For beautifulPB co-presidents Jessica Sportelli and David Cuthell, serving Pacific Beach is engrained in their habits, lifestyle and future ambitions.<\/p>\n
With each having moved to Pacific Beach within the past three years, their love for the region comes from a place of mutual connection, draw and attention to detail, equally fueled by the push to preserve the neighborhood\u2019s safety and atmosphere.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have lived in North PB for about two and a half years. My background is in marine biology, and I work with a non-profit in Point Loma,\u201d Sportelli said. \u201cI joined beautifulPB when the roundabout at Foothill Drive and Loring Boulevard was being constructed. I was hopeful that the roundabout would be completed with a beautiful green space in the center, a space that would also serve as a natural solution to water runoff and local climate cooling, but after reaching out to the city\u2019s engineers I was dismayed to learn that no green infrastructure was going to be included.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Sportelli first got wind of the roundabout being built, she said she thought about the numerous roundabouts in Bird Rock and other neighborhoods across San Diego, many of which had ample green space within them.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust a mile north of us, they have beautiful ones. I thought this was a very missed opportunity. It was very large, in a well driven part of town, and so I got in contact with the then-president of beautifulPB,\u201d Sportelli said. \u201cIt was a very fun and fast first year of trying to push the roundabout to get a green space in the center.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the roundabout did not receive the green space that Sportelli had hoped for, but the sense of community, ability and movement she felt within beautifulPB stuck.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really inspired me. I wanted to keep working to gain more sustainable spaces in PB,\u201d Sportelli said. \u201cSix months later, I became a board member and now I am the co-president. It has been quite a wild ride, but I am so grateful to be part of this group.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Cuthell, a similar sentiment attracted him to the organization. A technology consultant by trade, Cuthell moved to Pacific Beach in 2024 and was introduced to beautifulPB via biking. As a cyclist, Cuthell said he knew the impact of the PB Pathways program was vital in ensuring rider safety. The program aims to create low-cost, traffic reducing measures with signage across the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs someone who grew up around New York City, I\u2019ve seen challenges that urban expansion and gentrification can bring to smaller communities,\u201d he said. \u201cI aim to bring that perspective to help shape a PB that is economically vibrant, has accessible natural spaces, capitalizes on its advantages in mobility and maintains the neighborhood character that makes it such a special place to live in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cuthell is also the director of beautifulPB\u2019s Green Spaces and Sustainability pillar, one of three pillars used by the group to directly fuel initiatives and action.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur three pillars of Arts, Green Sustainability and Mobility have so much in common. I look forward to the projects we have in store that will support PB in continuing its iconic reputation and making this a neighborhood we feel connected to, a part of, and are proud to call home,\u201d Cuthell said.<\/p>\n
The ability to energize people and come together for shared goals is another motivating factor for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople across different disciplines can come together and problem solve and energize other community members to make things happen,\u201d Cuthell said. \u201cA great example of this is the community garden across the street from the library. It kind of fell into disrepair, but there was a big rehabilitation day and the turnout was fantastic. Now, the garden looks great. This is just one example of people coming together, with leadership from beautifulPB.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead at the remainder of their co-presidency this year, the biggest goal for both Sportelli and Cuthell is to continue working as a shepherd for those who want to get involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople want to be community members, but it is so overwhelming,\u201d Sportelli said. \u201cIt can feel helpless, in terms of what you are able to do. I think beautifulPB really creates a purpose for people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recently, beautifulPB took over the PB Arts Center at 4606 Ingraham Street (former YMCA building). With plans to use it for community art initiatives, the group is working to transform the space into a usable and community-oriented hub.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have more and more programming coming out and we will be working at activating the space,\u201d Sportelli said. \u201cWe want it to function as a center with classes, lectures, a learning kitchen, afterschool programming and a community garden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another big goal is working with the city to roll out a new speed management plan. Reducing and monitoring traffic, specifically in residential and walkable areas, is a vital step in protecting locals, Cuthell said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis would make a huge difference for safety in the neighborhood,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want the right amount of input from people who live in PB.\u201d<\/p>\n
With much on the horizon, Sportelli and Cuthell said they are thrilled for the next chapter of beautifulPB, inviting anyone interested to join.<\/p>\n
The latest initiatives, upcoming events and more information on ways to get involved can be found at beautifulpb.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For beautifulPB co-presidents Jessica Sportelli and David Cuthell, serving Pacific Beach is engrained in their habits, lifestyle and…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":692026,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,24151,289861,1582,276,289860,24152,3549,7264,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-692025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-america","tag-beautifulpb","tag-bicyling-in-pacific-beach","tag-ca","tag-california","tag-organizations-in-pacific-beach","tag-pacific-beach","tag-san-diego","tag-sandiego","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116317186204783709","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=692025"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692025\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/692026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}