The City of San Diego, in partnership with a nonprofit and funded by the state, had decided to purchase a apartment complex in Ocean Beach for over $4 million to convert into housing for the homeless.
The building, formerly a home for domestic violence victims called “Becky’s House”, is required in its deed to only be used for shelter, affordable housing, or victim advocacy purposes.
The OBCDC has approved a recurring donation to the Ocean Beach Emergency Food distribution program, also known as “Loaves and Fishes.” During the current economic crisis, many in our community are struggling financially. We hope that other organizations will assist people in need during this time in the OB area.
The Loaves & Fishes Pantry had its beginnings in 1977 in response to a growing need to provide food for hungry people in Ocean Beach and the Peninsula. Over 40 years later the Pantry continues to help provide food to over 300 men, women and children per month in the 92106, 92107 and 92110 area.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the OBCDC has placed a hold on the Veterans Memorial Plaza and is considering scaling back the project. Limited resources and donations have necessitated the Project Design Committee move towards a more streamlined plan that would still meet the community's request for a coastal-inspired and vertically-situated memorial for its military heroes.
Come join the Ocean Beach community to honor veterans at Wonderland Ocean Pub on Abbott Street in Ocean Beach on April 19, 2017at 6:00 PM. The purpose of this event is to help generate the resources to build a new Regional Veterans Plaza in Ocean Beach in 2018. The event is sponsored by the OBCDC with the support of the Ocean Beach Community groups.
There is a minimum $50.00 per person donation at the door.
This is the kickoff in our capital campaign to raise $1,000,000. The OBCDC is hoping that you will not only attend but join in donating to this project honoring veterans. All donations are tax-deductible and pledge-sheets will be available. This is a terrific way to say thank you to our Veterans!
The OBCDC would like to thank Wonderland Restaurant for generously hosting this event.
Detailed information about the new Veterans Plaza will be presented including a release of our new informational video on the project. For advance information please go to our website at obcdc.org. We hope you will attend and support this worthy project. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Tom Perrotti, President, OBCDC
Steve Grosch, Chairperson, Veterans Plaza Committee
Dave Martin, Chairperson, Veterans Subcommittee
The OBCDC fund raising campaign for Veterans Plaza is now in high gear. Hundreds of letters and emails have been sent out to various organizations, foundations, and the defense contractors in San Diego.
A video about the new Veterans Plaza will be uploaded within a couple of weeks to our website and to a crowd-sourcing internet site.
Make sure to sign up for our newsletter on our homepage or "Like" the OBCDC Facebook page for more updates.
Here's a link to our Facebook Page.
Numerous fundraising events are in the planning stages. Most of the San Diego veterans organizations have been contacted and are aware of our project and in full support.
The TV station KUSI recently did a segment on our fundraising activity at the site of the old plaza.
Applications for names to be put on the new plaza granite wall are coming in daily as well as donations. For more information our monthly meetings are the second Thursday at 7 PM at the Ocean Beach Rec center. We hope that you will become part of this terrific project to build a new Veterans Plaza.
Dear Neighbors,
You are invited to be part of the creation of the Ocean Beach Children’s Park in honor of Ruth Varney Held. The
Children’s Park will be in the area we commonly call Saratoga Park. In addition to the Children’s Park there will also
be Adult Fitness stations for community use.
The first benefit for the Park will be:
December 6, 2016 from 5:30 pm till 8:00 pm
935 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
Snacks, dinner and 2 tickets for adult beverages
The suggested minimum donation for this benefit is twenty‐five dollars ($25). Contributions and grants above that
amount are needed and graciously accepted. Please RSVP by December 1, 2016 to childrensparkobcdc@yahoo.com.
We look forward to seeing you at this event.
