OB Rag

By Abbie Black / CBS8 / August 11, 2025

Two deteriorating buildings at San Diego’s Liberty Station stand as stark reminders of delayed redevelopment plans, plagued by fires, vandalism and illegal encampments while city officials work to secure demolition contracts.

The abandoned structures, part of the former Naval Training Center that the city acquired in 2000, present a sharp contrast to the upscale retail, dining and cultural attractions that have transformed much of the 361-acre Liberty Station development into a premier destination.

One building, a former Marine barracks, drew public attention to its deteriorating condition. City records show multiple “Get It Done” reports about homeless encampments on the property.

by Salvador Rivera / Fox5 / Aug 7, 2025 

During the last whale season along the Pacific and down into Baja California, 92 gray whales died as a result of climate change, according to Fey Crevoshay, communications director for Wild Coast, an international environmental group based in San Diego.

Crevoshay admitted the exact cause of death for the whales has not been identified, but said many whales were observed to be very malnourished and thin during the last whale-watching season.

By Steve Price / CBS8 / August 11, 2025

The Garfield Shopping Center, located on the Northeast corner of Balboa and Clairemont Drive and a fixture in Clairemont for decades, may soon face closure to make way for a large housing development, leaving longtime businesses and loyal customers in limbo.

Sew Hut, a beloved store that has served the community for 45 years, is among the businesses potentially affected by the rumored changes.

“Devastated. I’ve been coming here for 30-something years, and I’m a newbie,” said customer Christie McGuire, reflecting the sentiment of many patrons.

The plans, which have been circulating on social media platforms like Nextdoor, suggest the entire shopping center could be demolished to make room for approximately 600 apartment units. This has sparked a heated debate among local residents.

The folks at the Ocean Beach Community Foundation are hosting a “Community Open Forum” this Thursday, August 14th, from 7pm – 9pm.

This will be an In-person gathering at the Ocean Beach Elementary School, at 4741 Santa Monica Ave. San Diego, CA 92107.

Online Meeting Link: Video call link: https://meet.google.com/zkt-ipmx-sve

As you may know, the Community Foundation is the new name for what used to be the OB Town Council. The board has had a recent election and all board members are relatively new. \

Also, there’s this:

OB Holiday Tree Wanted: Donate Your Tree for a Festive Cause

Doug Poole, a Mission Hills resident who has joined neighbors in fighting against a high-rise apartment building planned for the the Ft Stockton lot that was the site of the “little red house,” wrote the following open letter to his councilmember, Stephen Whitburn.

Councilmember Whitburn,

The residents of Mission Hills and surrounding neighborhoods are deeply concerned about two high-rise developments – 820 Fort Stockton and the Columbia Street project – both of which threaten to fundamentally alter the character, livability, and infrastructure of our communities.

We now know from City records that 820 Fort Stockton is not a Complete Communities project. That means the City and your office have direct influence, and the oft-repeated claim that “the developers can do what they want under Complete Communities” does not apply here. As our elected representative, you have both the ability and the obligation to engage with your constituents before this project advances further.

Yet, despite repeated written requests, there has been no dedicated community meeting to address this development. Your July 10 “Town Hall” included, by your office’s own account, dozens of topics and only a passing mention of 820 Fort Stockton. For a project of this magnitude – a 12-story, 120-unit factory-built tower across the street from existing homes – that level of attention is unacceptable.

The following is a letter addressed to Elyse Lowe, Director of Development Services Department, City of San Diego, by Ezgi Kuyumcu, attorney for the group Protect Point Loma regarding the 4-story, 56-unit project at 1004 Rosecrans St.

Re: 1004 Rosecrans St Project (PRJ-1120716)

Dear City of San Diego Development Services Department:

This letter is submitted on behalf of Protect Point Loma regarding a proposed project located at 1004 Rosecrans St. (“Project”).

The Project scope consists of the development of a 4-story mixed-use residential building with 56 residential units, a 1770 square foot commercial suite, and 45 parking
spaces in a basement parking garage (PRJ-1120716).

The Project proposes utilizing incentives under the Complete Communities Housing Solutions Program (“CCHS”). However, the Project site is not eligible for CCHS. In addition, even if the Project site was eligible, as proposed, the Project violates the relevant provisions of the Municipal Code. The City’s review of the Project is inconsistent with the Municipal Code permitting requirements and the City failed to provide the necessary public involvement in the decision-making processes.

I. The Project Is Not Eligible for CCHS

A. The Project Is Inconsistent with the Complete Communities Housing Solutions Regulations

The Project is not eligible for the application of Complete Communities Housing Solutions Regulations as the requirements under San Diego Municipal Code §143.1002
are not met. Municipal Code §143.1002(a) provides: “the regulations in this Division shall apply to any development within a Sustainable Development Area where any
portion of the premises contains zoning that is commercial, residential, or mixed-use ….” SDMC §143.1002(a). The zoning records indicate that the Project site is zoned CC-4-2, located within a Sustainable Development Area (“SDA”) and in Mobility Zone 2.

