OB Rag

Now that the City of San Diego is making noises once again about developing the land over the historic industrial landfill along the southern end of Mission Bay, it’s time for the Rag once again to remind residents of what lies beneath the sands and dirt of what’s called “South Shores.”

These noises came to light just recently with Union-Tribune front bench writer, David Garrick’s piece January 5th and 6th entitled, “Can a once-toxic shoreline solve Mission Bay’s recreation needs? San Diego readies rival visions for South Shores.”

Garrick was indeed alluding to the dump that activists two decades believed was toxic. He wrote:

Development of South Shores, just east of Sea World and just south of Fiesta Island, has been delayed for decades by concerns over its history — industrial waste was dumped there in the 1950s.

By Dave Schwab / Peninsula Beacon / Jan. 6, 2025

The City and a local historical architectural preservation group are squabbling over whether historic housing stock supports or restricts, increasing the housing supply in San Diego.

Since 1969, the nonprofit Save Our Heritage Organisation has led the way as a powerful catalyst for historical preservation by raising awareness and appreciation of San Diego’s architectural and cultural heritage.

Recently, SOHO’s president, David Goldberg, contended in a newsletter that: “As the push continues to lower San Diego housing costs by increasing housing supply, two points stand out. Preservation of existing and historic housing stock is part of the solution, not part of the problem. Secondly, the focus on simply increasing the total housing supply is grossly misplaced. Protecting and increasing the aggregate supply of ‘affordable’ housing is what’s necessary.”

by Ann Jarmusch / SOHO January-February 2025

Developments in preservation in San Diego began at a gallop last year, and never slowed down. In February 2024, the City of San Diego launched its still-ongoing Preservation and Progress initiative to update and overhaul heritage preservation policies, procedures, and perhaps the 1965 ordinance itself. (Read about it online).

It seemed to SOHO and other preservationists that the update’s true goal is to make building permits and approvals even friendlier than in recent years to developers who falsely complain that protecting historic architecture and sites delays or prevents them from fulfilling a great civic need: the production of affordable housing.

From Press Release

On Jan. 9, 1915, AAA and Al Bahr Shrine sponsored a 300-mile road race over a 6-mile course around Point Loma on roads that still exist today. On the morning of the great race, an estimated 50,000 people spread out along the course to watch the spectacle. The San Diego Union newspaper proclaimed, “It was the greatest throng ever seen at one event in San Diego, excepting, perhaps, the opening of the exposition.”

On January 12th, 2025, our Vintage cars will be driving from the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park to Point Loma, where they will drive two laps of the original race route on Rosecrans, Lytton, Chatsworth, Catalina, Talbot, and Canon Streets.

The Point Loma drive will be from 11 AM to 12 N. We are the San Diego regions of the Horseless Carriage Club of America and we are doing this just to share our vintage autos with the public.  We expect it could be a lot of fun for kids (of all ages) to gather along the route and watch the parade of cars as old as 1907 drive by.Come inside for all the details

Every Saturday at 10:30 am. San Diego Climate Mobilization Coalition Meetings January 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th

Every Saturday 10 am – 12 pm Peace Vigil for Palestine: Advocate for Peace and Justice in Gaza and Everywhere Join CODEPINK SD, San Diego Veterans for Peace, and Palestine Pals . Wear pink and bring a peace-related poster if you have one!

January 14th Tuesday 6 pm – 8 pm City of San Diego District 4 Community Event by Sierra Club

January 15th Wednesday 5 pm – 6:30 pm Resist US-Led War Network

January 15th Wednesday 6:45 pm Screening SOS – The San Onofre Syndrome Event by California Surf Museum and SOS – The San Onofre Syndrome Film California Surf Museum 312 Pier View Way, Oceanside

January 15th Wednesday 12 pm – 12:30 pm  EN Webinar:  EV Charging at Home E

January 16th Thursday 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm Climate Education Training:

January 18th Saturday 10 am – 12:30 pm Olivewood Gardens Tour 2525 N Avenue National City

January 18th Saturday, Noon San Diego People’s March

January 19th Sunday 11 am 43rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade! Harbor Dr. South from Ash to Pacific

Our friend in Mission Beach, Gary Wonocutt, sent us this ancient article from the New York Times, entitled, “SAN DIEGO IMPOSES NIGHT FLIGHT CURB” by Everett R. Holles as a “special to The New York Times” from December 7, 1975. (Please excuse the use of the old name for the airport.)

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 6—A curfew prohibiting aircraft takeoffs from San Diego’s Lindbergh Field between midnight and 6 A.M. has been ordered in what the city’s Port Commission called the most restrictive noise-abatement action by any metropolitan airport in the country.

