New Dog Park Proposed for LV
Plus: LV News Briefs, Fifty Shades of Gray in LV, ADU Bonus Incentive Program Impacts LV, Return to Sunset Grill at Riverwalk, and LV Book Reviews
The Linda Vista Update
Dog lovers in Linda Vista may soon get what they have long sought for this community—an off-leash dog park. During this Tuesday’s meeting of the Linda Vista Recreation Advisory Council, staff members of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department gave a workshop presentation on a proposed Mission Heights Neighborhood Park Dog Off-Leash Area (DOLA). The proposed plan is currently looking at two sites at the Mission Heights Neighborhood Park as possibilities to house the Dog Park. One site (site # 1) is located at the far west side of the park, against a perimeter fence that overlooks Ulric Street. This site has long been viewed as a potential site by local dog owners because the space is currently unoccupied by athletic fields, concrete, or any playground equipment. The second potential site (site # 2) is located in the middle of the grassy area that sits on the east end of the park. The major drawback to this option is the fact that construction of a dog park would eliminate an aesthetically pleasing area that is currently heavily used by park visitors for various recreational activities.
The Parks and Recreation Department is currently seeking feedback on how local residents feel about the idea of a Dog Park at Mission Heights Neighborhood Park, and which site they might prefer. Residents can respond and provide this valuable feedback by clicking HERE to complete a City sponsored survey. The survey will remain open for feedback until April 1. Additional feedback regarding the design of the dog park, to include which park amenities might be available, will be sought later in the approval process.
Both site options at Mission Heights Neighborhood Park include provisions for maintaining a 100 foot distance from nearby residences. They also offer 46,000 square feet for the dog park; this is in comparison to 27,850 square feet offered by the recently opened Allied Garden Dog Park.
During the workshop presentation, members of the LV Recreation Council and meeting guests peppered the Parks and Recreation presenters with questions regarding possible surfaces for the dog park, choices in park amenities, the timeline for dog park approval, separate spaces allowed for both large and small dogs, and possible objections by residents living near the park.
When asked about the possible expense for a Mission Heights dog park, the Parks and Recreation Department representatives responded with a figure of $200,000 for design and construction (based on what the Allied Gardens dog park cost). Unfortunately, funding for this project has yet to be identified by the City.
Based on strong community demand, off-leash dog parks were identified as a priority in the City’s 2021 Parks Master Plan.
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We at the Linda Vista Update encourage our readers to complete the survey and pass along word of the survey to friends and neighbors. It is a simple survey and takes only a couple minutes to complete.
LV News Briefs:
—Virtual Kitten Shower: In preparation for the annual arrival of kittens at its kitten nursery, San Diego Humane Society is sponsoring a Virtual Kitten Shower. Community members can give critical supplies or make a donation. In 2024, San Diego Humane Society cared for 8,642 kittens and is anticipating similar numbers this year. To contribute a gift that will ensure kittens in San Diego County receive lifesaving care, visit https://sdhumane.org/kittenshower. Supplies purchased through the online baby registries are shipped directly to San Diego Humane Society.
—Upcoming Production of Welcome to Wonderland: The Linda Vista Theater Arts Program welcomes everyone to WONDERLAND at the Linda Vista Recreation Center! The production is a retelling of the Alice in Wonderland story. Performances will be held on the following dates: Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 6:30pm (Sneak Peek/Dress Rehearsal (Sold Out)); Friday, March 21, 2025 at 6:30pm (Opening Night); Saturday, March 22, 2025 (Double Feature)@ 2:00pm (Matinee) @ 6:30pm; Friday, March 28, 2025 at 6:30pm; Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 6:30pm. Check out the flyer below for details on how to purchase tickets for each show.
—Lind Vista Town Council: The Linda Vista Town Council will hold its next monthly general meeting on Wednesday March 19 at the Baha’i Center (6545 Alcala Knolls Drive). Social time begins at 6:00 pm and the official part of the meeting agenda begins at 6:30 pm. All LV residents are invited to attend. Attend the meeting, meet your fellow community members, and see what is happening in LV.
—Art & Essay Contest for Students: The Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair/Parade is sponsoring its annual Art & Essay Contest for students in grades 2-6. This year’s theme for the contest is “Food From the Heart.” Deadline for entries is March 28. You can go HERE to obtain detailed contest guidelines.
Commentary
Fifty Shades of Gray in Linda Vista
A recent article published in the Washington Post explained how one can detect a rise in the gentrification of certain neighborhoods around the Washington DC area. The article’s author claimed a gentrifying neighborhood will suddenly appear to have a growing number of residences stripped of their colors and painted shades of gray. The color gray, to include related gray-blues, blacks and whites, seems to be the color of choice when certain neighborhoods begin attracting a new, more affluent group of resident. I hate to break this news to long-time residents of Linda Vista, especially those who see the dangers of gentrification as ranking somewhere between a tsunami and the bubonic plague, but I have noticed a disturbing number of both new and old apartments, condos and townhouse developments painted various shades of gray.