A 69-year-old man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being struck by a vehicle early Sunday morning, August 3 in the Midway District neighborhood, authorities said. (News reports placed the accident in the “Point Loma Heights” neighborhood.)

According to the San Diego Police Department, the collision occurred around 3:22 a.m. in the 4100 block of Sports Arena Boulevard.

Investigators say the man was crossing the street mid-block when he was hit by a southbound 2015 Toyota RAV4 driven by a 28-year-old woman. The driver reportedly did not see the pedestrian before the impact.

Emergency responders transported the victim to a local hospital for treatment. His current condition has not been released. Police have not said whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.

by Alexei Koseff / Cal-Matters / August 11, 2025

If former state Senate leader Toni Atkins is elected governor next year, she would oversee a state contract that puts money in her own pocket.

Following a directive from Gov. Gavin Newsom to develop state-owned properties for affordable housing, the California Department of General Services in 2020 hired a consulting firm to help prioritize sites, conduct market research and evaluate applications from contractors.

That firm, LeSar Development Consultants, is owned by Atkins’ spouse, Jennifer LeSar. And because of California’s community property law that gives couples equal ownership of assets in their marriage, the $1 million contract — which was reupped in February through 2028 — has been worth tens of thousands of dollars to Atkins, according to financial disclosures.

It’s just one of the potential conflicts of interest with her spouse’s business dealings that Atkins faces as she seeks the most powerful office in California. Nearly half of the major clients last year at LeSar’s companies employed lobbyists to influence government policy.

Disclosure forms filed by Atkins and LeSar list 51 different entities, including the Department of General Services, from which they received more than $10,000 in income last year through LeSar Development Consultants, LeSar Support Services, LeSar Holdings, Inc. or Global Policy Leadership Academy — all firms for which LeSar serves as president or CEO.

A CalMatters analysis found that 24 of those clients are registered lobbyist employers. They include the counties of Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange, the cities of San Jose, Oakland, and Palm Springs, the insurance provider Elevance Health, the Bay Area homelessness advocacy group All Home and the homebuilder Brookfield Residential.

From Peninsula News by Point Loma Association

As Lone Star State Republicans prepare to do Trump’s bidding, expect the GOP’s gerrymandering war to expand.

By Ana Marie Cox / The New Republic RSN / August 11, 2025

As Texas Democrats fled the state to protest a redistricting map drawn at Donald Trump’s request—a map designed to all but shut Democrats out of conessional power—I spent the day at a public hearing where the only people left to debate it were the Republicans who drew it and the everyday Texans begging them not to.

One of them was a familiar face in the Capitol building. Dan Chandler—“Pastor Dan” to some Capitol employees—is a fixture in the marble halls. On Thursday, he parked himself behind a walker draped with U.S., Texas, and Confederate flags, surrounded by placards declaring global warming a lie and “tranny madness” a threat. He wears a white T-shirt covered in Bible verses and a red hat that reads, in gold embroidery, Ultra MAGA.

I noticed him when I first walked into the redistricting hearing because of the Confederate flag adorning his ad hoc set up. I wondered if he was there to observe or participate. It turned out to be both.

When he was called to testify, Chandler gave a folksy shrug—retired, didn’t need to be there, could be out fishing. Turning to the matter at hand, he dismissed the earlier pleas to address the deadly July 4 floods. “They talk about the flood,” he said. “You’re doing something about the flood right here.”

Then he revved up: “The best thing you can do for us is turn every district red. The best thing you can do for black people, the white people, the brown people, all of them—turn the districts red and take it away from these people.”

By Eric Law

I have written the following document that consolidates citable quotes countering the YIMBY discussion points with sourced reference material. I’ve assembled them into themes that can be used to emphasize specific points. (I have most of the reference materials soft copy as well.)

While most YIMBY shills can’t be persuaded to read and would likely melt down when confronted with a 50-page academic economic treatise, there is a slice of influential people who might be persuaded to consider a different policy track when confronted with actual data and analysis.

I hope that includes our legislators/ city council members. I continue to add to this information repository as I read and analyze more information.

By Donna Frye

I am still trying to make sense of the mayor’s proposal to declare three properties in Mission Bay Park “surplus land”.

I still think it is a terrible idea because it allows developers to propose building housing in our dedicated public parks.

Worse, I don’t even know if what we are being told is accurate information.

Why would the State of California convey tidelands trust property to the City of San Diego through a series of grants which restrict developing housing and then turn around and say, but if you want to use the property for the purposes agreed to in the trust, you must first declare your intention to offer up the property to housing developers for uses that are restricted by the trust?

It’s going to take some bigger brains than mine to explain that because I sure can’t do it. It’s not for the lack of trying, however. My former dining room table is now known as the document repository.