OB Rag

By Brian Fowler

Everyone knows there is a housing crisis in our county and has been for some time. Some define it as the homeless issue, whether through self- experience or being impacted by the effects. The way it robs people of their dignity and degrades the neighborhoods. Others view it through the fearful lens of the ever- increasing rental rates and ask themselves will they remain housed. Couples chasing the dream of home ownership are frustrated by their inability to save enough as prices continue to soar.

How can we fix this?

Starting with the Gaslamp Quarter revitalization in the 1980s — prior to this remake there were over 14,000 SROs in San Diego. Single room occupancy hotels renting by the month are not luxurious accommodations.

One of the largest apartment complexes in Ocean Beach is now up for sale. The 64-unit, 3-story complex called Mar at Seaside at 2401 Seaside sits on one and a half acres.

Constructed in 1962, the huge complex dominates the northeastern edge of Ocean Beach and is comprised of 4 studio/one-bathroom units, 51 one-bedroom/one-bathroom units, and 9 two-bedroom/ two-bathroom units.

Join the Ocean Beach Historical Society Program Macabre Victorians Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 7 PM, at Waters Edge Community Center, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., O.B..

Draw back the dark veil and take a glimpse into Victorian Macabre with Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation Historian Sandee Wilhoit and volunteer Jamie Laird as they delve into some of the bizarre superstitions, intricate customs, and fascinating practices of our Victorian ancestors surrounding mourning and death.

By Paul Krueger

State Senator Toni Atkins has joined the unlikely chorus of elected officials opposing a planned 22-story “Pencil Tower” on Turquoise Street in Pacific Beach.

“It represents an extreme misuse of the State Density Bonus Law, consisting of 75 housing units, of which only 10 are income-restricted, alongside a staggering 139 visitor accommodation units,” Atkins told the director of the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in a publicly-released letter.

It was always a long shot – the Larry Turner for San Diego Mayor campaign — but when a poll came out in mid-September ( 10News-San Diego Union-Tribune ) that showed a fairly tight race between Gloria and Turner, hope appeared — not at Vine Street but within the Turner camp and among all those San Diego residents disgusted with Gloria.

According to the poll, 37% of those asked said they’d vote for Gloria if they were filling out their ballot right now, while 33 % said they’d vote for Turner. Meanwhile, 28% indicated they were undecided. This totally upset the campaign of coasting to victory for Gloria and even the U-T called him out on it.

Yet, as the race settles down in its last few weeks, it has become clear the San Diego establishment has turned against Turner.

Back in September, a group called Kalonymus LLC filed a building permit application with the city of San Diego’s development services department. This type of interaction occurs every week. So what’s the big deal?

What’s different is that Kalonymous wants to build a 239-foot-tall, mixed-use tower in Pacific Beach, just a couple of blocks from the beach at 970 Turquoise St.

The project this for-profit development firm wants would hold 213 total units — including 10 residential units reserved for very-low and middle-income families — and 311 parking spaces on the 0.67-acre site.

By Dana Williams /7SanDiego / October 3, 2024

A newly-approved bill signed in late September by Gov. Gavin Newsom allows cities within San Diego County, or the county itself, to ban electric bicycles for riders who are younger than 12 years old.

The bill, AB 2234, was written by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, who is the California State Representative for the 77th District that includes much of coastal San Diego County. She shared that while she is a mother of kids who enjoy using their e-bikes to get around, there needs to be more regulations around how they are used.

As more and more cities within San Diego County pass “No Camping” bans, the numbers of our fellow citizens who live along the San Diego River have increased until now it’s over 400.

According to figures just released by the San Diego River Park Foundation, there’s an estimated 423 people living along the San Diego Riverbed, marking an increase over the last count in the spring. That figure comes from the Foundation’s homelessness census, conducted by volunteers over four days in late September.