People who have lived awhile in Linda Vista are used to seeing earth tone colors dominate the local landscape. Those colors usually mean browns, beiges, ochre, sienna and terra cotta hues with occasional greens or rust. I recall the paint in my own townhouse development once bearing the label of “Padre Brown.” The look appeared to be in keeping with a southwest or Spanish colonial motif. But tastes change over time, and now there seems to be a move toward what the Washington Post article identified as “quiet”, “calm” or “neutral” appearances. Others may call it “monochromatic”, “boring”, and “unremarkable.” In the WaPo article, a realtor explained how shades of gray signifies to potential newcomers that “Everyone is welcome here, and no one should feel uncomfortable if the aesthetic is uniform. Gray is a way to flatten difference.”
One noticeable feature of this gray look is the use of bright colors like yellows and blues to add a pop, so the look is not entirely monochromatic. But the overall effective is indeed one of uniformity.
Critics of possible Linda Vista gentrification fear that such a trend will ruin the community by bringing outrageous prices for housing, displacement of long time residents, expensive shops/boutiques, placing greater burdens on the infrastructure, and disrupting the traditional community culture and aesthetics. Current residents do not look forward to such an onslaught of new features invading our little patch of San Diego, but looking out at the current landscape, it appears we will definitely have to learn to appreciate the fifty shades of gray phenomenon that is making its way through all of our streets. In the past, the color gray has been assigned negative connotations—think of “gray skies” and “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” and “It’s a gray area” and “graying hair” and “The sickly patient’s skin looked an ashen gray,” and don’t forget “Former governor Gray Davis”. But I say we begin mouthing the words… “Gray is the new orange” or perhaps “I enjoyed the bright gray California sunshine” as a way to accept the gradual graying of our LV landscape.
ADU Bonus Incentive Raises Objections in LV
A group of Linda Vista residents recently met with a community representative from the office of District 7 Councilmember Raul Campillo to make their objections known about the City’s controversial Accessory Dwelling Uni (ADU) Bonus Incentive Program. The group wanted to let the Councilmember know how the program is impacting their particular neighborhood. They met in front of a house located on Newbold Court (at the corner of Burton Street). The circumstances surrounding the house serve to typify those highly publicized concerns associated with the ADU program.
San Diego’s ADU Bonus Incentive Program allows one bonus market-rate ADU on a given parcel if one additional affordable ADU is added as well, with the option for more ADUs in priority transit corridors.
In the case of the house on Newbold Court and the accompanying lot, the property was at one time owned by a long time Linda Vista resident. The residence was then sold, and then sold again more recently to an LLC. The LLC now plans to take advantage of the provisions in the ADU Bonus Incentive Program and build 9 ADUs on the lot surrounding the house. During the time the property was up for sale, it was listed on Redfin for a price of $1,244, 566. The size of the lot and its potential for ADU use obviously figured into the high sales price.
The residents who met with District 7 community representative Miles Noel expressed concern about the impact these new units will have on their neighborhood, to include parking and privacy issues. A walk around the neighborhood made it clear that street parking is already a problem and will only be further aggravated by more ADU occupants. Noel advised the group that the homeowner’s plans for adding new ADUs is in compliance with current City law, and that in regard to the plan “This is moving forward” but that the Councilmember’s office will monitor the situation to see how the neighborhood is impacted.
Based on a recent motion approved by the City Council, Mayor Todd Gloria’s office is currently reviewing the ADU Bonus Incentive Program to see if its provisions need to be revised or possibly eliminated. The Mayor’s office will eventually report back to the City Council with its findings/recommendations.
Return to Sunset Grill at Riverwalk
About three years ago we did a review of the Sunset Grill at Riverwalk Golf Club near Fashion Valley Mall. At that time I lamented the fact that the golf course was going to make way for a very large residential development on Friars Road and how sad it would be to see the Golf Course disappear. We decided to eat there one last time. At that time, in 2022, the staff told us that they expected to be there another 5 years. Well, as we all know the large housing development has been paused after a lot of infrastructure was changed. We still see a long stretch of blue tarp along the fence to what appears to be a giant hole but which used to be the lovely green of a golf course. We decided it was time to take another trip to the Sunset Grill to see how things are going. We knew we had to go between the two storms so we were sure we wouldn’t be trapped in the flooded mighty San Diego river, so yesterday off we went.
