Why this matters
Some residents in the neighborhood have expressed concerns around pedestrian safety and traffic congestion.
Eleven new, mostly market-rate condominiums are coming to a neglected lot in southwestern Chula Vista.
The roughly 1-acre project at the northwest corner of Main Street and Maple Drive will include one unit reserved for a household making less than 50% of the area median income. It also will feature pedestrian improvements, including ADA-accessible walkways, ramps, a new sidewalk and a new crosswalk.
From the Documenters
This story came in part from notes taken by Josh Whitehead, a San Diego Documenter, at a Chula Vista City Council meeting last month. The Documenters program trains and pays community members to document what happens at public meetings.
Councilmembers approved resolutions last month that move the development forward. Georgia Properties, Inc., is leading the project.
Mayor John McCann said he hopes the project will improve the area, which he described as a “dump zone.”
But residents opposed to the new homes expressed concerns about the safety at Main Street and availability of parking.
They said more homes would exacerbate the existing competition over parking spaces in the area. One resident said neighbors already leave “mad notes” on parked cars.
Each unit will include a two-car garage. The project also includes additional parking spaces for guests.
Congestion on Maple Drive was also a concern for residents. Some said that the new driveway located on Maple would cause more danger for pedestrians and vehicles using the intersection of Main and Maple. In response to residents’ concerns, councilmembers shot down additional parallel parking on Main Street.
“I know there are some huge, huge benefits, because affordable housing is needed tremendously, and I do see that there is a huge amount of infrastructure that the developer is going to be implementing,” McCann said.
Developers plan to widen Spruce Road, Maple Drive and Main Street as part of “off-site street improvements.”
The eastern portion of the project sits in a flood zone, which city staff noted as a “key constraint.” The units themselves will sit on the west side of the site, accommodating the existing drain pattern.
Councilmembers also directed the city manager to conduct a traffic study near Maple and Main in part to understand the project’s impact on the area and provide any recommendations. Officials did not discuss a timeline for construction of the project, but indicated that more action is needed that could push the project out for several years.
Type of Content
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
