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Chula Vista Bayfront
Check here for the latest updates concering the Chula Vista Bayfront.
FAQs
Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan
November 13, 2006What does the Bayfront Master Plan Propose?
• Buildings: 4 Hotels: Gaylord + 3 others (3,500 rooms)
760,000 sq. ft. of office space
200,000 sq. ft. of retail space ( including some “cultural” space)
25,000 sq. ft. restaurant
20,000 sq. ft. yacht club
3 ac. industrial park
2,000 Condos• Open space: 96 new acres of parks
67 acres of ecological buffers
22 acres of marsh wetlands• Replacement RV Park
• Replacement power plant
• 900 boat slips, including existingWhat is the maximum height the buildings can be?
Maximum building heights range from 2 to 25 stories
• 25 story buildings include 2 of the hotels (incl. Gaylord) + some condos
• 17 story buildings include some office space, 1 hotel, remaining condos
• 10 story buildings include a parking garage, some office space
• 8 story buildings include some office space, 1 hotelWhat about traffic?
The EIR concludes that the Plan will generate 80,767 new daily trips. As a result, he following city streets and intersections will operate at level of service “F”, a level where operations are unacceptable to most drivers:
• Marina Parkway between H St. and J St.
• Bay Blvd. between E St. and F St.
• I-5 southbound ramps to E St.
• I-5 southbound ramps to Bay Blvd.
• L St. and Bay Blvd.
• H St. and Woodlawn Ave.The EIR also concludes that currently portions of I-5 between SR-54 and Palomar St. operate at level of service F0, which means considerable congestion with up to a 1 hour delay. When traffic from the project is added, I-5 between SR-54 and Palomar St. will operate at level F2, which means very severe congestion with a 2-3 hour delay.
Overall, the EIR concludes that impacts to I-5, as well as some city streets and intersections, would be significant and unmitigable.
What will all this development look like on the Bayfront?
Regarding views from the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, the EIR concludes the Gaylord project “would dominate the background and would adversely change the existing character of the viewing scene.” Regarding views from Marina Parkway, the EIR states “Views from portions of Marina Parkway would be improved overall…”; but “existing views of the Marina could be partially blocked….” It adds that “provisions for the Signature Park…provide opportunities to maintain open views to the Bay and Marina.” Regarding views from further east, the EIR says “Views along the H St. Corridor would be improved…to provide new views of the Bay…”The EIR also concludes that current views from the elevated portion of I-5 southbound over J St. “would be restricted by proposed development in the Harbor District, including the tall towers for residential and mixed use office/commercial recreation buildings.”; and that buildings proposed in the Otay and Harbor Districts “would eliminate Bay views that currently exist from the elevated portion on I-5.”
Overall, the EIR concludes that impacts to visual character and quality and viewing scenes would be significant and unmitigable.
What about “bird strikes”?
The Chula Vista Bayfront is on the Pacific Flyway, a route for migratory birds. In response to the concern that birds may inadvertently strike tall buildings and be killed or injured, the EIR concludes that buildings over 100 ft. (about 8 stories) high could result in a significant increase in bird strikes in the area. The plan includes many buildings 8 stories and over.Overall, the EIR concludes that the impact to migratory birds is significant and unmitigable.
What’s Next?
Comments on the Bayfront Master Plan EIR are due by 5 pm on November 27, 2006. Submit EIR comments to the Port District. Following that, the EIR will be finalized, and then the Plan must be approved by the Port Commission, the Chula Vista City Council, the California State Lands Commission, and the California Coastal Commission.
NEXT STEP IN OUR BAYFRONT PLANNING:
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 6 PM
Environmental Impact Review scoping meeting
Public comments will be solicited
Just Java Cafe, 285 Third AvenueOn August 9, 2005, the Board of Port Commissioners and Chula Vista City Council received a presentation on the master plan components and financial analysis of the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan (CVBMP), and authorized staff to proceed with the environmental review process pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). We would like to inform you that the Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the CVBMP Draft Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) is now available.The purpose of the NOP is to solicit written comments from the public and agencies on the scope and content of the EIR, which is a necessary first step in the EIR process. The NOP is available for public review at the Office of the Port District Clerk, the Downtown Central Library, the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library, and may also be viewed on the project web page on the Port's internet site at www.portofsandiego.org/projects/cvbmp/status.asp. You may request a personal copy by contacting myself or Wileen Manaois at 619.686.6283.
The NOP 30-day comment period will conclude at 5pm on Monday, September 12, 2005. A public scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, September 1, 2005, 6pm at Just Java Cafe, 285 Third Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910. At this meeting we will present a brief overview of the master plan and the EIR scoping process, and will solicit public comments on the scope, focus, and content of the EIR. Thank you,
Lesley M. Nishihira
Associate Planner
Land Use Planning Department
San Diego Unified Port District
619.686.6469 / 619.686.6508 fax
:: Position Paper on Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan – 4-5-04, Revised 6-05
Crossroads II will judge the Bayfront Plan based on how well it meets the following ten planning principles:
Ten Principles
1. Buildings that are built on the bayfront should provide a reason for people to come to Chula Vista and the bay. The dominant use of bayfront land and building space should be for uses that are publicly accessible. These include usable park space, hotel(s), shops, restaurants, and “civic” uses, which we define as such things as museums and cultural facilities.
2. No more than 1,500 condos, and limited amounts of office space should be built at the bay. No one will want to come to the Chula Vista bayfront to see condos or offices. They will only be enjoyed by the people who live or work there.
3. Any residential development must be accompanied by a financing and land use plan that assures the children of future residents will have access to first-class public schools. In eastern Chula Vista, this was accomplished through Mello-Roos. A source of funds for school construction must be worked out for bayfront condos.
4. New industrial uses on the bayfront are not appropriate and should be eliminated from consideration.
5. We are opposed to the so-called “Events Center,” planned to have 20,000 seats, at the bayfront. This is almost double the size of the San Diego Sports Arena. A facility with such a large footprint and parking demand that does not relate to the bay and does not put “feet on the street” would be better located elsewhere in Chula Vista.
6. The Sweetwater National Wildlife Refuge should be protected by whatever means are necessary.
7. Educational uses are important and should be included on the bayfront. We believe the Wildlife Refuge, in conjunction with the existing Nature Centre, lends itself to establishment of an environmental research center and ancillary educational facilities, and land should be reserved for this use.
8. We support tearing down the South Bay Power Plant by 2009, as the community was promised.
9. Sufficient land must be set aside on the bay for a signature park. This will help alleviate the deficiency of park space on the west side, attract residents of east Chula Vista and Bonita to the west side, and provide a visitor attraction. The dominate element of the park should be casual, multi-purpose, landscaped open space.
10. The entire length of the bayfront should be linked via a wide pedestrian path as part of the Chula Vista Greenbelt. (This path may meander inland where appropriate to protect sensitive environmental resources.)