Nothing seems to have changed inside. It was too chilly to eat outside so we grabbed a table by the window. While we were there the sun came out brightly and we had a nice view of what is left of the Golf Course. The Sunset Grill is open 9:00 am to 5:30 pm and serves breakfast and lunch all day. You can check out their menu on line, but they have omelets, breakfast sandwiches, huevos rancheros, pancakes, burritos and more. Their lunch menu consists of salads and sandwiches, fish and chips, chicken tenders and many other choices. They also have different types of hot dogs including bratwurst. There is a a bar menu and they have a nice selection of beers and wines and cocktails. Of course the prices are higher than in 2022, but that is about par for the course (pun intended).
Although not on the menu, I asked for a tuna salad sandwich, which they graciously said they would provide. (When I went back and read the 2022 review, I did exactly the same thing, so you can see how boring I am). I ordered sweet potato fries as a side. Steve ordered Heuvos Rancheros, whereas last time he had gotten a quesadilla so you can tell he is the more adventurous one.
We spoke with our waiter about the situation, and he said it now looks like it will be at least 2030 before the Course is gone. What with interest rates what they are, nothing appears to be happening in the short term. We all commented on the fact that is a shame that now instead of looking at a beautiful green area as we drive Friars Rd, we have to look at bare dirt and blue tarp on the fence. Oh well, that’s progress.
Our meals were very good. The sandwich was chock full of tuna salad, gouda cheese, lettuce and tomato (if you want it) on toasted bread of your choice. It was so filling I took half of it home, just as I had in 2022. Steve’s Huevos Rancheros consisted of corn tortillas topped with 2 over-medium eggs, salsa, melted jack and cheddar cheeses, avocado, cilantro, sour cream and was served with rice and black beans. It was a lot of food; he said it was spicy and delicious.
It is still a relaxing place to go whether for coffee and breakfast, or lunch, even if you don’t golf. They also have a snack bar around the side which has mostly a sandwich menu if you want to just pick up something quick and eat it outside or take it with you. We are glad the life of Sunset Grill has been extended and will try to get there more often. We suggest you give it a try. After all, you might only have 5 more years before it is gone.
LV Update Book Reviews
The past few days have made for great reading time as rare San Diego rain encouraged us to stay indoors, warm and dry. Rainy weather gives us a legitimate excuse to not feel guilty about doing nothing more than sitting on the couch or favorite chair and spending a relaxing time turning the pages of a book. That is such a wonderful way to spend the day! As the famous actor Benedict Cumberbatch has remarked “I can feel infinitely alive curled up on the sofa reading a book.”
So whether the rain continues or we return to typical San Diego sunshine, we thought it worthwhile to offer LV Update readers some quality reading recommendations for the coming days. We went back to our two resident reading intellectuals—Martha B and Marla M—to get some possible reading options. Below are their latest book picks.
Here is what Martha B. had to say: Presumed Guilty was published in January, 2025. I pre-order every one of Scott Turow’s new books and look forward to them with pleasure. Presumed Guilty did not disappoint. The book is a courtroom drama featuring Scott Turow’s likely alter-ego Rusty Sabich for the third time. Rusty first appeared in Turow’s 1987 best selling novel Presumed Innocent, which the New York Times reports is “widely considered the gold standard for the modern courtroom thriller”, and has been turned into both a 1990 movie starring Harrison Ford and a 2024 mini-series starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
In Presumed Guilty Rusty Sabich is now a retired attorney in his 70’s who is called on to defend his fiancé’s son, who has been accused of murdering his girlfriend. The twisty and emotional courtroom drama is only completely resolved at the end of the book, and along the way we are treated to many passages which seem more like a work of literature than a simple legal drama.
Turow’s first book, One L, about his first year at Harvard Law School is a classic. Turow is only 7 years older than I am, and I feel that his books have been an accompaniment for my whole adult reading life. For those who are younger, or unfamiliar with Turow’s work, discovering him may be a real treat.
And here is what Marla M had to say: Before We Were Yours is inspired by the real life Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal. The orphanage kidnaps poor children to sell to wealthy families. You are introduced to 12 year old Rill and her three younger siblings. Their lives take a dramatic turn when their parents are forced to leave them on their houseboat to seek medical attention for their mother. The children are abducted and taken to the orphanage,run by the notorious Georgia Tan who spearheads a human trafficking operation.
This story alternates between two timelines. The first is from Rill who narrates the events of 1939, and present day, from Avery Stafford a successful lawyer who returns to her hometown of Aiken, Tennessee to help her ailing grandfather. As she delves into her family's records, Avery uncovers a painful history of her family's ties to the orphanage.
Those who love historical fiction will thoroughly enjoy Before We Were Yours.
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The Linda Vista Update offers its thanks to our two wonderful book reviewers for taking the time to provide us with their comments.
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I always enjoy the update in my email box but today was particularly great! So glad the Sunset Grill is still there we will go back and enjoy it while it is still open thanks for letting us know. And I have to mention that the Shades of Gray piece was very very funny and absolutely true-thank you so much for brightening a gray day!