A District map is only the beginning

Last week, the City Council approved the boundaries for the four city council districts in Chula Vista. While historic, this should be viewed as only the first step in representative government – now, it’s up to the residents to take it to the next level.

Having districts means that the council member will need to live in one section of the city, and, in theory, understand the issues that affect that area. Unfortunately, the council member will continue to be susceptible to lobbying from outside forces that come in with money and other means of influence.

That is where the second step of the process comes in: the formation of community/neighborhood groups. Forming these groups will create “micro-districts” within each of the four districts. If one or more of these groups are formed, the council member will need to pay closer attention to the residents of that neighborhood and less attention to the outside influence.
Each neighborhood is unique and different from every other neighborhood. This diversity of community can only surface as additional community groups emerge.

William Richter
Cuula Vista

Orange Park – Regulation Soccer Field – Safe Children Playground – Dog Park

Southwest Chula Vista needs a regulation soccer field, promised secure off-leash Dog Park and a safe, healthy children’s playground.

The City of Chula Vista has announced that the promised Orange Park next to the Southwest Chula Vista International Orange Library is close to completion. The people of Southwest Chula Vista on Jan. 20, 2010 agreed to a design plan for a park with personality and a sense of place, after a decade of planning. The original park was safe, secure and had a regulation soccer field, dog park in the center, basketball court with a proper drainage system. The park was separated from the library so that the children had a healthy environmentally balanced playground that the vagrants and addicts can’t take over like the two other parks in the Southwest Chula Vista. At the Feb. 11, 2014 meeting the changed park design that was kept from the southwest community park advocates was deceptively presented.

This is what you are going to get now. The small dog park that was in the center of the park to the south was moved to the hillside in front of the main entrance. This replaced the hillside which had an amphitheater with a stage on the bottom. The specimen trees on the hillside had exceptional beauty. It was destroyed so that the design – build contractor could maximize his profit by taking the topsoil and using it to the south.

The huge dog park is not graded properly and will result in it becoming a cesspool because of faulty drainage. The dog park is surrounded by a much too low, very ugly, chain link fence and is insecure for unleash dogs. It makes renowned Mexican Architect Ricardo Legorretta masterpiece library look like a prison yard and his gifted landscape vision has been destroyed. The design- build huckster decided to make the so-called soccer field LOPSIDED and saved a lot of money by not bringing in outside topsoil to make the promised regulation soccer field. Is this the result of a self-serving developer, contractor with special interests, who are allow to surreptitiously make as much money as they can and leave?

The Orange Street Library was designed as cultural destination and educational resource for the community. Architect Ricardo Legorretta designed the building with interior courtyards, fountains, reflecting pools, pyramid, vaulted ceilings and a combination of brilliant colors. The fountains, reflecting pools and interior courtyards with their beautiful imported lavender Mexican tiles have been destroyed by someone who converted them into planters.

Southwest Chula Vista needs a regulation soccer field, promised secure off-leash Dog Park and a safe, healthy children’s playground.

Jerry Thomas
Chula Vista