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Stories by Sheila Pell

Maybe Coronado will become a beacon of tiny houses

Coronado, one of the county's smallest cities, can't see how it will ever meet its share of the region's housing goals. Home to two large Navy bases, the land-locked, built-out, high-priced city was allocated 1,000 …

Siesta RV Park in Imperial Beach shuts down

One of the last affordable housing niches along Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach is closing. Those living at Siesta RV, Trailer and Mobile Home Park are mostly low income, elderly, living on fixed incomes. Where …

September 3, 2019
County supervisors face heat on 5G rules

On August 7, after months of meetings and tinkering with different plans for 5G regulations, county supervisors chose a path. The new rules will guide the placement of next generation technology in the unincorporated areas, …

August 13, 2019
San Diego steams ahead with 5G installation

Last Tuesday, July 23, the San Diego City Council heard from critics, loud and clear, before voting to approve 5G guidelines. While the city touts its stealth designs, techno-blight isn't the only thing opponents care …

Don't say retreat when talking about sea rise in California

Who knew back in 1977, when the Coastal Act was passed, that the sea would rise so quickly? Now, cities and the agency formed to protect the coastline, must deal with it - and with …

Do Del Mar fair and racetrack workers count in state housing mandates?

Time is ticking, deadlines loom. Del Mar needed affordable housing yesterday, and they will need it tomorrow. The city has until 2021 to fulfill their low-income housing allocation for the current housing element. That's 12 …

July 9, 2019
How China's National Sword policy affects San Diego recycling

The city of San Diego has approved two new curbside recycling contracts, and they come with a twist. In 2017, recycling brought in four million dollars. The following year, three million. This year it's down …

July 2, 2019
Leucadia – funky no more

La Costa Ave. missing time capsule found In the 1970s, Encinitas sheriff’s deputies would make the Leucadia rest area one of their first stops in their morning patrols, to kick out squatting hippies and camping …

In time for summer, Imperial Beach sets rules for sidewalk vendors

Summer means sidewalk sales. And now, starting this summer, even more sidewalk sales. In January, a state law took effect that makes it easier for street vendors, whether stationary or roaming, to hawk everything from …

Will San Diego aquaculture bring back abalone?

Port officials looking to expand local aquaculture heard some good news this month. A two-year project by federal scientists that mapped the potential for aquaculture in the U.S. found ample promise in San Diego. And …

Seawall policy outdated says Coastal Commission

Even where public safety may be at risk, seawall applicants are in for a fight. Armoring the coast has become the equivalent of overprescribing antibiotics. "It's gonna get ugly," said Maricela Morales of the California …

Dockless bikes and scooters in San Diego get new rules in June

It's not all coasting as San Diego works out new rules for dockless rides. The city has to balance climate action goals with the needs of citizens who feel they've been pushed off the sidewalk …

San Diego pot producers challenged by rivals

As cannabis facilities grow, so does the traffic around them. Emissions increase, air quality degrades. Yet the San Diego City Council is ignoring those environmental impacts. That’s what several appeals of permits for three new …

Border dirty water suits inch forward

What happens when toxic wastewater escapes cleansing, crosses an international border, picks up more pollutants, dodges treatment again, and finds its way onto beaches? Lawsuits. After decades of spills, of human and environmental health threats, …

San Diego builds itself into danger

According to a new report, San Diego is among the five California counties that have the most homes in high fire risk zones. The county has 254,400 housing units in brushy, steep, and hard to …

August 24, 2018
San Diego charter backers lose

On June 19, the San Diego City Council took on a staff error made in 2015 that limited the growth of schools, assembly, entertainment, and religious uses. That code change has been hard on charter …

June 28, 2018
IB wavers on pot

Smoking lounges, neighborhood grows, and pot dispensaries won't go on the ballot in Imperial Beach, but where exactly will they go? Anywhere? On April 27, a judge upheld the city's decision to deny a petition …

10 bedrooms with their own bathrooms and closets — in National City

The lot is irregular, and so is the proposed housing model; developers see it as lemons to lemonade. Neighbors and some National City planning commissioners, however, see the four-unit communal living style project as a …

Escondido's elderly deal with San Francisco's slick

In 2004 Escondido passed an ordinance to charge an annual fee to register burglar alarms. When the program rolled out, affecting both homes and businesses, alarm owners were confused and frustrated by questions about their …

February 26, 2018
Rec pot grapple in Del Mar

On January 1, when recreational pot became legal in California, so did its sale and consumption at county fairgrounds, where businesses can host events such as festivals. But first come the permits, and that's not …

February 1, 2018
Composters emerge from the shadows

It's a rule that small composters love, trash haulers dread, and the city can live with. On December 7, the City of San Diego’s Environment Committee voted in favor of a code change that will …

December 22, 2017
Mobile-home owner sees water bill jump

It's one of those fuzzy numbers on a utility bill; in this case, a water-sevice fee charged by Carefree Ranch Mobile Home Park in Escondido, where 77 of its 185 spaces fall under the city's …

December 8, 2017
Escondido library to be run by Maryland company

On October 18th, dozens of Escondido residents rallied one last time to keep their public library from being outsourced to an East Coast company. The library belongs to the community, they told the city council; …

October 22, 2017
No granny flats over garages, Coronado

Under state laws meant to boost the housing supply, cities are revamping their codes to make way for accessory dwelling units: granny flats. They're also finding ways to restrict them, as some Coronado residents argued …

September 28, 2017
Imperial Beach welcomes LimeBike tentatively

As other beach areas shed their bikesharing stations, with 15 to be removed this week, Imperial Beach is paving ground for the new wave; dockless. On September 6, the Imperial Beach City Council passed a …

