COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING
CASTLE PARK COMMUNITY APPEARANCE
PROGRAM
12/04/2007
CITY COUNCIL MEETING 
MY NAME IS NED ARDAGNA. I HAVE BEEN A
RESIDENT OF SOUTHWESTERN CHULA VISTA FOR MOST OF MY 60 YEARS. I AM FOLLOWING UP
ON MY COMMENTS MADE TO THIS BODY SEVERAL MONTHS AGO RELATED TO THE “WHITE
PAPER ON COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN CHULA VISTA” I WOULD LIKE
TO READ DIRECTLY FROM AN UNDATED LETTER RECEIVED
FROM THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA, CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT A WEEK AGO BY A SMALL
NEIGHBORHOOD OF CASTLE PARK.
Page 2 of 6
AS
ALWAYS A DOCUMENT RECEIVED FROM OFFICIALS OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA MUST BE
READ IN THREE WAYS.
READING NO. 1:
A QUICK REVIEW OF THE LETTER SHOWS:
THE FIRST TWO PARAGRAPHS ARE BUREAUCRATIC
BUZZ WORDS, THERE TO MAKE THE READER BELIEVE THAT THE CITY IS DOING SOMETHING
TO SUPPORT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. TERMS SUCH AS BLIGHT, NEIGHBORHOOD STRENGTHENING,
IMPROVE YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.
WHO CAN ARGUE WITH THAT?
THEN A SHORT LIST OF AREAS TO BE INSPECTED IS DESCRIBED; FOLLOWED
BY THE THREAT OF ENFORCEMENT; WHICH IS THEN SOFTENED BY THE TERMS “PLEASE
SCHEDULE” AND FINALLY “LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU.”
NICE AND FUZZY
Page
3 of 6
READING
NO. 2
NEXT THE CAREFUL READING OF THE DOCUMENT FOR WHAT IT
REALLY SAYS:
THE LOCATION OF THE INSPECTION IS INTERESTING:
2ND AVENUE BETWEEN NAPLES STREET AND EMERSON STREET - A HALF BLOCK
STREET IN CASTLE PARK WITH 20 HOUSES OR SO.
ON APRIL 26, 2007, AT A MEETING OF THE
SOUTHWESTERN CHULA VISTA CIVIC ASSOCIATION (SWCVCA) THE CITY PROVIDED HANDOUTS
THAT INCLUDED A MAP WITH VARIOUS STREETS
IDENTIFIED BY A COLOR CODE. THE COLOR RED WAS USED TO HIGHLIGHT STREETS THAT
HAD PAVEMENT DESCRIBED AS “VERY POOR;” (PAVEMENT THAT IS ALMOST IN A FAILED
CONDITION.)
THIS HALF BLOCK STRIP OF A STREET
IS ONE OF THE 
APPROXIMATELY 20 STREETS IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF CHULA VISTA WITH
THIS “VERY POOR” DESIGNATION AND IS THE VERY STREET SCHEDULED FOR THE
INSPECTION / INVESTIGATION (LET’S CALL IT WHAT IT REALLY IS AN “INVESTIGATION”).
IF THE CITY IS EXAMINING THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR BLIGHT IT SHOULD LOOK AT ITS OWN
POLICIES AND MAINTENANCE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING STREETS AND MORE. THE
COMMUNITY HAS BEEN REQUESTING ROAD IMPROVEMENT AND SIDEWALKS FROM THE CITY AND
NOT MUCH MORE THAN THAT, ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN DENIED BY THE CITY. (For more on Infrastructure with
links to Powerpoint and official report click here.)
NEXT THE LETTER MAKES NO MENTION OF THE
15 PAGE
ATTACHMENT THAT IS PRINTED ON BOTH
SIDES (30 PAGES IN ALL) DESCRIBING THE OTHER AREAS THAT MAY BE INSPECTED
DURING THE INVESTIGATION. I AM SURE IT IS AN OVER-SITE IN THE LETTER BUT WILL BE
A MAJOR AREA OF CONTENTION DURING THE INVESTIGATIONS.
FINALLY THE ENFORCEMENT LANGUAGE HAS
DOLLAR SIGNS ALL OVER IT. “FAILURE TO CORRECT WILL RESULT IN FURTHER ENFORCEMENT”
THIS IS CLEARLY MEANT TO INTIMIDATE THE READER AND INFORMS THE READER OF THE
REAL PURPOSE OF THE
INVESTIGATION - ENFORCEMENT.
Page 5 of 6
THIRD READING:
NOW FINALLY THE DOCUMENT MUST BE
READ BETWEEN THE LINES TO DISCERN WHAT IS REALLY MEANT BY THE DOCUMENT.
THIS DOCUMENT IS DEMANDING A HOUSE TO
HOUSE AND DOOR TO DOOR SEARCH OF A SMALL HALF BLOCK NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CASTLE
PARK AREA, CITY OF CHULA VISTA, U.S.A. IT IS A FISHING TRIP MEANT TO CAST A WIDE NET TO SEE WHAT CAN BE
REELED IN
AND ENFORCED ON.
IT ACTUALLY APPEARS TO
BE A TREASURE HUNT BY THE CITY FOR
NO PURPOSE OTHER THAN
REVENUE GENERATION.
I THOUGHT THAT THE COMMUNITY
STRENGTHENING PROGRAM WAS MEANT TO OBTAIN CONFIDENCE IN THE CITY WHEN DEALING WITH
THE UNDER-REPRESENTED OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS OF SOUTHWESTERN CHULA VISTA BY:
MEETING WITH THE RESIDENTS
OF A NEIGHBORHOOD; LISTENING TO THE CONCERNS; AND THEN ESTABLISHING
PROGRAMS THAT MEET THE CONCERNS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS ACTIVITY DOES THE
OPPOSITE.
I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY MEETING WITH THE
NEIGHBORHOOD LEADING UP TO THIS ENFORCEMENT ACTION AND TREASURE HUNT.
Page 6 of 6
I HAVE MUCH MORE THAT I CAN SAY ABOUT THE
CITY AND THIS DEMAND FOR A HOUSE TO HOUSE SEARCH OF PRIVATE PROPERTY WITH OUT A
WARRANT BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE A BUSY AGENDA, THEREFORE, I WILL END MY COMMENT
WITH THIS:
I HAVE BEEN A VOICE IN FAVOR OF CERTAIN
DEVELOPMENT IN THE WESTERN AREA OF CHULA VISTA, EVEN THE BAY FRONT - MUCH TO
THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AND ASSOCIATES BUT - I AM NOW
COMPELLED TO BECOME A FACE IN THE OPPOSITION.
THANK YOU,
NED ARDAGNA, ESQ.,
(619) 498-3886