Excitement, concern from locals over stadium bid

Locals ready for change but weary over enviroment and traffic
Brandon Stone
San Diego Stadium Watch

Joe Romero doesn’t hesitate when asked about placing a stadium on the bayfront.

“I’d love it,” he says.

Romero’s feelings are similar to those who spent Friday morning at the Chula Vista Marina. Concerns over traffic and the environment mixed with excitement over a new stadium nearby.

“There’s no place like this,” Romero, the 56-year-old resident of Chula Vista, said. “It’s near the bay, with a nice setting, right next to the interstate, and the trolley. It’s perfect.”

Currently, the Chargers are starting a six month survey on how to privately finance a new stadium in both the bayfront and in Eastlake. The Chargers’ broad plan for the Chula Vista bayfront includes destroying the South Bay Power Plant, cleaning up the area and constructing a billion dollar stadium. And while the team and the city work towards a proposal for the November election, the residents of Chula Vista wait and watch.

“I just want them to stay here,” 35-year-old Chula Vista resident Eric T. said. “I’d prefer it here because it is good for me. But this site – I don’t know what they’ll do.”

Some fans felt that they hadn’t received enough information on the proposals yet, and that they were being left in the dark.

“I really don’t know,” Salvador Martinez said. “It’s whatever I hear on the radio. First it’s National City, now it’s Chula Vista. I don’t know what’s going on.”

The big concern for this group is the environment. Removing a power plant and placing a stadium means a massive cleanup effort, and the area could be covered with hazardous material. The marina is also home to marshes where various birds and sea creatures live. People like Romero wouldn’t want the new construction to lead to the end of wildlife at the marina.

“I hope the stadium affects the city for the positive, but the wetlands are a problem. I enjoy them,” Romero said.

“The view here is cool, but I’m not sure if they can clean it up,” Eric T. said.

For Chula Vista policeman Tony Nichols, the concern is over who will help out keeping the new stadium safe.

“The job stays the same,” Nichols said. “We have a small department, so there has to be some aid. But I just do what they tell me to do. It’s all up to the city and the bureaucrats.”

Change on the bayfront doesn’t just affect the residents of the city, but also local businesses along the coastline. Along with traffic and crime, some owners may be forced to relocate.

“I like it right here,” Patrick Fuller, an employee of HAR Construction on Frontage Road, said. “It will increase traffic, but otherwise I like it. It’s a good spot. I’d like to see them stay closer to home.”

Fuller said that HAR would combat traffic by putting chains on the driveways.

“On game days there will be parking problems with increased traffic, but we’ll deal with it,” Fuller said.

“It would be a great Renaissance for Chula Vista,” Xavier Casillas of Hardex Custom Hardware and Fixtures on Bay Blvd. said. “Everything south of 805 is old. It would generate more business.”

At the end of the day, the important thing for most people on the marina was seeing the Chargers remain in San Diego – no matter the location.

“I’m a diehard fan,” Romero said. “We’re a football town. If they leave, I’ll blame the politicians.”

“I’d like them to stay some place,” Martinez said. “It’s important to all the cities.”