Permission to Demolish Granted

At its meeting on Wednesday, June 3, the Ocean Beach Planning Board recommended approval of the demolition of two units on a property on the 4900 block of Cape May Avenue.

An architect representing the owners of the property said that the units, which are unoccupied, are in an "almost complete state of disarray and disrepair." A planning board member who lives near the property agreed, as did another board member who had visited the property when it was for sale.

All ten board members in attendance voted to recommend approval of the demolition. The City of San Diego will consider the board's vote when deciding whether to issue a coastal development permit, which is required because the property is located in the Coastal Overlay Zone and involves the demolition of 50 percent or more of the structure’s exterior walls.

The architect said that the owners wish to demolish the units to avoid problems with squatters. He also said that the owners planned to leave the property undeveloped until May of 2010 and then begin building a new two-unit structure.

In response to questions from OBPB members, the architect said that the owners planned to erect a fence around the undeveloped property, and that maintenance such as landscaping would be performed monthly or bimonthly.