OB Rag

It Will Never Work

By Michael Barnes / 48 Hills (San Francisco) / September 22, 2025
 
State Sen. Scott Wiener’s latest upzoning bill, Senate Bill 79, is bizarrely incompetent. The bill upzones huge areas around BART, Muni and other rail transit stops in a way that is impractical. In the coming decades, there will not be enough population growth to come close to filling these new transit-oriented development zones.

The bill is a good example of how we face the confluence of powerful landowners, sympathetic pro-growth newspapers publishers, and sycophantic legislators. SB 79 is billed as a measure to help keep public transit solvent, but in reality, it’s a land grab.

The bill only applies to seven counties in California, the four Bay Area counties of San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara, plus Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento. Three Bay Area counties, Contra Costa, Sonoma and Marin, were carved out of the bill by an added requirement that a county contain more than 15 rail transit stops. Orange County will most likely be included once it finishes its streetcar plan. These eight counties contain 59 percent of the state population.

By Andrew Bowen / KPBS / October 8, 2025

San Diego is preparing to update its rules on historic preservation, aiming to balance it with the need to build more housing.

Staffers with the City Planning Department held a virtual workshop Wednesday detailing the proposed reforms, which are part of Mayor Todd Gloria’s “Preservation and Progress” initiative.

Critics of the city’s preservation rules have argued they are easily weaponized by wealthy neighborhoods to block affordable and lower-cost housing. Supporters argue they are necessary to preserve architectural gems that might otherwise be lost to the pressures of redevelopment.

Some proposed changes were relatively noncontroversial, such as allowing more flexibility in which types of experts can be appointed to the Historical Resources Board (HRB). The city often struggles to fill vacancies on the all-volunteer board, which has the authority to designate properties and neighborhoods as historic resources.

A more controversial change would give the City Council more authority to overturn decisions made by the HRB. Currently, the council can only consider appeals on narrow grounds, such as factual errors or a violation of the HRB’s bylaws.

Low and Moderate-Income Housing Lags

By David Garrick / San Diego Union-Tribune / October 10, 2025

A new report shows that the city OK’d 8,782 new homes for construction last year, well above its annual average of 5,100 new home approvals between 2014
and 2022.

The total fell short of the 9,693 homes approved in 2023, which was the highest total in a single year since at least 2005. Officials say they don’t believe the city
has approved that many in any single other year since the 1980s.

Despite the two-year surge, San Diego remains far below pace to approve a state-mandated 108,036 new units between 2021 and 2029.

The new numbers bring the city’s four-year total to 34,240, which is 73,796 short of the 2029 goal. That means the city would have to approve an average of
14,760 new homes every year over the next five years to meet it.

“It’s positive, but also a good reminder that there’s a ton of work still to do,” Councilmember Kent Lee said of the new report, which was presented Thursday
to the council’s Land Use and Housing Committee.

Councilmember Vivian Moreno was more discouraged.

“This report is sobering,” said Moreno, adding that the numbers would have been far worse without the city’s aggressive incentives. “More people are finding it difficult to find a home to live in that meets their needs.”

by Dave Schwab / Times of San Diego / Oct. 8, 2025

Many residents strongly oppose the city’s plan to eliminate community parking districts like the one in Pacific Beach.

The City Council was recently set to act on a proposal to abolish community parking districts. However, Council President Joe LaCava announced a delay to give staff a chance to gather more information.

The city proposed eliminating the parking districts, taking the 2026 budget year allocation of $1.8 million back, and, in future years, keeping all the revenue collected in the districts.

Under the current policy, the proceeds are split between the city and the parking districts.

By Danna Givot

The College Area community showed up in force on October 9 to support the 7 Visions Plan the community has worked on since 2016. But, despite the factual arguments raised by all presenters, six Planning Commissioners voted unanimously to support the City’s 2 nd Draft College Area Community Plan Update without recommending any amendments. Arguments regarding excessive density, lack of supportive infrastructure, fire safety concerns, inequity, and violation of affirmatively further fair housing goals fell on deaf ears.

People came from across San Diego (including from Encanto, Jamacha, Linda Vista, Clairemont, Kensington, Talmadge, Uptown, Pacific Beach, North Park, and
Scripps Ranch) to support the College Area and cede time to speakers opposing the City’s proposed 2nd Draft College Area Community Plan Update. Nate Wilson, an
SDSU student, even called in to oppose the City’s proposed plan.

Backing up the presentations opposing the City’s massive upzoning of the College Area were official letters from the College Area Community Planning Board, the College Area Community Council, the San Diego Community Planners Committee and the San Diego Parks and Recreation Board. The primary concerns raised by
all included the excessive upzoning versus other recent community plans that is unaccompanied by realistic commitments for supportive infrastructure, especially parks and fire protection.

The College Area is essentially a “park desert” with only one existing public 1.6 acre park that is only partially usable (part is a drainage swale). It has no playground or dog park. There is no recreation center in this community. The only public building is the library, which has only 28 dedicated parking spaces when it should have 80. (This was the only point the Commissioners were sympathetic to.)

By Austin Grabish / 10News / Oct 06, 2025

Some business owners are speaking out to warn others after being threatened with lawsuits over the type of receipt paper their stores use.

“We feel strong about taking a stand,” said Adam Zack, owner of Jensen’s grocery store in Point Loma, who was served with a Prop 65 violation notice in May.

The notice, signed by attorney Noam Glick of Entorno Law, is on behalf of Environmental Health Advocates, which alleges a Jensen’s receipt had BPS, a chemical California has linked to cancer and listed as a reproductive toxin.

BPS is almost like an invisible ink that’s used to make words appear on thermal receipt paper.

