CVRC Discusses Its Role on Bayfront 12/13/07

The Chula Vista Redevelopment corporation (CVRC) met in workshop format on Thursday 12/13/07 in the conference room at city hall. Assistant Planning Director Jim Hare first gave them a very dated overview of the current status of the Bayfront Master Plan. Please see Issue Two for a more up to date discussion. He also discussed the Draft Environmental Impact Report that was issued last year and how the port is working on another one which is due out in the spring of 2008 and the updates to the General Plan and Local Coastal Plan, which any development on the bayfront will require. These areas are the responsibility of the CVRC.

Next Assistant Director of Redevelopment Eric Crockett gave them an overview of what their role would be. Only the lands that Pacifica would end up with after the proposed land trade would be under the jurisdiction of the City of Chula Vista. While the Port lands are also in the Bayfront Redevelopment area and would provide tax increment to the Redevelopment Agency the CVRC and the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) do not have any land use authority over these lands. Pacifica will need to get authorization to build from the city of Chula Vista. They will have to present their project to both the Redevelopment Advisory Committee (RAC) and the CVRC. The CVRC will advise the City Council sitting as RDA as to whether Pacifica's project should be approved or not. Most likely Pacifica's plans will also need to go before the Planning Commission, which also advises the City Council. There are a couple of small parcels in the Sweetwater District that the RDA owns. The CVRC will also have the task of advising on how they are to be developed.

Eric also explained that since there would be significant infrastructure needs as well as a need to subsidize the Conference Center the Gaylord project would require the commitment of significant tax increment funds. The CVRC would be involved in this determination if and when the port and Gaylord come to an agreement about the lease of the property where Gaylord wants their hotel and Convention Center. The Pacifica project would be handled in much the same way as any other residential development.

Several speakers expressed concern that the CVRC might mess up the fragile compromise forged after over 40 meetings. Laura Hunter of EHC asked the CVRC members to respect what was done by the Citizens Advisory Committee. Peter Watry of Crossroads II commented about how the port considers the bayfront the property of the people of San Diego not just Chula Vista. Jennifer Bagely of the IBEW spoke about the poll that labor has done and offered to provide copies to the members of the CVRC.