A 7-11 at Voltaire and Bacon?

At least the folks at the Southland Corporation are persistent. Various Ocean Beach residents recall that in the last decade Southland has tried three or four times to build a 7-Eleven store in Ocean Beach, each time to be defeated. Now Southland is trying again – to accompanying squawks-of protest.

This time Southland wants to build the outlet on an undeveloped lot on the western corner of the intersection of Voltaire and Bacon streets. But the coastal commission heard enough questions raised at a meeting two weeks ago to schedule a special hearing in San Diego on February 23.

At that time Lynn Johnston, the leader of the anti-7-Eleven forces, plans to air a litany of gripes ranging from worries about an increase in drunks and traffic to the fear that the intruding chain outlet will snatch business from established independent merchants. Johnston warns that should that first 7-Eleven be allowed entrance, Ocean Beach “is going to turn into Pacific Beach (which now has eight of the chain stores). And I don’t think people want that.”