OB Rag

By Jennifer Van Grove / The San Diego Union-Tribune / September 6, 2024

The city of San Diego has pushed back the deadline to finalize a deal with the development team selected two years ago to remake the city’s 48-acre sports arena site in the Midway District.

The parties, tied together in an exclusive negotiation agreement that was set to expire on Dec. 5, now have through Dec. 5, 2025, to negotiate a long-term ground lease and complete the environmental review of the Midway Rising project.

I couldn’t help but notice the good news about a week ago for an affluent neighborhood of San Diego — Pacific Highlands Ranch — as it was about to get a brand new all-electric library.

Set to open this fall, construction on the new library began in 2022 and is now nearing completion. Fox5News reported:

The 18,000 square-foot library will be all-electric when it is completed and will be a LEED Silver-certified green building in an effort to help meet the city’s Climate Action Plan goals, the city said.

Presenting the 2024 People In Preservation Award Winners

September/October 2024

This year SOHO spotlights three transformative themes: the triumph of National Historic Districts, the ingenuity of adaptive reuse, and the enduring impact of lifetime preservationists. At the heart of these themes lies a universal truth: Preservation is about people. It’s about fostering a sense of belonging, honoring our roots, and weaving the rich and diverse tapestry of the past into the fabric of our future. This year’s Lifetime and Legacy Award winners embody this spirit, leaving an indelible mark on San Diego’s cultural identity and distinctive character.

Two communities recently achieved prestigious National Historic District status, an authentic grassroots demonstration of residents’ commitment to preserving their shared heritage.

SOHO is also recognizing the giants among us whose lifelong dedication and exemplary work have helped shape San Diego’s preservation landscape. SOHO pays homage to three individuals whose accomplishments remind us that the passion of a few can create a lasting impact for many.

By Shelby Huffaker, MPH – Chair, San Diego Americans for Safe Access / August 2024 Newsletter

On Tuesday, August 29, 2024, the County Board of Supervisors listened to a presentation from the San Diego County Grand Jury on a report it released earlier this summer: Cannabis In San Diego – How Is It Going? The report outlines the “financial, health, and law enforcement impacts of cannabis legalization and recommends actions that should be taken to better inform the public about these impacts in San Diego.” The recommended actions include the following:

By Regina Elling / San Diego Union-Tribune / September 4, 2024

Being able to watch some of the fastest powerboats in the world is one of the highlights of San Diego Bayfair. It is returning for its 60th year at Mission Bay and surrounding beaches. The three-day, family-friendly beach festival runs from Sept. 13 to 15. It has been hailed as the perfect way to end the summer for thousands in Southern California.

Stretching from Fiesta Island to Crown Point Park and East Vacation Island, in addition to powerboat racing, attendees can enjoy beach-based family entertainment, including extreme aquatic sports, live music, a car show, a cornhole tournament, beer gardens and local food vendors.

By Judi Curry

The Mission Bay Park Committee unanimously passed an agenda item that I have been working for for the past umpteen years!  They answered in the affirmative: “Shall the Mission Bay Park Committee take a position and submit letters to the City of San Diego and the California Coastal Commission supporting the cessation of fireworks displays in and over Mission Bay?”

They will draft and submit a letter in October supporting the cessation of fireworks since the Audubon Society showed a huge impact on the Least Terns  in the past years.  Dozens washed up dead  recently, and the main cause is the residue from the fireworks!

It’s the free, second annual Sunset Cliffs Auto Show coming to Point Loma Avenue on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Organizers expect 80 to 100 vehicles on display. Event founder Gavin Fleming of OB claimed:

“We’ve got everything from vehicles from 1910 to a new luxury Rolls Royce as well as trucks, motorcycles, and cars of all types. We’ve added more cars and a kids zone with Hot Wheels racing this year, and we’ll also be having food trucks, some merchandise vendors, and live music.”

As many know, the OB Rag is sponsoring a “Worst ADU in San Diego” contest.

Here’s just a sampling of some of the dozens of entries we’ve received. Have you seen them?

Shoshoni Ave, located in Clairemont Mesa, is facing the development of a 12+ unit “Bonus ADU” being built at the end of a very narrow cul-de-sac. Unfortunately, this development is being built by a Limited Partnership (LP), that has no concern for this single-family neighborhood, or the existing residents/homeowners.

They are only concerned about the profit they will be making. The infrastructure of this neighborhood cannot handle the scope of an apartment complex to be built on this street.

Shoshoni Ave. Residents and neighboring partners have begun the early process of obtaining legal counsel, to either stop this project or otherwise have it modified to a lower scale.

By Colleen O’Connor

In November of 2022, I wrote a column full of outlandish predictions that came true.

• First, that Kamala Harris would be named Vice-President. True.
• Next that Speaker Emeriti, Nancy Pelosi, would outlast Donald Trump. Ongoing.
• Third, that Kevin McCarthy would not last long as Republican House Speaker. True.
• Also, that Joe Biden would not be re-elected President. And neither would Trump. One down. One to go.
• Finally, that Liz Cheney would be the first woman to become the GOP leader in the House. In progress.

SanDiegoVille  / September 4, 2024

Opening this weekend in the space that long housed Cheswick’s West in San Diego’s Ocean Beach neighborhood is a new dive bar called Kustom Kulture. [Editordude: How can a brand new bar be a “dive bar”? Does not make sense.]

In 1983, Ocean Beach resident Dean Hall opened Cheswicks West, a tiny biker bar with a big window. Over the more than 40 years in business, the dive bar has hosted eclectic blend of patrons ranging from bikers, to surfers, to hippies and musicians, and everyone in between.The founder and owner for the past 40 years, Ralph Hall, passed in 2021 and he left the bar to his longtime manager, Michelle Driscoll, who due to illness had to retire.

The stairs at the foot of Bermuda Avenue in Ocean Beach are finally open. And they’re beautiful!

The $3.65 million replacement project was initiated in 2018, started construction in the spring of 2023, and was completed in July 2024. They were damaged during winter storms in 2015-16, and were closed due to tidal action that eroded the lower stairway foundation causing the lower stairs to collapse.

Tyler Becker, senior City spokesperson, stated:

“The original staircase, which was constructed in the 1940s, collapsed due to decades of exposure to the harsh coastal environment. The top landing and backfill eroded, concrete material broke down due to natural weathering and pieces of reinforcement corroded.”