Chula Vista City Council revisited the reopening of Harborside Park on Jan. 9. This comes after Council came to consensus on reopening the Park at its Dec. 12, 2023, meeting. The park has been closed since Aug. 31, 2022, due to increased homeless encampments and illegal activities that escalated during the COVID pandemic.
The item passed unanimously.
Staff reported they were there to establish a Harborside Park Capital Improvement Program budget and to allocate Measure P funds for the renovation and reopening of Harborside Park. She said Phase 1 would consist of permanent fencing, surf replacement and repair to the irrigation system, basketball court resurfacing, lighting and security camera repairs, restrooms and facility repairs, general cleanup, and the purchase and installation of a ranger station that would be staffed during the park’s opening hours.
“Upon reopening of Phase 1, it is planned that it will be opened after school from 3-7 p.m. on weekdays, and on weekends, based on community input, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” she said. “However, these hours can be expanded as we see utilization of the park. Staff will pursue grant funding for Phase 2, which would focus on outdoor activities and amenities.
And Phase 3 would include the community’s ultimate goal of incorporating a community center on the site.”
Staff recommended amending the FY 2023-24 CIP, establishing a new CIP Project Harborside Park renovations and amending Measure P Infrastructure, Facilities, and Equipment Expenditure Plan to allocate approximately $1,250,000 in unallocated revenue. Staff will come to Council in the future to discuss fee waivers recommended by Council before the reopening of the park.
Mayor John McCann said he appreciated the community’s input and persistence in getting the park reopened.
“Staff did a tremendous amount of outreach when the Harborside Park was closed. They talked to them, found out what they wanted, and the two things they wanted were to reopen the park and make it more secure, and then, have no housing built on the park,” he said. “The community is underserved and under parked, and the idea of being able to bring back the park with a potentially significant security enhancements, I think is going to be substantial and a great thing for the city.”
McCann said the city would be vigilant in ensuring that the park is successful and not repeating the problems that caused the park’s closure in the beginning.
“This is a significant step in the right direction for the Harborside community,” he said. “It shows that we are going to invest in the community. This is only the first phase of the park, but also the first phase in the step. We know that it is not only Harborside Park that needs to be helped. There is a severe homeless problem and encampment problem. And as you know, the council has moved forward in looking at how we can mitigate encampments, be able to get homeless off the streets, and hold people accountable if they are doing things illegal. This is going to be a process, but I think in voting for this tonight in opening Harborside Park, we are headed in the right direction.”
District 4 Council member Andrea Cardenas said she would like to look at the hours of operation.
“We are cutting out a part of the community that has been advocating,” she said. “Not only our senior population, but the mothers and parents of young children who might want to use the park before school lets out…As exciting as it is to move forward with opening Harborside Park, the communities of District 4 and District 2, many of the comments made today, the reality is that the opening of one park is not enough to fulfill all the needs of our community. I would like us to see this as a victory, but also continue to look at ways that we can have more opportunities for recreation resources for the community.”
