OB Rag

Developers of 186-unit apartment building have the green light to continue work

By Paul Krueger

Developers of an eight-story, 186-unit apartment building in the heart of Golden Hill can resume work on their controversial project following a significant legal ruling.

Opponents of “The Lawson” housing project on 29th and A Streets had temporarily stopped excavation of the complex in October, following a favorable ruling by Judge Joel Wohlfeil.

But Judge Wohlfeil last week declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the developer, which which would have extended his initial stop-work order. In his 16-page ruling, the judge said a more thorough review of evidence in the case convinced him that the community group challenging the project does not have the “probability of prevailing” at a trial.

Judge Wohlfeil did agree with several arguments made by attorneys for “Preserve Greater Golden Hill.” He acknowledged that project opponents have a “reasonable skepticism” that a required bus stop will ever be established within walking distance of the development. He also said the community group made a strong argument that the Golden Hill neighborhood “will be irreparably diminished…if adequate infrastructure” is not built.

By Lori Saldaña  / Op-Ed  San Diego Union-Tribune / December 15, 2025

The Clairemont Mesa Community Plan Update — envisioning the future of the region’s 8,557 acres — goes before the City Council on Tuesday, seeking to update a vision last adopted in 1989.

It calls for tens of thousands of new homes in San Diego’s original, post-World War II “planned community” and seeks to enhance “mobility” and “connectivity,” “protect open space,” and preserve “historical resources and districts that embody architectural and cultural history.”

But while these are admirable, aspirational goals, the plan should not be adopted until it also addresses more recent housing and transportation concerns in Clairemont. They include:

Coalition Bulletin: “This Week at City Hall”

The San Diego Community Coalition publishes this email bulletin to keep our members and the public informed about important Council and Planning Commission Hearings. City Hall is beginning to wind down this week before it goes into a 3-week legislative recess for the holidays. We will resume this bulletin when the city government reopens Monday, January 12.

Monday, December 15: City Council, 10:00 a.m.

Agenda link:

Items include: Closed session discussion of “City of San Diego v. 101 Ash, LLC et al,” involving “the City’s claims against its contractors for negligent disruption of asbestos during renovations of the 101 Ash Street property.”

Why it matters: After 10 long years of civic disgrace and hundreds of millions of dollars gone, this albatross is still around the city’s neck. Will it ever end?

Monday, December 15: City Council, 2:00 p.m.

Agenda link:

From OB Community Foundation

December 15-20, 2025

A 40 year tradition in Ocean Beach, the OB Food & Toy Drive brings together volunteers, neighbors, donors, and community members during the holiday season. This year our goal is to spread extra holiday cheer to 100 families and 75 seniors in OB.

Here’s how you can get involved:

Receive Cheer [Editordude: it’s too late to sign up to receive food and toys as registration closed on Thanksgiving (11/27).]

Donate Time, Treasure, Food, Toys, Gifts, and More

Volunteer – Register for a volunteer shift December 15-20.

Donate (financially) – Earmarked donations to OB Food & Toy Drive supports supplies (wrapping paper, boxes, etc.), toy and gift purchases, food purchases, as well as gift cards for the families and seniors.

Our 2025 toy collection locations throughout OB are hosted by:

By Paul Krueger / Times of San Diego / December 13, 2025

Mayor Todd Gloria is spreading the word about a national survey that shows 76% of San Diego residents are “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their city.

According to Gensler Research, San Diego ranks second in “satisfaction with their city as a place to live,” trailing only San Antonio with a 78% score.

But Axios, which published the results, cautioned that “satisfaction” is a “broad” term, defined as “a general vibe check on how people are feeling about job opportunities, housing costs, safety and other key urban issues.”

And the survey’s methodology reveals a very significant — even disqualifying — limitation: The poll was conducted more than a year ago, from July 18 to Nov 24, 2024.

Since then, there’s been a flurry of activity at City Hall, and most of it is having a negative impact on our personal finances.

City Says Environmental Impacts in Community Plan Updates for Clairemont and the College Area are Significant, Unmitigated, Unavoidable but Acceptable
City Council to Vote on December 16 to Approve Plan Updates without Requiring an Updated Environmental Impact Report

By Donna Frye

The following is a letter I sent to the city council on December 14 requesting a continuance on the Community Plan Updates for Clairemont and the College Area and the Overlay Zones.

RE: December 16 City Council Meeting, Items 609, 610 and 611; Request for a Continuance to Allow for the Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report

Dear Councilmember,

On December 16, the San Diego City Council will be voting on whether to approve the Community Plan Update for the College Area (Item 609), the Clairemont Community Plan Update (Item 610) and the Citywide Community Enhancement Overlay Zone and Removal of the Community Plan Implementation Overlay Zone for College Area and Clairemont Community Planning Areas (Item 611).

