OB Rag

By Kate Callen

San Diego’s widely-abused Bonus ADU policy lost more ground May 15 when the City Council’s Land Use & Housing (LU&H) Committee voted 3-1 to chip away at its most egregious aspects.

But even in the face of overwhelming testimony about the misery caused by saturation density, three of the four committee members doggedly stuck to the Todd Gloria script: If we build more and more housing, an infinite number of people can afford to live in a coastal city with a mild climate.

The proposed changes to the Bonus ADU program look good on paper. And they might work if developers and corporate lawyers don’t find devious ways to slip through cracks in the policy.

The committee voted to limit the number of ADUs per property and to cap units at two stories. Cul-de-sacs and high-fire risk areas would be off-limits. Some on-site parking requirements would be restored.

But these good intentions could easily collide with political reality. The City is brazenly redrawing fire maps to push high-risk areas into low-risk categories. The “Transit Priority Areas” have eliminated parking requirements in neighborhoods that don’t currently have bus lines and probably never will.

The 47th president seems to wish he were king—and he is willing to destroy what is precious about this country to get what he wants.

By J. Michael Luttig / The Atlantic / May 14, 2025

The president of the United States appears to have long ago forgotten that Americans fought the Revolutionary War not merely to secure their independence from the British monarchy but to establish a government of laws, not of men, so that they and future generations of Americans would never again be subject to the whims of a tyrannical king. As Thomas Paine wrote in Common Sense in 1776, “For as in absolute governments the king is law, so in free countries the law ought to be king; and there ought to be no other.”

Donald Trump seems also not to understand John Adams’s fundamental observation about the new nation that came into the world that same year. Just last month, an interviewer from Time magazine asked the president in the Oval Office, “Mr. President, you were showing us the new paintings you have behind us. You put all these new portraits. One of them includes John Adams. John Adams said we’re a government ruled by laws, not by men. Do you agree with that?” To which the president replied: “John Adams said that? Where was the painting?”

When the interviewer pointed to the portrait, Trump asked: “We’re a government ruled by laws, not by men? Well, I think we’re a government ruled by law, but you know, somebody has to administer the law. So therefore men, certainly, men and women, certainly play a role in it. I wouldn’t agree with it 100 percent. We are a government where men are involved in the process of law, and ideally, you’re going to have honest men like me.”

Proposed Limits Head to Full Council Vote in Early June

By David Garrick / San Diego Union-Tribune / May 16, 2025

San Diego City Council members endorsed major changes Thursday to a controversial city incentive for backyard apartments, including a proposal to limit the number per property.

The goal of setting a maximum is to prevent developers from drastically altering the character of single-family neighborhoods by manipulating the city’s incentive so they can build dozens of backyard apartments on one lot.

In addition to capping the number of backyard apartments per lot, the council’s Land Use and Housing Committee voted 3-1 to force people who build such units to pay infrastructure fees and to require parking for those that aren’t near transit.

The proposal also requires greater distances from property lines, limits backyard apartments to two stories and prohibits them on cul-de-sacs in areas with high wildfire risk.

The proposed changes now head to the full council in early June for final approval. Planning Director Heidi Vonblum said they could take effect as soon as late July, shrinking the window for outlier projects.

Legal Action to Protect Chollas Valley Residents

From Chollas Valley Planning Group

We’re reaching out with an important update on our ongoing fight for equity, safety, and justice in the Chollas Valley.

The Chollas Valley Community Planning Group (CVCPG) has filed a lawsuit against the City of San Diego for unlawfully approving “Bonus ADU” housing developments in historically underserved neighborhoods—without requiring basic infrastructure like sidewalks and accessible pathways.

These approvals are not just unsafe—they’re illegal. They violate:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)

• And critically, the California Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Law —  This law requires cities to actively dismantle segregation and promote equitable access to housing. The City’s actions do the opposite— allowing unsafe, inaccessible developments in low-resource neighborhoods while ignoring their legal duty to invest in infrastructure that supports fair housing for all.

By Steve O SanDiego

I stopped by Val’s Coffee Corner’s newest location, right on the corner of Voltaire and Ebers, to check out their soft opening. They’re still fine-tuning some of the small details, but the place is fully up and running.

Owner Val Fiorini already has a well-loved spot on Cable Street, just half a block south of Newport Avenue, sharing an alley with Kilowatt Brewing. She brings together strong Brazilian roots and easygoing San Diego vibes, creating a space that blends the best of both worlds. She’s the kind of person who remembers your go-to order, your name, and yep, probably your dog’s, too.