Thermal receipt paper can contain a chemical called BPS that is linked to reproductive harm and cancer.

By Sue Garson / The San Diego Reader / March 31, 1988

Thousands of dollars’ worth of floral arrangements filled the sanctuary of St. Agnes Church in Point Loma. Below the statue of Our Lady of Fatima were anchors and nautical wheels made of blue and white carnations. Floral replicas of tuna vessels were laid beneath Our Lady of Good Voyages, whose plaster arms held the infant Jesus and a tuna clipper. A blanket of white orchids covered the casket containing the remains of a ninety-three-year-old fisherman, and when members of the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit filed past the cherrywood coffin, each placed a single red rose on top.

After hymns were sung in English, a Portuguese choir sang songs of the sea. The president of the American Tunaboat Association extolled the deceased as a pioneer in San Diego’s tuna industry – Manual Oliver Medina was responsible for starting the high-seas tuna fleet in the United States, and he was first to build and skipper ocean-ranging tuna clippers, the speaker noted. “M.O. was first to use radar and first to install refrigerated holds and radios,” he added in tribute. On this March Wednesday in 1986, Medina’s body made its final voyage to Holy Cross Cemetery, where it received the last blessing. Afterwards, hundreds of mourners paid their respects at Medina Castle, the hilltop mansion on Point Loma’s San Elijo Street, where they had often sought the padrinho’s counsel.

By Brian White / CBS8 / October 6, 2025

Big changes to a busy street in Clairemont are drawing strong opinions from both residents and cyclists. A new road striping configuration on Clairemont Drive has reduced the number of traffic lanes and added separated bike lanes.

What was once two lanes in each direction is now one lane each way. The re-striping also added bike lanes along the sidewalk and relocated street parking to the outside of the traffic lanes, creating a physical buffer between moving cars and cyclists.

“It’s confusing, it’s frustrating, and I feel like it’s causing a dangerous situation,” said Martina Malray, a homeowner who lives near the North Clairemont Library. “Somebody could get hurt.”

Malray says her biggest concern is safety when parking and exiting her vehicle, now that parked cars sit directly adjacent to moving traffic.

“This is very unsafe, trying to get in and out of my car,” she said.

She also believes the city didn’t provide enough advance notice or signage about the changes.

by Dave Schwab / Times of San Diego / Oct. 6, 2025

For more than three decades, Surfrider Foundation San Diego County Chapter has gathered in the fall for its annual Paddle for Clean Water event, celebrating and defending the oceans.

The annual event, a cornerstone of Surfrider, brought together surfers, paddlers, and ocean lovers to raise awareness about the urgent need to protect clean water and healthy coastlines.

However, Surfrider has decided not to hold the Paddle for Clean Water this year, pausing the event until further notice.

Times of San Diego contacted Tom Cook, Surfrider’s executive committee chair, for a Q&A about the rationale behind the organization’s canceling one of its signature events until further notice.

TOS: Why was the Paddle for Clean Water canceled?

COOK: It was a very tough decision that our staff and volunteer leadership had to make and was not taken lightly. There were a number of factors we considered, but mostly, it came down to the point that the level of effort required to put on an event of this size exceeded what we could provide.

By Kate Callen

A proposed ballot initiative to create a San Diego Vacation Home Operation Tax that would fund general services will be put before the City Council’s Rules Committee on October 22 by District 9 Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera.

A fact sheet about the proposal says it “ensures that those who own a vacation home or a STVR [short-term vacation rental] pay their fair share for taking limited housing stock off the rental or for-sale market.”

Revenues from the tax would be earmarked for housing, homelessness prevention, and infrastructure services. The measure would not apply to homes lived in by San Diego residents. Renters or homeowners who use their home as their primary residence or rent to long-term renters also would not be affected.

The Rules Committee will consider Elo-Rivera’s measure at its October 22 meeting. A press conference on the proposal will take place that morning.

The leaders of the U.S. military may soon face a terrible decision.

By Tom Nichols / The Atlantic – Reader Supported News / October 8, 2025

To capture a democratic nation, authoritarians must control three sources of power: the intelligence agencies, the justice system, and the military. President Donald Trump and his circle of would-be autocrats have made rapid progress toward seizing these institutions and detaching them from the Constitution and rule of law. The intelligence community has effectively been muzzled, and the nation’s top lawyers and cops are being purged and replaced with loyalist hacks.

[Please go to original for important links.]

Only the military remains outside Trump’s grip. Despite the firing of several top officers—and Trump’s threat to fire more—the U.S. armed forces are still led by generals and admirals whose oath is to the Constitution, not the commander in chief. But for how long?

Trump and his valet at the Defense Department, Secretary of Physical Training Pete Hegseth, are now making a dedicated run at turning the men and women of the armed forces into Trump’s personal and partisan army. In his first term, Trump regularly violated the sacred American tradition of the military’s political neutrality, but people around him—including retired and active-duty generals such as James Mattis, John Kelly, and Mark Milley—restrained some of his worst impulses. Now no one is left to stop him:

By Brian White / CBS8 / October 7, 2025

San Diego’s residential trash system has hit a delay. The city’s long-anticipated rollout of new garbage bins was set to begin this week, but delivery of the new bins has been pushed back.

This delay comes as the city plans to replace the old black trash bins with new gray ones, as part of a citywide effort to modernize waste collection. Residents will also eventually see their current blue recycling bins replaced with a lighter blue version in the months to come.

The city’s Environmental Services Department confirmed the rollout has been pushed back. As of last Tuesday’s deadline, fewer than half of San Diego’s 225,000 trash customers had selected their preferred bin size.

Because of that, anyone who did not choose a size will automatically receive the largest available bin, a 95-gallon container, which comes with the highest monthly fee of $43.60.