Already facing “noise pollution”claims and damage suits totaling nearly $125 million brought by more than 1,000 citizens as well as the city’s school administration, the port commissioners were warned by several airline officials that the ruling this week would “inevitably” be challenged in the courts.

Six scheduled airlines using Lindbergh Field and the National Air Transport Association called the order an encroachment on the Federal Government’s regulatory authority. The Federal Aviation Administration also joined in opposing the action.

In 3 years since trolley’s Blue Line extension, why hasn’t more housing been developed along it?

by David Garrick / The San Diego Union-Tribune – MSN / Dec.29, 2024

Ridership continues to rise on the 3-year-old trolley line extension connecting Old Town and UC San Diego, but virtually none of the high-rise housing expected to sprout up along the line has been built — or even proposed.

Developers haven’t shown much interest in special zoning rules the City Council created to encourage high-rises and dense urban villages along the line in Linda Vista, Clairemont and eastern Pacific Beach.

Even though 2023 was a banner year for new housing in San Diego, with permits for nearly 9,700 new units issued — the most since 2005 — only one apartment complex was approved near that trolley line extension, and it has just four units.

By Paul Krugman / Substack / Dec. 29, 2024

Like many observers, I expected severe buyers’ regret fairly early in the second Trump administration. After all, many Americans who voted for Trump did so because they believed he would bring down grocery prices. He was never going to be able to deliver on that promise and stopped talking about the subject as soon as the election was over; sooner or later, voters were going to notice.

I did not, however, expect a MAGA civil war weeks before Trump had even taken office. But in retrospect I should have seen it coming.

Background: Every political movement is a coalition made up of factions with different goals and priorities. Normally what holds these factions together is realism and a willingness to compromise: Each faction is willing to give the other factions part of what they want in return for part of what it wants.

By Kate Callen

2025 begins the enforcement of California’s “Daylighting Law” that reduces parking near street corners. The new rule will improve public safety. It also will shrink the availability of curbside space.

The City of San Diego could use this as an opening to help neighborhoods with severe parking shortages. Stronger enforcement of existing rules would ease the pressure on jammed communities. Citations of obvious infractions would generate revenue and send a message that resonates.

The “Daylighting” measure aims to improve visibility at intersections by prohibiting parking “within 20 feet of the vehicle approach of any marked or unmarked crosswalk, even if a red curb is not present.”

The wording leaves room for interpretation. “Unmarked crosswalk” seems to cover intersections where people might cross the street. That would include every intersection. The absence of a red curb to indicate where you can’t park means, in essence, you’re on your own.

The Point Loma High School PA Baseball Booster is collecting Christmas trees to fundraise for the high school’s baseball program. Each $30 donation goes straight to the program to benefit the players.

If you are interested in having the players pick up your tree, please Venmo $30 to @PLHS-BaseballBooster or leave a check for $30 written to the PLHS-PA Baseball with your tree.

Lisa Mortensen was sent a holiday greeting recently from Congressmember Scott Peters. Here’s her holiday greeting back and response.

By Lisa Mortensen

Hello Congressman Peters:

Happy New Year and thank you for your kind email of holiday wishes and appreciation of my community activism and dialogue with your office.  Your email was timely since I was going to reach out to your office regarding the NAVWAR project.

A brief recap on the background of this project which became known to the citizens of San Diego was in 2021.  At that time the Navy did a public engagement campaign asking for feedback and a selection of one of 4 different project designs.  The community overwhelmingly chose the least detrimental plan which was plan 1.  The reason why I say ‘least detrimental’ was because countywide, citizens spoke out in opposition to this high-density, high-rise megalopolis project which would wall-off access for those coming westbound on highway 8 or northbound/southbound on highway 5 to the airport and beaches.

During the spring and summer of 2021, the Navy orchestrated public outreach and feedback with virtual meetings that were well-attended.  There were many cogent suggestions such as this government land be set aside for military housing and public park with ‘non-profit’ oriented retail.  We expected the Navy to provide affordable military housing for its active-duty personnel.  We also questioned the Navy’s reasoning of having private high-rise residential and hotel use surrounding a top security building which seemed to be a major breach to secure such a highly sensitive facility.  Which is why we believed the Navy should have considered our options to rebuild a state-of-the-art top-security building to house the SPAWAR systems and secure the surrounding area of the building with government housing.

by Ernie McCray

2024
was a year
unlike any I’ve ever undergone before,
one in which I feel as though I barely survived.

The year did, however, provide me
with a few lovely upsides
such as some really good times
with family and friends,
moments where I cheerfully
rooted for our country’s Olympians
and watched a masterful basketball player whose
artistic wizardry in the gym
made millions of people
women’s roundball fans,