By Anna Daniels
Doug Porter recently wrote about the after hours demolition of one of San Diego’s two remaining historic Saltbox houses. The Bernie Michels-Thom Carey house at the corner of Florida Street and El Cajon Blvd was bulldozed by contractors working for developer HG Fenton this past Friday, May 29.
San Diego 6News has reported that the demolition permit may have been issued in error and that the city’s Development Services Department is conducting a “forensic review.” If that is the case, it is one helluva oops. A dozen red roses and a Hallmark card won’t put humpty dumpty back together again.
Porter wrote “The building in question is considered significant because it includes the space where Bernie Michels and other activists in the early 1970s developed and wrote the initial planning and incorporation documents for the LGBTQ Center for Social Services, now known as The Center.”
The after hour demolition is hardly a one off. SDFP reader Rick left a comment that the Kentucky Fried Chicken site in North Park was an illegal rebuild (2007) as was the Jack in the Box (2011). Dorian Hargrove at The Reader reported that “In August of 2013 Judge Timothy Taylor ruled that the City looked the other way while retailer Walmart converted a Sherman Heights warehouse, once a neighborhood farmer’s market, into a 42,000 square-foot retail store.”
There are a few of us still kicking around who can remember the midnight demolition of the then Jack Murphy Stadium in 1997 which circumvented a referendum on the proposed expansion. This is a great time to re-read Matt Potter’s 2002 article The Scandal that is the Stadium.
Anna Daniels
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I encourage a concerned citizen/journalist/Center boardmember to file a Public Records Act request to the office that issued the demolition permit, and look for communications between Fenton and the Development Department in other places as well: phone records, emails, correspondence etc.
For those keeping score- a key person to contact at Fenton is Former Filner asst Chief of Staff Allen Jones, who left City Hall and returned to Fenton in 2013 (just before Filner was accused of harassment etc.).
He might have some interesting insights into how this permit came to be issued…
Interestingly, Wendy Fry of NBC has filed for info. very curious to see what she learns. As to Allan Jones, why do you think he is gonna tell, even if he knows?
You got to start somewhere… Why not with the person who used to work in that department as a deputy director?
There is one place anybody can look for San Diego development info and that is OpenDSD under the city’s own website. Enter a building address and search files.
The banality of this after hours scheming is typical around here.
The inexperience of new city staff only compounds the problems coming out of Development Services.
Any basic understanding of issuing a demolition permit would necessarily require a review of a structure’s age and whether or not the address in question was under review for other development issues. Something obviously went wrong at the “Operations” building. However, HG Fenton still did an inexcusable runaround of the system!
Yet again the rogue developers are allowed to destroy what’s left of our history and culture in a hyper-gentrified real estate meat market – it’s a SHAME that people like council member Todd Gloria didn’t even take note of this and try to step in to protect this historically significant LGBT site. He has been known to side with developers over community groups in the past, perhaps because of the massive contributions development interests lend to Gloria’s campaign. Another example of dirty money getting into politics. Maybe now that Todd is on his way out we can rely on council hopeful Chris Ward to do a better job of being accountable to the voters and residents of District 3 and not the corporate business interests from out of town. We will greatly miss the Michels-Carey saltbox house. RIP.
Why is D3 running overfloweth with corporate donors first and any intellectual – historical significant, community fabric and constituents input always last ? And scapegoated as error . I’d throw DSS under the bus; they’re untouchable .
Great article Anna. You put your finger on the pattern; in San Diego it is easier to ask forgiveness than ask permission – or get permits. We can go back to Pardee Development in Mira Mesa bulldozing Vernal Pools probably on a weekend since permits were not likely to be issued. Anyone remember any penalties?
“My bad!” doesn’t get it.
Joe Flynn
So what does it take for citizens to say “ENOUGH” and have it make a real difference or change? This habitual flouting the law with no consequences has happened for years, is known and proven, yet the end result is we it back and wait and see when the next occurrence will take place.
Even victorious lawsuits don’t change things. Punitive judgments, if any, result in money coming from the same citizen’s pockets who filed the suit. And the city has no problem defending their illegal acts at any cost, because it’s no skin off their back. Where is any real punishment or accountability to fit the crime? Imagine the repercussions if any of these took place in the private sector!
The big money talks, and wins. Until the citizens realize that they collectively have a huge amount of power, enough to stop these disgraces, stand united and say ‘no more!’ we are condemned to watch this same story play out again and again.
Lori Saldaña: what will be the result of finding incriminating evidence against all parties? The usual investigative report with shocking revelation of wrongdoing and possibly a mea culpa…
And Joe Flynn: sad but true, unfortunately “My bad!” does seem to get it. It seems to work every time in this city.
The current Charger’s stadium issue is shaping up to be a blockbuster in the same category, with several of the same cast.
Nothing will change without personal accountability and that requires transparency. Add restorative action, not just punishment & mea culpas.
And- To avoid simple “cost of doing business, ” in addition to fines/penalties also mandate, e.g. No permits shall be issued to company found to be at fault for a violation of willful destruction of property eligible for historic preservation for up to 5 years depending on degree of harm due to their act. That will make a difference…