Sincerely,
Paris Barrowclough, Chair
Children’s Park/Adult Fitness Committee
OBCDC
On Veterans Day 2015, the OBCDC held a brief memorial event in honor of the approximately 90 names of the veterans inscribed on the medallions of the original OB Veterans Plaza. The ceremony was held at the location where the new plaza will be constructed. Several City Officials including District 2 Councilmember Lori Zapf spoke in support of the redevelopment of the OB Veterans Plaza and several speakers representing the different branches of the United States armed forces spoke about the importance of honoring those that serve and, for some, have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Although the ceremony was brief, the significance and emotion of the day was strongly felt.
As a backdrop to the Veterans Day ceremony, the OBCDC had arranged for a professional "story pole" exhibit of the proposed Veterans Plaza that is currently making its way through San Diego Developmental Services for a permit to begin construction. The story poles indicated the height line of the proposed memorial wall that will have a zig-zag look to it with certain sides of the wall mimicking the look of Sunset Cliffs while the opposite sides hold the black granite panels that will be etched with veterans names. The story pole exhibit indicated clearly that the height of the wall will not obstruct beach views, a criteria that is very important to the OBCDC and the community. In fact, the top height of the wall will not exceed the existing landscaping since the height fluctuates in the same fashion as the bluff of Sunset Cliffs rises and falls. In certain areas, the view corridors will increase since low-lying landscaping will replace some of the current palm trees.
However, the final panel in the proposed design (the portion of the wall closest to the ocean), raised some concerns at this event to both OBCDC Board Members and the community. The plaza design called for this portion of the wall to extend all the way to the sidewalk along the beach. On paper, the design looked great as it flowed towards the ocean, however, once the story poles were up it was easier to see that this last portion of the design obstructed ocean view corridors facing north and alienated the section of lawn where the current lifeguard statue is located. Although slight from certain angles, there was portions of the beach and the point that were obstructed by this panel.
After lengthy discussion with design firm, Estrada Land Planning, to try and adjust the design to keep the current amount of panels for veteran names while opening up this view corridor, it became clear that there was no way to have both the same amount of panels and no view blockage unless the design was dramatically changed. The OBCDC Board decided that the best option was to keep the design aesthetic of the new redevelopment intact rather than dramatically changing it, but eliminate the final panel closest to the ocean so that the view corridors that were being blocked were opened up once again. In the photos, the portion of the design that is being eliminated is in red while the remaining portions of the wall are green. Although losing this panel will also eliminate approximately 500 veteran names for the new memorial, there will still be space for 1,500 names on the new plaza wall. And no view corridors will be infringed upon.
This update to the design now shows the three panels of the plaza wall instead of four, alternating between the Sunset Cliffs rock wall and the black granite panels. Essentially, the length of the wall will be nearly equivalent to the current planter box on the south side of the OB Lifeguard Station parking lot.
The design changes were reviewed at a meeting with City Developmental Services in December and indications were that representatives from the City felt that these changes to the design reflected a conservative effort to minimize any ocean view blockage and that approval of the permit was likely in the coming months.
The design, in its three panel state, is now being distributed to Ocean Beach community groups and will be presented at several OB public forums including the OB Town Council.
The OBCDC is now taking applications to have a veteran's name inscribed on the new veterans plaza wall to be constructed next year. There will be space for approximately 2,100 names of veterans on this wall. The new space will be a plaza rather than a memorial, meant to honor both living and deceased veterans. Applicants can either apply for themselves or for another veteran.
To view the Veterans Plaza Name Inscription Form and criteria for submitting an application click HERE.
Applicants with addresses from the 92107 and 92106 zip codes will be considered first. Starting January 1st, 2016 applications for all of San Diego will be considered and starting March 1st, 2016, applications for all US veterans will be considered.
There is a $250 maintenance donation that is charged upon application submittal that will be strictly used for plaza upkeep.
The Veterans Plaza Redevelopment Project is in the final stages of working with the City of San Diego for the construction permit. The OBCDC hopes to break ground on this project in the beginning of 2016. For more information on the project click HERE.