Does O'side need an Arch? + a Very Musical Saturday

Council voted 5-0 to send the Army Corps of Engineers $8,666,666. That’s a lot of sixes for October, but I’ll try not to read into it. It’s the city’s 25% share of a bigger pot that has been allocated by Congress. Apparently under federal rules, the Corps can’t touch the $26 million Congress just set aside for the river until Oceanside pays up first.

Public Works Director Hamid Bahadori said about $20 million of that will go to scraping the top 18 inches of dirt and brush out of the river’s worst choke points. The other $15 million stays in the bank in case a levee gives out this winter. And no, unfortunately the dirt isn’t coming to our beaches like some might have hoped. It’s mostly organic gunk, so it’s getting trucked to a landfill in Riverside County. Work could start in six to eight weeks.

It turns out the river is in pretty bad shape. The levees were built to handle a 250-year flood. At their weakest point, near the railroad crossing, they’re now rated for about a 62-year flood, and about 4,500 properties sit in the flood plain behind them.

If you are thinking that $8.6 million is pretty steep to scrape some dirt, you’d be right. It turns out when the city entered into this deal with the Federal government 40 years ago we kind of got screwed.

A 1988 agreement has Oceanside covering 25% of the project with no cap and no end date, and the total has grown from $113 million to about $230 million. Bahadori warned next summer’s new estimate will be “a big number,” and the city has nothing set aside for it. In the not so subtle words of Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce, the city is “on the hook for a blank check at the moment.”

Council gets its first El Niño update Oct. 21. If you live near the river, the city’s new El Niño page, linked from the city website, is worth a read now.

The city wants to build a gateway arch over Mission Avenue at Nevada Street, a landmark welcoming people into downtown, ideally in time for the 2028 Olympics. Council approved up to $254,342 for the design work back in April. Since then, a committee of downtown groups, including MainStreet, Visit Oceanside and the Historical Society, narrowed 11 concepts down to three finalists. On Wednesday, council got its first look.

When I posted about the downtown gateway arch this week, the overwhelming feedback in my DMs and comments was that No. 6, “The Encounter,” is the fan favorite. So what does Council think?

Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce came closest, saying “some version of that wave one could be cool,” then adding, “I might be a lonely surfer on that one.” Deputy Mayor, you are not alone. The readers of Inside O’side would like a word. His real favorite, though, was a stained-glass mural design that didn’t make the top three.

Councilmember Jimmy Figueroa wants the public to see all 11 concepts, not just the finalists. Councilmember Rick Robinson asked designers to build in crash protection, since Mission is a busy road (and stained glass isn’t necessarily known for its durability). Councilmember Peter Weiss confirmed with the city manager that the arch would most likely come out of the city’s general fund, though he’s open to private money too.

Mayor Esther Sanchez would rather build nothing over Mission Avenue at all. “There’s nothing that can surpass the view of the ocean,” she said. She also pointed to bigger bills and priorities the city should have over the arch, like the pier rebuild that’s jumped from $27 million to $82 million.

Council didn’t vote on anything. The real call comes Nov. 10, when council ranks every capital project the city wants to build. If the arch survives, public meetings follow in every council district. If you want to share your thoughts with the council, let them know: [email protected].

You can see all 11 design concepts and read the city’s staff report.

Main Street America named MainStreet Oceanside one of eight semifinalists for its 2027 Great American Main Street Award, the top national honor for downtown groups. Only 118 programs have won since 1995. If you’ve grazed through Thursday’s Sunset Market, you know their work. They also run the farmers market and downtown’s business improvement district, and they just wrapped up last Saturday’s Taste of Oceanside. Three winners get named May 3 in Detroit. Bring the trophy home, MainStreet.

The first Oceanside Ukulele Festival runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at 330 N. Coast Hwy., by the Civic Center library, and it’s free. GRAMMY winner Daniel Ho wrote an original song for the day, and the plan is for everyone to learn and play it together. Famed guitar maker Pepe Romero, whose workshop is right here in Oceanside, is part of it too. Non-players are welcome, and vendors will be selling ukes if you catch the bug. I’ve heard it’s impossible to be in a bad mood while holding a ukulele. I’ll be testing that theory Saturday.

What’s Happening in O’side

This Weekend

🎻 Hear Vivaldi by Candlelight - Mission San Luis Rey - Fri., Oct. 9 @ 6:15 & 8:30pm. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the old mission, lit by candles. About $39-41. Info

🎶 Strum Along at the Ukulele Festival - Civic Center Library - Sat., Oct. 10 @ 11am-5pm. O’side’s first ukulele festival, with Daniel Ho and a song everyone learns together. Non-players welcome. FREE

🏒 Cheer On the Shock’s First Home Games - Frontwave Arena - Sat., Oct. 10 @ 6pm & Sun., Oct. 11 @ 5pm. North County’s first pro hockey team hosts Fresno, then Stockton. Clear bags only. Sat. tickets | Sun. tickets

🚜 Ride a Tractor at Mellano - Mellano Farm Stand - Sat., Oct. 10 & Sun., Oct. 11 @ 10am-4pm. Marigold u-pick, a corn maze and pie-eating contests at noon, 1 and 2. $5 parking. Info

💃 Celebrate Oaxaca at the Pier - Junior Seau Pier Amphitheater - Sun., Oct. 11 @ 12-7pm. Oaxacan dance groups, live music, tlayudas and artisan vendors. Free last year. Info

💀 Drive Over for Muertos on Santa Fe - South Santa Fe Ave., Vista - Sun., Oct. 11 @ 11am-5pm. Vista’s first Día de Muertos street festival, with folklórico, lucha libre and a lowrider show. FREE

During the Week

🌮 Grab Dinner at Sunset Market - Pier View Way & Tremont - Thu., Oct. 15 @ 5-9pm. Food vendors, live music and a kids’ area every Thursday downtown. FREE

Next Weekend

🎭 Catch Carrie the Musical - OTC at the Brooks - Fri., Oct. 16 @ 8pm (preview), Sat., Oct. 17 @ 8pm (opening) & Sun., Oct. 18 @ 3pm (military matinee). Mature audiences. Tickets

🎃 Go Back for Round Two at Mellano - Mellano Farm Stand - Sat., Oct. 17 & Sun., Oct. 18 @ 10am-4pm. One more weekend of marigolds and the corn maze. Info

🏒 See the Shock vs. Stockton - Frontwave Arena - Sun., Oct. 18 @ 5pm. Tickets

The county is gearing up for El Niño. San Diego County declared a local emergency Sept. 30 so crews can move faster on flooding, landslides and storm damage this winter. It follows the governor’s statewide emergency proclamation from Sept. 21. NC Daily Star

San Marcos breaks ground on Fire Station 5. The $25 million station at North Las Posas Road and Armorlite Drive will cover the city’s west side. It’s paid for by Measure Q, the sales tax voters passed in 2024, and should open in mid-2028. NC Daily Star

Bike the Coast pays off for O’side. A Visit Oceanside report found the ride pulled in nearly $700,000 in economic impact. It returns Oct. 24 with routes from 7 to 100 miles. NC Daily Star

That’s the week. Tips, corrections and hot takes go to [email protected], or just hit reply.

Know someone who should be reading this? Send it their way. Inside O’side grows one neighbor at a time.

See you around town,
Ryan