When it comes to Ocean Beach, my motto is “Let O.B. be O.B.” From the Antiques District to Dog Beach to the Kite Festival, we all know there is no other place like Ocean Beach in San Diego. My job is to help it stay that way. I am a longtime advocate for preserving the distinct community character of each of our beach and bay neighborhoods, including Ocean Beach. Community character is how you feel strolling down Newport Avenue or what you see driving on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard — the rows of palm trees; the lively business district; the buildings under 30 feet to protect coastal views. Many of these neighborhood features are not there by chance. They were carefully planned by OB residents and approved by city leaders in 1975. Called the Ocean Beach Precise Plan, it was the first community plan in San Diego. I am proud not only that Obecians led the way by creating San Diego’s first neighborhood land-use plan, but also that much of the plan — which provides guidelines on zoning, density and design — remains intact to this day. Property owners who comply with the plan receive over-the-counter building permits. More complex projects that seek variances from the guidelines — like how far a building is set back from the street or how many square feet are allowed for living space — can undergo a public review process. OB’s local stewards of the community plan — the Ocean Beach Planning Board — and other citywide panels have the opportunity to review, suggest changes, allow for variances and ultimately approve or deny these higher-profile projects. Recently, the Ocean Beach Planning Board expressed concerns that as individual residential developments are one-by-one granted variances, a de-facto “rezone” of Ocean Beach could occur over time without the City Council weighing in. I take these concerns seriously and have asked City Attorney Jan Goldsmith to review current practices so we can ensure that development in Ocean Beach is occurring with the proper level of public input. I will evaluate any development that comes before the City Council based on the community impact. I may not agree with a request for a variance — and will vote to deny it if I do not think it is right. I support property owners following the rules. But I share neighbors’ concerns if the city bureaucracy is unintentionally but systematically bypassing those rules — particularly related to the publicly-approved community plan. We must uphold the spirit of Ocean Beach. That does not mean that new development shouldn’t take place or private property owners should be hamstrung through cumbersome procedures. It means we work to ensure that even as Ocean Beach businesses and homes may change over the years, the community’s unique character is not lost. I look forward to working with Ocean Beach community leaders, including those on the planning board, and other residents to protect OB’s character. Ocean Beach is as much a neighborhood as it is a state of mind. Let’s keep both intact. — Kevin Faulconer represents City Council District 2, which encompasses Ocean Beach and Point Loma.
