OB Rag

Editordude: The Rag broke this story days ago July 9th to be exact —  and ever since we’ve tried to find a mainstream reporter to take the story up; none of the reporters we contacted took it up or even responded. Now, finally, today, July 29, Jeff McDonald at the UT has written about this — but of course does not give the Rag any credit, which is par for the course. Mainstream reporters hardly ever accredit us. But at least McDonald quotes Donna Frye, who wrote several articles about this “surplus land” issue in Mission Bay here at the Rag. 

By Jeff McDonald / San Diego Union-Tribune / July 29, 2025

Mayor Todd Gloria is asking the City Council to declare three parcels in city-owned Mission Bay Park surplus land — the first step toward redeveloping over 28 acres of commercial property in the popular open space.

The idea, according to the city’s Economic Development Department, is to remake a conference center, two marinas and a restaurant into new community assets — in particular a hotel, as called for in the city’s long-term master plan.

“The city leases portions of Mission Bay Park to various entities,” Director Christina Bibler wrote in a report to the council. “The city intends to issue requests for proposals to offer three of these properties for separate long-term ground leases, with the goal of facilitating redevelopment.”

The affected parcels include the 23-acre Marina Village banquet and conference center on Quivira Way, the 4.5-acre Dana Landing Marina on Ingraham Street and just under an acre nearby that hosts the Sportsmen’s Seafood restaurant and various water-related businesses.

In her report to the council, Bibler notes that the Surplus Lands Act is generally used as a tool to develop affordable housing.

But the Mayor’s Office said the city is not seeking to build homes on the properties. Instead, the city wants a new hotel at the site of the banquet center.

By Donna Frye

Plan B, in case the City Council Does NOT Support a Continuance of Item 105 on the July 29, City Council Docket  Declaring Three Properties in Mission Bay Park “Surplus Land”

In 1962, Mission Bay Park was officially dedicated as public land in perpetuity. It is one of our most incredible coastal treasures and includes a variety of public uses.

The Surplus Land Act is a state law whose primary purpose is to facilitate residential development with more affordable housing on public land.

It’s not surprising that we got upset when we read last month in the OB Rag that Mission Bay Park was being described as “surplus land”.

On a moment’s notice, our elected officials can and do change the meaning of words and turn our dedicated public parks into surplus land. They eliminate our voter-approved land use measures that have been in place for over 50 years, such as the 30-foot height limit, and upend our community land use plans.

Government Executive: Trump administration reminds federal employees they can proselytize in the office

By JW August

FROM THE TRENCHES

It is now permissible for supervisors “in federal offices to  post invitations to employees to join his church” on an agency bulletin board. ”

Also allowed is recruitment of others to a religion, all outlined in a five page memorandum released July 28th by Director Scott Kupor of Trump’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Eric Katz, “Senior Correspondent”  for the “Government Executive” website reports that OPM is telling federal employees “they can proselytize in the office” adding that supervisors “can solicit employees to attend their church.”  OPM describes it as a new guidance.

From There San Diego

Although we love the galleries of the San Diego Museum of Art and other museums of San Diego, San Diego’s art scene runs way deeper than polished galleries. Beyond the tourist trail, there’s a thriving underground network of creative spaces where local artists are pushing boundaries, experimenting with new mediums, and building genuine community.

These aren’t your typical white-walled galleries—they’re converted warehouses, artist collectives, and DIY spaces where creativity flows as freely as the craft beer.

Whether you’re an art lover looking for something fresh or a creative soul seeking your tribe, these underground spots offer an authentic glimpse into San Diego’s real artistic heartbeat.

by Dave Schwab / Times of San Diego / July 23, 2025

He’s been called a godsend for distributing food from San Diego Food Bank weekly to the homeless, poor and needy in Ocean Beach and Midway District.

He is Glyn Franks and, for more than a quarter-century, he has operated Second Chances-Bread of Life, Inc.

“We are a tiny little faith-based nonprofit,” said Franks. “We distribute food at The Orchard Senior Living Apartments on Channel Way in Midway District on Fridays at noon, and to the homeless in OB on Saturday mornings.

“I am not ordained and am only an unpaid volunteer coordinator and servant,” noted Franks, a transplant from Yuma, Ariz. A devout Christian, he draws inspiration for serving the poor from biblical passages suggesting people, through faith, are offered forgiveness and new beginnings.

Franks has made it his mission to practice what he preaches. He accomplishes that by regularly distributing free food to those who need it. He stressed that his self-chosen mission is not about him. Rather, he emphasized the impact and importance of the volunteers who help him.

