Point Loma-OB Happenings: Pier meeting, Kite Festival, organic waste, Take Steps Walk
Second public meeting about OB Pier set for June 10
The city of San Diego will hold its second public meeting on its plans to replace the 57-year-old Ocean Beach Pier from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at the Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Road, Point Loma.
Based on a study conducted in 2018 by consultant Moffatt & Nichol that concluded the pier had “reached the end of its service life,” San Diego determined that pursuing replacement of the pier is the best option considering “the ongoing costs of repairs, the need to modernize the existing facility and the anticipation of future sea-level rise,” according to a city statement.
The city is now working with Moffatt & Nichol on what is called the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project, which is in the preliminary engineering and planning phase and still needs to go through other phases, including permitting, design and construction.
The engineering and planning phase is expected to be completed this fall.
At the June 10 community meeting, presentations on the project will begin at 2 p.m. and will be followed by interactive workshops.
Most residents at the first gathering April 1 said they’re excited about the potential for a new pier. Some suggested that it have two levels to make it more accessible to fishermen. Others recommended murals and better seating areas. One resident said leftover concrete from the existing pier could be used to create an artificial reef.
A popular opinion was that the new pier should highlight the history of the Ocean Beach-Point Loma area. One commonly shared idea was that it have a museum or cultural center.
According to the pier project’s timeline, two more public meetings will be held this year, with another in the third quarter of 2024.
The city has said it would like to begin construction on a new pier by 2026.
The pier has been closed to the public since January because of damage to railings caused by large waves during the past winter’s storms.
Kite Festival to land at Robb Field on May 20
The 76th Ocean Beach Kite Festival is cleared for takeoff from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at Robb Field, 2525 Bacon St.
Each child who attends will get a modern kite kit and help to assemble it. There also be kite games for kids, demonstrations by professional kite fliers, a craft fair, food trucks and community information booths.
The event, presented by the Kiwanis Club of Ocean Beach, is free, though donations are accepted.
To learn more, visit oceanbeachkiwanis.org/kite-festival.
Presentations to explain organic waste recycling program
Free informational presentations are coming up to help residents understand the city of San Diego’s new organic waste recycling program and the roll-out of new green bins to residents who receive city trash collection.
Zoom webinars will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, May 17 and 31, and an in-person workshop is scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 10, at the Point Loma/Hervey Library, 3701 Voltaire St.
The meetings will cover why organic waste should be recycled, what goes in the green bins, bin cleaning and storage and a Q&A with city staff.
For registration information, go to bit.ly/3BosWtu.
The program is intended to comply with a new state law requiring recycling of food scraps and yard trimmings.
People whose current city trash collection day is Friday are scheduled to receive their green bins in May and June.
Green bins for Monday collections will be delivered in June and July, and Tuesday customers will get theirs in July and August, according to the city.
Wednesday and Thursday customers should have already received their bins.
Walk at Liberty Station will raise funds for Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
The Greater San Diego & Desert Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation will present the Take Steps Walk in NTC Park at Liberty Station in Point Loma at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 4, to benefit people with inflammatory bowel disease.
The event will honor Al and Jacqueline Silva, parents of children with IBD, and Angelina Collins, a nurse practitioner at UC San Diego.
All ages are welcome, and participants can walk individually or in a team and raise funds to aid the search for cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and help improve the quality of life for people with the illnesses.
To register, go to takesteps.crohnscolitisfoundation.org.
— Compiled by Point Loma-OB Monthly staff