Opportunities exist to get involved in molding OB’s future

What’s on your bucket list? Snorkeling with sharks? A trek to the Egyptian pyramids? Jumping from an airplane? If holding elected office is on your list, it perhaps has never been as easy as it is right now in Ocean Beach. When the Ocean Beach Planning Board (OBPB) — like the 50-plus other planning boards throughout the city — held annual elections last month, only four names appeared on a ballot with seven district races. When the board holds its next monthly meeting May 2, three of the 14 chairs will be vacant, and can only be filled by appointment until next year. “The vacancies are a concern,” said former OBPB chairman Giovanni Ingolia. “We’re stronger when we have 14 different voices and opinions.” At a time when, according to a poll released by the Pew Research Center in 2010, an estimated 41 percent of the public can’t come up with the name of the vice president of the United States, it’s understandable if you don’t know the name of your representative on the OBPB. But it’s perhaps a bit more noteworthy to have vacancies in Ocean Beach, often considered a firebrand community with a history of citizen input, where the concept of community planning began in the 1970s. In last month’s election, the top three vote-getters — incumbents Barbara Schmidtknecht and Giovanni Ingolia, and newcomer Kelly Taing — received a modest three votes each. Incumbent Ronson Shamoun showed up the day of the election with his application and won as a write-in with two votes. District 1 incumbent Landry Watson was unable to gather the necessary signatures in time to appear on the ballot due to personal reasons and gained an appointment to his old slot at the board’s April meeting. Ideally, he said he would have preferred to have an opponent for the position. “I was honestly hoping someone else would run,” Watson said after the meeting. “Democracy needs new blood and competition.” Other local planning boards also reported difficulty recruiting candidates. In the North Bay (Midway/Pacific Highway area), all eight incumbents ran unopposed. Two of the eight should have been forced out by term limits but, when no other candidates applied, they qualified for an exemption and were persuaded to stick around. In the Point Loma area, the Peninsula Community Planning Board drew six candidates to run for five open slots. But the election drew far less interest from voters than in previous years. The top vote-getter, Julia Quinn, garnered 29 votes — or 8 percent of the total cast for last year’s top winner, Norm Allenby (349 votes). If the citizens who serve toil in relative obscurity, they take on some pretty weighty assignments. By law, development projects often must be vetted by community planning boards before they advance to the San Diego Planning Commission and City Council. As described on the city’s website, planning boards are also “formally recognized” to make recommendations on land-use planning, quality-of-life issues, rezones, code enforcement issues and public facilities. When the beach restrooms known as the Brighton Street Comfort Station were being designed, the OBPB was allowed to select the artist for the ceiling artwork, Ingolia said. The board also fought to keep certain design elements from getting scrapped when funding was an issue, like the rooftop photovoltaic cells, he said. “To me, we’re kind of like a watchdog. This is what’s going on in the community and here’s our take on it,” said Ingolia, who was elected to his fourth two-year term last month. Asked to explain why he first sought office, Ingolia said he was required to attend any community planning meeting and write a paper for a class in the urban planning and development certificate program at UCSD. He attended a meeting in Mission Valley and was intrigued enough to attend the next Ocean Beach meeting, this time without being forced. He was approached after the meeting by Jane Gawronski — now the board’s chair — and asked if he was interested in applying for a vacancy. In Ocean Beach, candidates have an additional requirement, uncommon among other boards, to gather 35 signatures in support of a candidacy. Ingolia, a former paperboy, said he was used to knocking on doors to hustle customers, and the requirement didn’t deter him. “I just knocked on the doors and took a little step back so I’m not invading their space, introduced myself and asked what their concerns were in the community,” he said. A sincere approach goes a long way, and the majority of those asked signed his petition, Ingolia said. “The signature part wasn’t difficult,” Ingolia said. “What’s great is you get to know your neighbors. It opens up a real dialogue.” Asked what characteristics she looks for in a candidate, Gawronski, a former school superintendent, said she’s not partial to any particular resume. “Especially in Ocean Beach, we try to be inclusive, not exclusive,” she said. “It should be people with a passion for land-use issues, a passion for the neighborhood atmosphere in Ocean Beach, and at the same time, a respect for property rights,” said Gawronski, who owns property in three of the seven districts in the planning area. The group’s bylaws state vacancies must be filled within 120 days, or remain vacant until next year’s election. TO QUALIFY FOR THE OB PLANNING BOARD To fill one of the three vacancies on the Ocean Beach Planning Board (OBPB), potential candidates must: • Be 18 or older and live, run a business or own property in the Ocean Beach planning area • Attend one meeting in the last year • Download and fill out an application from www.oceanbeachpb.com • Collect 35 signatures in any district with a vacancy; currently districts 3, 5 and 7 (see website for boundaries) • Seek appointment from the OBPB. When term is up, a candidate may only run in the district that contains the address of your business, property or residence. • After appointment, attend a meeting known as COW — Community Orientation Workshop — or complete the workshop online. Anyone may download the handbook at www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/cow.shtml. LOCAL PLANNING GROUP ELECTION RESULTS Peninsula Community Planning Board (visit www.pcpb.net) • Election winners: Dominic Carnevale, Bruce Coons, Tyson Hempel, Rich Possanza and Julia Quinn • Jurisdiction: Ocean Beach Highlands, Point Loma Highlands Loma Alta, Loma Palisades, Loma Portal, Fleetridge, Roseville, Sunset Cliffs, Wooded Area, La Playa, Roseville, Liberty Station • Meetings: Third Thursday monthly, Pt. Loma Hervey library, 3701 Voltaire St., 6:30 p.m. Ocean Beach Planning Board (visit www.oceanbeachpb.com) • Election winners: District 2, Barbara Schmidtknecht; District 3, Kelly Taing (two years), Ronson Shamoun (one year); District 5, Giovanni Ingolia • Jurisdiction: Area west of Froude Street, north of Adair Street and south of the San Diego river. Split into seven districts; see website for boundaries • Meetings: First Wednesday monthly, Ocean Beach Recreation Center, 4726 Santa Monica Ave., 6 p.m. North Bay Community Planning Group (visit www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/-profiles/midwaypacifichwycorridor/agendas.shtml) • Election winners: Walter Andersen, Tod Howarth, Cathy Kenton, Melanie Nickel, Joe Scaglione, Kurt Sullivan, Kristy Swanston and Mike Swanston • Jurisdiction: Midway area and Pacific Highway Corridor. • Meetings: Third Wednesday monthly, San Diego Community College, Continuing Education, West City Campus, 3249 Fordham St., Room 205, 3 p.m.