Kevin O’Neill doing it the hard way

 Kevin O’Neill laments someone has called him greedy and a predator; he was overheard calling his detractors Luddities. It would all be funny if that was all there was to it.

 Actually he has been throwing his weight around on the 600 Block of Second Avenue for a long time. Kevin has been “in their face” at least three years. It all started when he undertook remodeling the Bustamante home at 626 Second Ave. Kevin wanted to exceed the height limit and the neighbors said no and prevailed. From that point it was WAR. Bustamante posted 4 x 8 inflammatory signs that the city let remain for a long time.

 Meanwhile, as I recall, the original house was taken down to one wall and the huge looming box was built that is there now. He might as well have put a fist with the middle finger extended on a 4 x 8 sign. Next he did his thing on 630 Second Avenue again riling the neighbors. One of the structures is an Accessory Dwelling Unit that is rented out. I think he purchased 634 Second Ave. in June 2008 and proceeded to get the lot split into three lots intending to tear down the old Crafstman home on the front. The homeowners appealed and a compromise is in the works where the City will help with the cost of moving it a few feet forward thereby preserving the look of the street while allowing him to build two new homes. There is no way to set aside the lot split so the neighborhood is stuck with it. He says he won’t do this again but someone else might. Six homes will use a single driveway – more if he builds ADUs on each property as he has said he will do.

 It doesn’t have to be this way. Harold West, another local developer, has very sensitively built four homes close to an historical home at the corner of Twin Oaks and Davidson; three more at Davidson and Church. Drive by and note the good design and architecture. To my knowledge there was no opposition.

 It is regrettable that Kevin persists in doing it the hard way.

Susan Watry
Chula Vista
Trustee Aguilar responds SWC controversy

 Please know that I appreciate your commitment to the students at SWC and that I’m personally very saddened and concerned by the increasingly adversarial campus climate at SWC by the actions of the SWC Administration. However, SWC Governing Board Policy provides that only the Board President speak on behalf of the Governing Board, thus I will defer to Board President Roesch to respond on behalf of the SWC Governing Board regarding this troubling situation. Nevertheless, I’m taking this opportunity to say that I am personally very concerned about the actions taken in connection with the campus demonstration as reported in the San Diego UT and that I oppose any action that unlawfully infringes on the rights of free expression provided under both the California and US Constitutions.

Nick Aguilar, Trustee
SWC Governing Board, Seat #3″