September 11, 2017
National City puts Perry Ford under "green" spotlight

Over the next two weeks, the National City Council will make a list. A green list. It will include, among other conditions, the "certified biodegradable" products Perry Ford can use at its auto shop across …

Lemon Grove pot shops stymied by small family daycares

Last November, Lemon Grove voters passed a measure that repeals a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries. Supporters saw it as a big step forward, but now some say there's a flaw in the rules. On …

Escondido mobile home owners push back against $7 rent increase

The rent hikes are small but steady. Escondido's mobilehome rent control ordinance protects seniors and disabled residents from steep monthly increases; not the $10 kind. However small, a routine bump in space rent can be …

National City — in reversal — moves closer to sanctuary city

On Jun. 19, the National City Council voted unanimously to adopt a Compassionate City resolution in support of its immigrants. While no one opposed the designation, the special meeting was a re-hearing on the issue …

Lawsuit targets Del Mar's short-term rental ban

Everything is special in the coastal zone: surf, views, and land-use rules. Among the rules are ones that protect everyone's access to the beach. Those rules are being violated by the city of Del Mar's …

June 11, 2017
Escondido says no cell towers in your front yard — unless you live on a street like Citracado

Like other cities, Escondido is planning for the mass deployment of fifth generation technology. As both officials and carriers see it, it's time to make the permit process for the "small cells" that can accommodate …

Coronado to reduce bike fines, give more tickets

Coronado wants to make bicycling safer by issuing more affordable tickets, and more of them. An ordinance introduced by the City Council on May 16 would reduce fines for 38 minor violations of state and …

Del Mar anguishes over short-term rentals

As high tourist season approaches, Del Mar is on edge. What will happen with vacation rentals? Last month, the city council drew a line in the sidewalk, separating homes and commerce. Interpreting the zoning code, …

Lemon Grove Pets vs. animal advocate Lani Stacks

Complaints about Lemon Grove Pets have piled up over the years. Online reviews describe crowded cages, empty bowls, and odors. The store, which sells fish, birds, cats, rabbits and other small pets and animal supplies, …

Vista makes new wireless tower rules

Vista planners wants to make it easier, or in some cases harder, to operate cell towers and antennas. On March 21, the planning commission held a public hearing to discuss two proposed zoning ordinances (see …

April 6, 2017
Escondido neighbors call it sprawl

On rugged land north of San Diego Safari Zoo Park, developers want to build a less exotic version of the park; a rich habitat for upper-income humans. The vision statement for Safari Highlands Ranch describes …

March 25, 2017
The fight for a wood-burning fireplace

Several south coast counties restrict wood burning fireplaces, but San Diego isn’t one of them. Not yet. “Although it is not prohibited, wood burning in the home is a growing source of air pollution in …

February 23, 2017
Escondido residents resist water-treatment plant

Escondido farms need affordable water. Though the city plans to build a recycled-water treatment plant, many residents drawn to a recent city-council meeting were not in favor of living near a “membrane filtration/ reverse osmosis …

January 19, 2017
Veterans' affordable-housing project pulled

On November 16, after two years of negotiation with Habitat for Humanity, the City of Poway rejected an affordable-housing project for veterans. Now what? The city still needs 504 affordable-housing units to meet state mandates. …

November 25, 2016
Europa Street alley is a street, say residents

A battle over the entry to an underground parking garage in Leucadia has been decided in favor of the developer. At a public hearing on November 9, the Encinitas City Council voted to deny two …

Barrio Loganeños fret over next airborne auto

More accidents are waiting to happen. That’s what residents say as Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol investigate why a truck flew off the San Diego-Coronado bridge and landed in Chicano Park on October 15. …

Coronado wary of granny-flat legislation

Granny flats won’t be pushed out. They keep coming back, even though wealthier cities have thwarted them with a slew of door-slamming zoning codes. Starting next January, a new state law will make it easier …

Del Mar train-track crossers being ticketed

It used to be easier to get to the beach in Del Mar, and most residents wish they could turn back the clock. All they want is a convenient way to cross the railroad tracks …

Solana Beach seeks electricity options

Last month, Solana Beach announced the hunt for a service provider to help launch the county’s first local power program, which aims to curb greenhouse gases. This month, a war on community choice aggregation, as …

Pedestrian restrictions in Coronado

In Coronado, pedestrians face new restrictions on crossing two major streets at intersections near the bridge. The roadway, also known as SR-75, runs to and from the bridge along Third and Fourth streets, acting as …

Encinitas moves toward drone ordinance

It’s one thing to fly a paper kite at the beach and another to control a metal drone that can weigh more than a watermelon. But both objects can be played with in public, which …

Medical marijuana exempt from “no smoking” law?

There are several places in San Diego where local laws ban smoking, such as beaches and parks. But for the 46 percent of residents who are renters, unless they live in public housing, landlords make …

Danger a given on Coronado's Avenue of Heroes

A private funeral on May 13 for Charles Keating, a Navy SEAL killed in combat in Iraq last week, was followed by a procession of vehicles along Coronado’s Avenue of Heroes. That route, SR-282, is …

Coronado says Caltrans can keep SR-75

Should a dangerous road belong to the city or the state? On March 15, the Coronado City Council took up the topic of AB 2075, a bill that seeks to relinquish State Route 75 to …

March 21, 2016
Save the fish, save the river

They are among the last of their kind in San Diego County — a small batch of Southern California steelhead trout, trapped in a fish bowl: the San Luis Rey River. Once, they were easy …

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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