According to the city, Clairemont and the College Area have not had a comprehensive update to their community plans since 1989 – over 35 years ago. The updates will provide “ a comprehensive policy framework for growth and development over the next 30 years.”

Editordude: Since the issue of “middle managers” employed by the City of San Diego has again emerged during the most recent debates over the city’s budget, we thought it appropriate to re-publish U-T reporter David Garrick’s piece on the subject from last July. And just to remind, Garrick, will be speaking on Saturday, December 13 on “This Just In: Covering the City Hall Beat.” See here for more.

By David Garrick / San Diego Union-Tribune / July 14, 2025

The recent fight at San Diego City Hall over how many middle managers the city employs could signal the start of a shift away from such jobs in the future, after years of their ranks quickly growing.

The battle over middle managers, which emerged during controversial budget negotiations this spring, pitted Mayor Todd Gloria against city labor leaders — and eventually most of the City Council.

Labor leaders lobbied for sharp cuts to middle management positions so the city could lay off fewer front-line workers like librarians and parks maintenance staff in its effort to close a $350 million deficit.

The Municipal Employees Association stressed that there are more than five times as many high-paid middle managers known as “program coordinators” and “program managers” at the city as there were a decade ago.

By Michael J. Stepner & Mary Lydon / The Daily Transcript / Dec. 10, 2025

The city of San Diego is going through a process to update their heritage preservation program called “Preservation and Progress.” The initiative is a comprehensive update that will streamline processes for new homes and other uses while protecting places of historic, architectural and cultural importance, and encouraging their adaptive reuse.

Historic preservation has gotten tied into the controversy that every perceived obstacle to more housing needs to be eliminated. This is incorrect, but it has become part of the YIMBY versus NIMBY debates, which have become counterproductive.

By Francine Maxwell

San Diego, how many zeroes do we need to add up before this city finally admits what the community has been screaming for years? The San Diego Police Department is operating without real accountability, without effective training, and without consequences — and the cost keeps going up.

We just hit $50 million in payouts in one week. Thirty million dollars for the police killing of a 16-year-old. Another major payout for a foster youth whose trauma was so egregious it had to be discussed in closed session.

This isn’t bad luck. This isn’t “unfortunate.” This is a pattern — a pattern we keep paying for.

Let’s talk about that $30 million settlement for the killing of a child. Because yes, he was a child. Sixteen.

By Paul Krueger

Before the City Council on Tuesday, Dec. 9, approved a $30 million settlement to the family of a teen fatally shot by a San Diego Police officer, Councilmembers Henry Foster III and Sean Elo-Rivera offered their perspective on the shooting and the payment.

The preventable death of 16 year-old Konoa Wilson and subsequent lawsuit against the city and officer Daniel Gold has drawn national attention, including a New York Times story that highlighted the $30 million settlement as one of the largest — if not the largest —  payout to date by a local government for a wrongful death caused by law enforcement negligence or abuse.

But there have been no organized, public demands for answers about how and why the January 28th shooting happened, what discipline — if any — was imposed by SDPD on Officer Gold, and what changes — if any — have been made in officer training as a result of that fatal interaction.

Konoa Wilson was half-black, and Council Member Foster  — who is the city’s only black council member — spent considerable time addressing issues of race and the minority community’s history of mistrust and strained relations with law enforcement.

But Foster’s deeply emotional statements were highly personal.

City Council to Vote on December 17 on Changes to State Surplus Land Act to Exempt Mission Bay Park

Mission Bay Park Overlooking Fiesta Island, October 29, Sunrise

By Donna Frye

On July 9, the OB Rag published an article by Geoff Page that alerted us to a city staff report requesting that the city council declare three city-leased properties in Mission Bay Park as “Surplus Land”.

The reason cited by the city for declaring the properties “surplus” was the State Surplus Land Act (SLA). The city wanted to issue three new leases for a period longer than 15 years which, according to the city’s understanding of the SLA, would first require the properties be offered to housing developers. The developers could force the city into negotiations to build housing in Mission Bay Park on dedicated public parkland because of the SLA.

The city claimed they had no intention of building housing in Mission Bay Park yet failed to disclose to the public that they had already received an “unsolicited proposal” on July 17  from the current tenant, Southern California Pipe Trades Retirement Fund through their entity SCPT Marina Village, LLC, and was joined by Suntex Marina Investors LLC and Monarch Investment Fund Management Co.,LLC (Suntex-Monarch) to do just that.

by Ernie McCray

As I look at a picture taken a few years ago
of me with my children
I find myself thinking
of how
all I ever wanted for them
and their children
and their children’s children
on and on
in future times,
was for them,
and all of the nation’s citizenry,
to live in a country
where their life’s dreams
could be fulfilled
in an atmosphere
where love and human respect