Earlier this week, our Jim Hinch took a deep dive into the financial payoff from the long-wanted Gaylord Hotel in Chula Vista.
Now Hinch is zooming in on other expected benefits including jobs, event bookings, tourism and whether the hotel and convention center are drawing in other nearby developments.
His verdict: the jobs are real but success on event bookings isn’t yet clear. And the story behind a development that the Port of San Diego has pointed to as proof that Gaylord is driving new building in the area doesn’t exactly match the narrative that boosters are touting.
Oh, btw: In last week’s South County Report, Hinch spotlighted positive news in South Bay, including a relatively rosy mayor’s race. The bad news: A mayoral candidate called Hinch to report that vandals hit his wife’s car and tore up a campaign sign in his yard.
“Imperial Beach is not as nice as you think,” the candidate texted Hinch.
PSA: Mountain Lion Spotted at Mission Trails
A mountain lion is lurking around Mission Trails Park.
The park put out a public service announcement to encourage parkgoers to be cautious but also didn’t want them to panic.
“Mountain lions generally avoid people, and simply seeing one does not mean it is a threat,” park staff posted on Facebook. “Their presence is also an encouraging sign that Mission Trails continues to provide important habitat for wildlife.”
Among the park’s tips for visitors: If you see a mountain lion, don’t run away and make yourself look larger by raising your arms or opening your jacket. “If a mountain lion attacks, fight back.”
A Sign It’s Going Down
Our reporters couldn’t help but notice a new sign go up on the dilapidated California Theater building. It reads, “AMG Demolition.”
The Prebys Foundation purchased the building as part of an ongoing effort to redevelop the city’s civic core. We spoke to Prebys Foundation CEO Grant Oliphant about that decision on the VOSD Podcast. You can listen to the discussion here.
A spokesperson with Prebys confirmed that AMG started their work on Sept. 1. The company will begin with abatement and then the demolition will follow. Prebys expects that the project will take about nine months.
What the Flock?!?
Public anger over automated license plate readers is surging lately, along with news stories about the surveillance technology now being used in almost every San Diego County city.
If you need to catch up on the rage – and how these cameras are being used – the Union-Tribune recently delivered a helpful overview of what’s been happening with top supplier Flock Safety cameras in San Diego County.
Here’s a rundown of a few more recent angles.
-Our partner CalMatters spotlighted the failure of a state bill that would have regulated controversial Flock cameras amid increasing rage about them.
-NBC 7 San Diego revealed that Chula Vista police are putting their plan to use Flock drones on pause.
-Meanwhile, inewsource reports that the Oceanside City Council this week greenlighted the use of a federal grant for a Flock license-plate reading camera system.
-A different kind of police camera: The Union-Tribune reports that the county’s Probation Department doesn’t want to outfit juvenile detention officers with body-worn cameras despite a push from the county’s grand jury. Why? The Probation Department says it’s got “comprehensive camera systems throughout” its facilities.
Volunteer for San Diego’s Best Politics Event!
Calling all volunteers! Are you passionate about Politifest and want to volunteer with us?
Spend part of the day helping Voice put on our most exciting event of fall, and you will get free entry to Politifest as well as lunch provided to you. We are looking for volunteers for Saturday, Oct. 3.
You can get more information by contacting Sofia Cohen at sofia.cohen@voiceofsandiego.org. Anyone is welcome to inquire more, including students.
In Other News
- County supervisors this week finally approved a cannabis policy five years after two former officials proposed it. (City News Service)
- The county’s Airport Land Use Commission is complicating the city’s plans to pave the way for more child care options. (Union-Tribune)
- A Point Loma tennis club that leases from city-owned land and its past code violations have come under scrutiny as the city grapples with its tight finances. (Fox 5 San Diego)
- San Diego police and the downtown business district are cracking down on encampments outside the Central Library. (Times of San Diego)
- The county nixed a plan to hand a contract to a former county official this summer after the Union-Tribune spotlighted lenient county lobbying rules. Supervisors recently approved new lobbying rules and county staff are working on options to bring back to the board. (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.
