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Ocean Beach’s Future Likely to Be Decided on Monday, July 16

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It is a truth that is staggering. And it is not hyperbole.

The future of Ocean Beach very likely will be decided this coming Monday, July 16, when the San Diego City Council votes on regulating short term vacation rentals.

This will be their 4th major hearing on these type of rentals, often called mini-hotels – having failed over 3 years to set policy. Up for discussion is Mayor Faulconer’s proposed “compromise” and all he and the short term platform companies like Airbnb need is 5 votes.

If Faulconer’s plan passes in total or in substance – the future of this community has been decided   [Read more…]

Short Term Vacation Rentals: Discussion Continues on San Diego Mayor’s Flawed Plan

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In Sunday, July 8th’s San Diego Union-Tribune Op-Ed page, discussion on short-term vacation rentals fairly monopolized the opinion section as representatives of the hotel industry, Councilwoman Barbara Bry and the head of the Mission Beach Town Council all hashed it out.

The op-ed pieces were responding to Mayor Faulconer’s recent “compromise” proposal to resolve one of the most contentious issues currently roiling San Diego – what to do about the short term rentals.

In their piece entitled, “Neighborhoods, Jobs Must Be Protected“, Katherine Lugar and Lynn Mohrfeld – both CEOs of hotel industry associations – at first came out swinging against STVRs and appeared to be right-on:   [Read more…]

San Diego Disabled Homeless Who Live in RVs Will Have Their Say in Court – Some Day

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A class-action suit against the City of San Diego by a group of disabled homeless challenging the enforcement of parking laws that prevent homeless people from living and sleeping in recreational vehicles is winding its way through Federal court.

The suit was filed in November 2017 by 9 homeless men and women who say they have no other housing option except to live in their RVs – which forces them to park overnight in city parks or streets. Their disabilities make them unable to afford rent and that homeless shelters are unsuitable for the disabled.

Their lawsuit demands that the city immediately stop citing disabled people under its long-standing vehicle habitation ordinance and its relatively new RV ordinance. The RV ordinance, enforced by the city in 2014, prohibits such vehicles from parking on any San Diego city street or in any public parking lot between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. The suit was written by attorneys from the Sacramento-based nonprofit group Disability Rights California.   [Read more…]

San Diego County’s Continuing War on Marijuana

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Today in Spring Valley – an unincorporated community of San Diego County – sheriff deputies raided an unlicensed marijuana dispensary on Troy Street. This effort demonstrates that the war against pot continues in this area of California.

Twenty-two years after the voters of California legalized medical cannabis and a year and half after voters over the state voted to legalize recreational marijuana, the County of San Diego pushes on against the will of the people, cracking down on pot shops.

The current crop of County supervisors voted in March 2017 to prohibit any marijuana operations in the unincorporated areas of the County and phase out existing ones.   [Read more…]

The History of San Diego’s 30 Foot Height Limit

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Recently – within the context of discussions over the City of San Diego’s plans to bring massive redevelopment to the Midway District on this site – there has been some serious disparagement of the 30 foot height limit, and it’s being blamed for everything from the housing crisis to the lack of affordability at the coast.

So, apparently it’s time, once again, to present some local history – the origins of the 30 foot height limit – and some of the good folks who made it happen. It all began back in the late 60s when beach residents began to rebel against a wave of unbridled development occurring at the coast.   [Read more…]

City Poised to Dismantle 30 Foot Height Limit to Allow Massive Redevelopment in Midway District

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It appears the City of San Diego is getting set to dismantle the 30-foot height limit in order to allow massive redevelopment of the Midway District.

With the Midway area community plan update – okayed by the Midway planning committee on March 21 – about to be approved by the City Council in June, all the chips are falling into place to set the stage for some kind of political action that would get rid of the sacrosanct height limit for the some 1324 acres being considered for the redevelopment. The redevelopment would bring in dense housing – some of it affordable -, “modern commercial districts”, and a 7-fold population increase to the area.

