These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week.
1. Thanks to a Loophole, Remodels Along the Coast Are Actually New Homes
Developers on the coast have learned to use a loophole that lets them tear down old homes, replace them with bigger ones and call it a remodel. Neighbors have hated it for years, and now are pushing for a fix. (Andrew Keatts)
2. Councilman Calls Use of ‘SDSU’ in Initiative for Mission Valley Land Illegal
Supporters of the initiative that would sell the old stadium land to San Diego State University have had to keep their distance from the university. But City Councilman Scott Sherman says they broke the law by using the name SDSU for their initiative and campaigns. (Andrew Keatts)
3. Politics Report: Votes Thrown Out in Barrio Logan
District Attorney Summer Stephan opens up about a controversial decision and more. Community planning in Barrio Logan is a big deal and causing big political moves. The charter schools are coming (to a convention). (Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts)
4. County Leaders Will Consider Joining Trump Lawsuit
County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kristin Gaspar says the board will discuss in closed session whether to join the lawsuit between California and the Trump administration over the state’s sanctuary policies. (Maya Srikrishnan)
5. San Diego County Will Be Short of Housing Even If Everything Planned Gets Built
SANDAG projects the county will be more than 150,000 homes short of what it will need by 2050, even if cities across the county build everything current plans allow. (Lisa Halverstadt)
6. Two Failed Projects Underscore the Challenges of Building Affordable Housing
The collapse of two affordable housing projects that had been set to receive funding from Civic San Diego, the city’s downtown development agency, speaks to the difficulties in getting such project to the finish line. (Lisa Halverstadt)
7. Discipline Policies Complicate Response to Violent Episodes at Lincoln High
Documents show a Lincoln student who stabbed a classmate had brought a knife to campus two weeks earlier but was allowed back to school. Administrators at Lincoln say they must balance district efforts to lower suspensions with keeping the campus safe. (Mario Koran)
8. Every Year, Lakeside Teachers Can Get Paid to Retire
For eligible Lakeside teachers, the option to get paid to retire is available every single year, thanks to language in the teachers’ union contract. (Ashly McGlone)
9. The Learning Curve: ‘Restorative Justice’ Can Make Schools More Violent If Not Done Right
The DA vows to hold accountable students who make school threats, a review of discipline referrals in Minnesota raises questions about teacher biases and more in our biweekly roundup of education news. (Mario Koran)
10. Airport Usage Is Up — But Demand to Move and Expand It Is Way Down
Capacity at San Diego International Airport is constrained by takeoff and landing slots. Instead, observers are thinking beyond downtown to make flying cheaper and more convenient. (Maya Kroth)