For Val, it’s never just about what’s in the cup or bowl. It’s about the moment, the connection, and those small sparks of joy that come with every visit. She and her crew serve up organic, feel good favorites that leave people smiling whether it be a hot coffee, a smooth açaí blend, or a cheesy pão de queijo.

On May 10, 1970, a 23-year-old UCSD fourth-year student burned himself to death in Revelle Plaza to protest the Vietnam War.

Editordude: I was at UCSD when George Winne burned himself to death — and wrote about it in my new book, The May 1970 Rebellion. The Rag has published a number of articles about George and those times (see here) and Patty Jones and I from the OB Rag were at UC San Diego in 2014 when a memorial for him was unveiled.

By Alex Reinsch-Goldstein / The Guardian — UCSD / May 12, 2025

It was just past 4 p.m. on May 10, 1970, when George Winne Jr., a 23-year-old UC San Diego fourth-year, strode out into Revelle Plaza.

Ten days earlier, then-President Richard Nixon had drastically expanded the Vietnam War by sending American troops into Cambodia. Four days after that, National Guard troops opened fire on a crowd of anti-war protesters at Kent State University in Ohio, killing four students. Massive anti-war demonstrations were taking over Revelle Plaza every week.

However, on Sunday, May 10, in this tense atmosphere, Winne walked alone. He held a sign that read: “In the name of God, End this war.”

Winne stood at the northeastern corner of the plaza, in front of what is now Galbraith Hall, and began to douse himself with gasoline. Then, he lit a match.

by Ernie McCray

My eyes have taken in
so much natural beauty
in my life,
as I’ve seen striking waterfalls
as I hiked
in Havasupai land
in the deep recesses of the Grand Canyon,
and in the wilds of Yosemite,
and I’ve watched in awe
as waves the size of buildings
crashed on the North Shores
of Oahu in Hawaii.

by Terry L. Wilson / Peninsula Beacon / May 13, 2025

The long-awaited reopening of Lighthouse Ice Cream store in Ocean Beach took place on Saturday, May 10. Owner Carol Ladiges opened the doors for the first time since a fire two years ago damaged the iconic shop.

“I’m more excited for the community than I am for myself,” said Ladiges. “OB is such a great place; I’ve made so many lifelong friends here. We’ve served generations of families here. Honestly, it’s their support that’s kept me going through some very hard times.”

Former OB residents Ivy and Susan Rackley made a special trip from their home in Iowa to support their friend Carol for her ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“We’re old friends of Carol and Dick,” said Ivy. “We are so happy for Carol, and her new ice cream shop looks fantastic. I know how difficult it has been for Carol, this opening required so much time and work to restore the Lighthouse. We are all so very proud of Carol,” said Susan.

Residents, tenants, landowners and businesses of Ocean Beach need to step up and protect fire rings, library and Recreation Center hours from Mayor Gloria’s “slash and burn” budget cuts.

The mayor and city council are trying to trim $258 million from the budget.

Mayor Gloria wants to remove all the beach fire pits — which will save a whopping $135,000.

Supporters of fire pits say these savings for scrapping San Diego’s fire rings is out of line with what the city is. “That is why people come to San Diego is to have that beach culture experience, catching a wave during the day, having a beach bonfire at night, that’s what makes San Diego,” said Richard Bailey, a Mission Beach business owner and former Coronado Mayor.

Thursday, May 15, 2025, 7 PM, the Ocean Beach Historical Society features Dr. Tom Demere, who will present “The Geology and Paleontology of Sunset Cliffs” at Water’s Edge Community Center, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., O.B.

Tom Demere’s talk will explore the Point Loma Peninsula’s general geologic history and fossils, with a special focus on Sunset Cliffs. Some 120,000 years ago, global sea level was approximately 20 feet higher than today, and the Point Loma landmass was an island (“Loma Island”) separated from the mainland by a combined “Mission Bay-San Diego Bay.”

By Tyler Faurot / Pt Loma-OB Monthly SDU-T / May 9, 2025

Following its acquisition in March by North Star Homes LP, some businesses at Point Loma’s Cañon Street Marine Center have closed or moved, with those that remain left in “limbo.”

The Marine Center includes two adjacent properties at 2810-2832 Cañon St. and 1101-1111 Scott St. At the time of the sale, the property was fully leased to nine tenants, and commercial real estate firm Intersection, which represented the seller, Cañon Street Properties, boasted the center had gone eight years with no tenant turnover.

But nearly two months into the new ownership, some businesses already have closed or relocated — though North Star Homes, which owns and operates other retail properties in San Diego County, plans to hold the Marine Center as a long-term investment and is expected to maintain it as a commercial center, according to Intersection and Strom Commercial, which represented North Star Homes in the purchase.

The catch is in the rent.