But the 30-foot height limit stands in the way of the dreams of developers, city planners, and their sycophants within the mainly commercial zones of the district.   [Read more…]

Incumbent Zapf Dodges District 2 Town Council Candidate Forums

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San Diego Councilwoman Lorie Zapf – incumbent for District 2 – has gone missing for at least 3 district town council candidate forums now.

Zapf failed to show at all three area forums; the Pacific Beach Town Council candidate forum, the Ocean Beach Town Council forum on April 25 and then most recently the Clairemont Town Council forum on May 3. (The Mission Beach Town Council calendar didn’t show any recent or upcoming candidate forum.)

Zapf – the only prominent Republican in the race for District 2 – has amassed more campaign funds than other candidates for city council throughout all the council races. So, perhaps she feels she’s safe or knows she’ll at least be in the November run-off.   [Read more…]

Should Councilman Scott Sherman Recuse Himself from Decisions on Short Term Vacation Rentals?

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Sherman’s Family Owns 33 Rental Units in or Near Ocean Beach

There’s just something sketchy going on about San Diego Councilman Scott Sherman, the allegations that he has a conflict of interest in decisions concerning regulations for short-term vacation rentals (STVRs), and the lack of any genuine investigation by the San Diego Ethics Commission.

And the issue whether Sherman should recuse himself from any decisions about STVRs just won’t go away. Plus there are allegations he or his family own lots of rentals in Ocean Beach.   [Read more…]

Activists Protest County Supervisors’ Anti-Immigrant Scheme

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According to Indivisible activists, about 100 to 150 people rallied this morning at a press conference held on the steps of the County Administration Building to protest opposition to the anticipated Supervisor vote on whether to oppose Brown’s sanctuary laws.

After the rally – where a number of people spoke – the crowd went upstairs to the Supervisor’s chambers on the third floor. There were so many people that the spill-over room had to be used.

  [Read more…]

Decertification of Barrio Logan Planning Group Election a Civil Rights Issue, Say Activists

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From the OB Rag

The Peninsula planning board is not the only community planning panel in the city that’s having conflicts. Over in Barrio Logan, there’s some really funky stuff going on these days.

Consider this: in the middle of counting ballots for the most recent annual election to the Barrio Logan Planning Committee held on March 18th – all counting stopped.

Why?

If you asked the current leaders of the planning group, they would’ve said there needed to be another election – a re-election – because activists with the Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) were handing out election fliers too close to the voting.   [Read more…]

500 Rally in San Ysidro Against Trump and His Wall

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In a parking lot of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in San Ysidro, 500 San Diegans rallied against President Trump and his wall. Trump was over at the prototypes during part of the rally.

The general theme, “Build Bridges Not Walls”, was highly visible as a variety of faith-based organizations and groups that have mobilized since Trump’s election came together to oppose his policies on the wall, immigration and other issues. Folks from Women’s March, Indivisible, ImpeachTrump mingled with immigrants’ rights groups and Democratic party activists.   [Read more…]

It’s Time for Lifeguard Ed Harris to Jump in and Rescue Residents of San Diego City Council District 2

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It’s time for Ed Harris – the lifeguard union chief – to jump in and rescue the citizens of San Diego City Council District 2.

Why do they need rescuing?

Well, consider this: The next election – the June Primary – is less than five months away and incumbent Lori Zapf is up for re-election. Zapf, a Republican, faces a district where registered Democratic voters outnumber registered Republicans by nearly 9,000. That ought to make her very vulnerable come November.

Yet, Zapf faces a field of weak challengers. All of them – and here is where OB Rag makes enemies – from Bryan Pease to Jordan Beane to Jen Campbell – they all have political flaws that make them unable ultimately to mount the District 2 seat in city council chambers downtown.

And that’s why Ed Harris – who once sat in that chair for the District – needs to dive in, enter the race and give Zapf a run for her mone   [Read more…]

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