The resignation of a board member at Peninsula Community Planning Board has left a vacancy the City advisory group intends to fill during its next election cycle in March.
“I am being forced to resign my position as a 2018 PCPB board member effective immediately,” said Margaret Virissimo in a recent letter to the board. “This voluntary resignation is the result of repetitive harassment from a few volatile community members, and a few board members including the chair. “I am now receiving concerning slandering messages and petty accusations that make me feel unsafe on this board,” she added. In her letter, Virissimo said she has filed a complaint with the City against this board “for not respecting my privacy rights as a citizen,” and against chair Goldyn alleging “his agenda to expel me from this board.”
Virissimo was active previously in lobbying against Prince Recycling at Stump’s Marketplace at 3770 Voltaire St. Some residents argued the recycling business was attracting problematic homeless who were creating problems in the neighborhood. Prince has since vacated the premises. 
More recently, Virissimo and others launched a signature drive opposing San Diego Housing Commission’s plan to turn a five-acre lot at Famosa and Nimitz boulevards into affordable housing. Some Point Lomans want that site designated instead for park use or open space. 
Goldyn said there will be an action item at the January meeting of PCPB to fill Virissimo’s seat.
“Because we are within four months of the March general elections, we are permitted by our regulations to maintain the vacancy and fill that vacancy at the March elections along with the regular five positions,” said Goldyn. “So the top five vote getters will receive the full three-year terms, and the sixth-highest vote getter will receive the remaining one-year term of Margaret Virissimo.”
Goldyn added an election committee will be established by the PCPB board in January to prepare for the March elections.
The PCPB board chair added another option would be to announce a vacancy at the January meeting and establish an election committee for a special election, then fill the vacancy at the February board meeting. 
“This really makes little sense when the vacancy can be filled a month later with the broader March general elections, and would save time and effort of the election committee from having two separate elections,” he said.