We Told You to Bring a Petition

Ocean Beach resident Rob Lewis is tired. He says that two to three nights out of the week -- instead of catching some Z's -- he’s phoning the police about the noise and smoke coming from late-night revelers at the beach's fire-pits.

Over the three years that Lewis has lived in his beachfront condo, this is the first year the fire-pits were placed so close to his complex. He says the pits have been placed in a hard-to-access area for police, which enable all-night parties and illegal activity. Lewis says noise and wood smoke aren't the only problems: smoke from burnt plastic and aluminum cans fill his condo in the wee hours of the morning.

Lewis decided to take action. He phoned the city’s park and recreation department. They told him the pits could be moved, and all Lewis needed to do was get a recommendation from the Ocean Beach Town Council. Easy enough, he thought.

Lewis attended the June town-council meeting. They asked him to draw up a proposal and bring petitions to the next meeting.

A month later, after a dozen more sleepless nights, he stood in front of the council and went over his proposal. His idea: move the pits to their original place to allow for late-night police monitoring. His backup plan was a suggestion to move the pits to Dogs' Beach.

With two plans, Lewis assumed he was covered, but one town-council member wasn’t satisfied.

“At the last meeting, sir, we asked you to bring petitions,” said councilmember Landry Watson.

“Well, I am here representing my HOA, all 12 residents of my building support…”

“Who do you represent, sir? I see no petition. We told you to bring a petition,” growled Watson.

Town-council chair Jim Musgrove told Lewis to get some signatures from his neighbors and attend the next meeting on August 6, and they will address the issue again.

Lewis thanked the council for their time and, in somnambulist fashion, trudged out of the meeting.

For more on the OB town council, go to their website at obtowncouncil.org.