Only a fifth of  ineligible customers have secured new service from private haulers, who are ill-equipped for this new volume of customers

By David Garrick / San Diego Union-Tribune / July 27, 2025

San Diego’s transition away from free trash service is creating chaos for property owners, homeowners associations and management companies that handle 21,000 properties recently declared ineligible for city service.

The city’s controversial transition has focused mostly on 225,000 single-family homes and small apartment complexes that will soon be forced to pay $43.60 a month, after decades of not having to pay a fee to get trash service.

But the people in the 21,000 properties declared ineligible for city service are facing more daunting challenges — and many fear they could be left without trash service.

By Kate Callen / July 28, 2025

This Thursday, July 31, YIMBY Democrats of San Diego are holding a “Summer Soiree” fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. at the Town and Country Resort. YIMBY politicians like Congressman Scott Peters and Assemblymember Chris Ward will be there, along with developers, lobbyists, law firms, and … representatives of Airbnb.

The event flyer gives a big shout-out to the vacation rental conglomerate: “We would like to extend a special thank you to Airbnb, our presenting sponsor this year.”

Come again? Why would a local group dedicated to boosting the housing supply embrace a global conglomerate that shrinks that supply by converting residential units into vacation units?

Airbnb may rightly believe that more housing production will deliver more opportunities for future vacation rentals. And YIMBYs are understandably happy to take the corporate money.

The short-term rental behemoth has been courting density advocates since at least January 2024, when it launched the Airbnb Housing Council. Like its new YIMBY allies, Airbnb expressed concern about the shortage of affordable housing.

“An Injury to one community is an injury to all.”

The San Diego Community Coalition– which has been in existence a little over 3 months — will hold its second public meeting on Saturday, July 26. Members will be meeting in the community room at the Pacific Beach Library at 4275 Cass Street, from 10 am to noon.

The network of community activists and leaders include people from 25 neighborhoods across San Diego, from Encanto to University City, from OB and Point Loma to Talmadge and Linda Vista. In addition, some members are from Neighbors for a Better San Diego and SOHO, Save Our Heritage Organization.

Initially spurred to action to fight against the city’s abusive Bonus ADU program, it is now focused on giving support to individual projects that are threatening neighborhoods, like the 23-story Turquoise Tower in PB and the 17-story tower proposed for Columbia Street in Middletown. In fact, the Coalition is helping to sponsor a protest rally against the Columbia Street project on Saturday, August 2. And at least 30 members of the Coalition attended the July 19th rally in Pacific Beach.

On Thursday, July 24, the Rag published Donna Frye’s appeal to San Diegans to contact the City Council and request a continuance to the issue of Mission Bay “Surplus Land” scheduled for the Council on Tuesday, July 29.

Today, the 25th, Frye sent the Rag the following:

In my July 23 email to the Councilmembers asking for a continuance for Item 105, I made note of the fact that the Notice of Availability was not included in the backup documents for the July 29 council meeting.

I just checked and an updated NOA has been posted. It has some changes from the version provided for the July 2 Land Use & Housing Committee meeting that include:

By Lori Weisberg / San Diego Union-Tribune / July 23, 2025

SeaWorld, which has been sued over its nightly summer fireworks shows, filed a formal response this week generally denying allegations that its pyrotechnic displays are polluting Mission Bay.

The park’s legal brief was filed in federal court Monday in response to a March lawsuit in which two environmental groups — San Diego Coastkeeper and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation (CERF) — accuse the Mission Bay park of violating the federal Clean Water Act and the park’s own permit that allows it to conduct up to 150 fireworks shows a year.

The park’s court filing, though, doesn’t offer much insight into its legal strategy as it consists mostly of boilerplate language that simply denies the multiple alleged violations or asserts that the environmental groups have failed to “set forth facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action” against SeaWorld.

By Lynne Miller

Hey, we locals who are reaching into our 7th and 8th decades may not be happy with the ‘state’ of California. We just may have noticed that our government is not serving local people.

Most of us in this age group have paid a TON of taxes, and know more are to come.  We have been ‘marked’ as NIMBYS who are selfish, heartless, and not concerned about people who are sick, homeless, and/or penniless.

Truth is, we who are approaching the final graduation from life have worked hard, volunteered, raised families, supported less fortunate, and when inspired for our own reasons, protested and fought against unfair and unjust groups, laws, and politicians.  So now, looking over our shoulders at the rubble created by new laws, we not only have the right to speak out, but the right to consider our personal options.

by Ernie McCray

A “big beautiful bill”
it’s been called.
But that’s sure not what I’d call
a piece of legislation
wherein people
with more wealth
than some nations
are given tax breaks
while low-income families,
in need of any kind of break,
are facing changes in Affordable Care Act subsidies