to land. The shows would involve the drones following pre-programmed routes that depict various shapes formed by their onboard colored lights, accompanied by music played at ground level for patrons within SeaWorld.”

By Hal Valderhaug / Union-Tribune Commentary / April 5, 2026

On Oct. 8, 2021, with the support of Mayor Todd Gloria, the City Council voted unanimously to lease 34 acres of Balboa Park, conservatively valued at $100 million or more, for a term of 99 years to the San Diego Unified School District in exchange for two district parcels — an 11.73-acre site in Tierrasanta and a 0.39-acre site already in use by the city for the Logan Memorial Pool.

This was an enormous favor to the school district, considering the prime parkland location. Current members Joe LaCava, Jennifer Campbell, Stephen Whitburn, Marni von Wilpert, Raul Campillo, Vivian Moreno and Sean Elo-Rivera all voted to allow the district to continue using the site for San Diego High School and Balboa Stadium on the most favorable terms possible.

I was a deputy city attorney for 25 years who advised the city property department, which oversees more than 500 leases. In all that time, not once was I asked to approve a deal this outrageous. As I wrote in 2019 when it was being negotiated, “No competent real estate lawyer would advise the owner of land to lease it for such a long term. Conditions change over time, and no knowledgeable person would give up control of a parcel of extremely valuable property for 99 years.”

By Kate Callen / April 7, 2026

The 1933 movie Duck Soup added a wicked line to the comedy lexicon when a sly Chico Marx asked a flummoxed Margaret Dumont, “Who ya gonna believe, me or your own eyes?”

That quip, used by comics ever since, has become a running joke in North Park since the 30th Street Bike Lanes were installed in 2021 as part of a $30-million pipeline project.

For five years now, North Park residents have ridiculed the empty bike lanes. When my friends and I have coffee at a 30th Street sidewalk cafe, and an occasional cyclist whizzes by, we nudge one another and say, “Hey, look, there’s a bike in the bike lane!”

We live in a city where elected officials sell out neighborhoods to serve the interests of developer-backed “climate action” lobbyists. So we expect politicians and their cronies to treat us with insolence.

But sometimes their con jobs cross the line from absurdity into all-out farce.

By Cody Delaney / inewsource / April 6, 2026

Opponents of San Diego’s proposed empty homes tax are sounding the alarms, warning that the ballot measure is nearly identical to a tax that was struck down and ruled unconstitutional not long ago.

They’re referring to a case in San Francisco, where voters passed a similar initiative by a narrow margin in 2022. Officials there stopped collecting the tax two years later as they appeal the court’s decision.

But that hasn’t stopped San Diego officials from bringing the question to voters in June: Should property owners who intentionally keep homes empty and off the market during a housing shortage be required to pay an additional tax worth thousands of dollars a year?

It’s a question that has divided San Diegans in recent months, from renters to property owners and businesses to union representatives. And it comes at a time when limited housing supply has kept rents high for years — in a region where more people fall into homelessness for the first time than leave the streets for housing.