'Bolts by the Bay' to campaign for coastal change

Grassroots group’s first meeting discusses rallies and strategies
By Brandon Stone
San Diego Stadium Watch

In the Captain’s Room of the South Bay Fish and Grill, parked under the invisible shadow of the South Bay Power Plant, concerned pro-stadium residents in San Diego County started their work towards bringing change to the Chula Vista bay front.

More than 20 people, including two Chula Vista council members, met in the restaurant located near Bayfront Park Wednesday night to analyze the current situation at Chula Vista’s bay front, where the San Diego Chargers want to place a new $1.2 billion stadium at the location of the South Bay Power Plant. Members of ‘Bolts by the Bay’ used the meeting to figure out how this collection of citizens could establish connections with Chula Vista residents and construct concrete plans for a public rally to be held on the first weekend of June.

“We've got to get the word out and build public support,” one group member said. “It has to start with community people. This is our chance to be heard.”

Councilmember John McCann expressed his support during a phone call, and Rudy Ramirez dropped in for a few moments as well.

“This project can put the city of Chula Vista on the map and save our hometown team,” McCann said. “You guys are going to be a very important part to see if we can keep the Chargers in San Diego County.”

Ramirez’ comments reflected those of McCann’s.

“We recognize that we need your input and support on this so that we can make it a reality,” Ramirez said. “It’s a good deal for Chula Vista and something we can do.”

The group was formed in February through message boards on the Internet and has labeled itself as a “civic mobilization effort” created to serve the people while keeping the Chargers in San Diego. As the Chargers push on towards a spot on the ballot in 2009, this coalition of fans and social servants will stand behind them.

“It's about the community spirit,” group head Caryl Foster said. “The Bolts have always allowed us to come together, regardless of issues with each other. On Sunday afternoons, we can all come together and root for our home team.”

Foster is a veteran of local and national political activism, and has lead various stadium groups and virtual negotiations since the Chargers announced plans to move from their home in Mission Valley in 2002.

“The last thing I want to see them do is leave the town I grew up in,” Foster said.

The group makes no secret of their affinity with the Chargers – a large bolt draped across a sign on the back wall of the room and many members sported Charger gear. The group’s mission statement proudly declares them as ‘die-hard Bolt fans.’

Group spokesman Charles Phillips talked to group about his initial thoughts on the site and what a new stadium could do for the city and county.

“When the Chargers started saying they needed a new stadium, the first place that came to my mind was bay front Chula Vista,” Phillips said. “From that point, I was debating with people around town that the best place was not Mission Valley.

“The marina is just beautiful, and I thought, 'Man, that's the place to have a stadium. Not just for the Chargers, but for the whole county, what it means to it.' The infrastructure's already here. We have a trolley that takes 15 minutes to get down. We have a convention center where all the wonderful A-listers can go ... while all [the] regular folks can go down to Gaylord. ...We'll have a place to really facilitate Super Bowls. This is the spot they're going to want to come to every year.”

Phillips emphasized the international appeal, calling the potential stadium an “international destination sports venue” for soccer friendlies.

“It gives you more to sell,” Phillips said.

In order for Phillips and the group to sell that dream, it will take major work reaching Chula Vista residents voting in 2009.

“The people that are here - we're the groundswell,” Phillips said. “We're all here to help organize and find out what everybody's skills are. We need to use our community to sell our community.”

That groundswell will attempt to make itself known in June, when they plan to hold a rally at Bayfront Park. The group wants to bring in local media to the event, and wants to invite notable locals as well as business owners and political minds to back the Chargers’ plans.

“The thing that we're planning,” Foster said, “is to let the people know and the region know and the media know and all the people that are players in this game know that there is a grassroots organization that is dedicated to keeping the Chargers here. Moreover, we're dedicated to putting a world-class stadium here.”

“This is very important, not only for the Chargers, but our whole community and even more important for Chula Vista,” Phillips said.

Chatter in the room focused on the budget problems in Chula Vista, and how a new stadium can change the economics of the region. Most of the people felt that knocking down the plant and solidifying the Gaylord hotel to the north of the site would be the catalyst for renovating traffic and availability problems with the bay front.

“[Gaylord] brings the infrastructure and the roads,” member and long-time San Diego resident Mike Sandburg said. “That freeway can’t hold this beautiful plan.”

Sandburg is appreciative of the steps that have happened as of late.

“We've had a very interesting year,” Sandburg said. “We're finally seeing some serious movement. When you have a multi-billion dollar like Gaylord, it really precipitates things. Potentially, Chula Vista's got to go through an adept revitalization. We're seeing [San Diego Gas & Electric] suddenly come to the table and start negotiations.

“The city has already voted to try and get the state to close down the power plant. It's an old, inefficient plant. It's a great contrast - a beautiful new stadium versus a power plant.”

“Everything funnels into [the area],” member Michael Cain of Chula Vista said. “We've got the trolley. I-5 is in place. We've got [Interstate] 15 that funnels right into that. We've got [Interstate] 805 and [state Route] 94. It's an ideal location.”

Cain worked with the Super Bowl Task Force in 1984 that put together Super Bowl XXII; the first of San Diego’s three times hosting the event. For Cain, a stadium on the bay stands as a way to posthumously fulfill the dreams of a pioneer for Qualcomm Stadium.

“I go back to Jack Murphy,” Cain said, “who suggested originally that instead of putting the stadium in Mission Valley, you put the stadium in Mission Bay. It wouldn't be a bad idea to put it in San Diego Bay using the shoreline for parking. You can access the stadium on the water. You build something the size of two cruise ships, you have a football stadium. You could access it by water using the water ferries ... It's an ideal place.”

Phillips pointed out what the area could do for the next generation.

“I have grandkids, and I would like to leave a legacy,” Phillips said. “They have something that they could come down here to.”

The members were very aware of the difficult road ahead. Many acknowledged environmental and infrastructural problems, but all were ready to plow ahead despite the wishes of others for the stadium to go away. No one at the meeting specifically had an answer to the environmental issues brought up by organizations such as the Environmental Health Coalition.

“The negatives are the bureaucrats who will drag their feet and the committee and the environmentalists that will really drag their feet and make it more expensive,” Cain said.

“The barbeques won’t kill the birds,” Sandburg joked.

“I think eventually we'll have everyone on board,” Foster said, “from San Diego State to the Port District to the city of San Diego itself to Chula Vista, National City and the county of San Diego in support of developing a world-class venue. It will serve as a catalyst for the development of this whole stretch.”

Change and opportunity were the words of the night, with many people expressing their hope to cultivate both of those elements on the bay front.

“I can't believe that we have an opportunity like this to have this,” member Catherine Aguinaido, a Chula Vista native, said. “I don't care whether it's in the east or the west, I just want it built.”

“Change is inevitable,” member Margaret Smith added.

“I'd never been to this restaurant and I'd never been here,” member Eddie Zavala said, “but looking at that power plant really ticks me off. What the hell is it doing here? The Chargers’ stadium is the perfect place, right there. We need to keep the Chargers and we need to make sure that our region doesn't suffer the loss of such a great team and such community spirit.”

Slideshow of 'Bolts by the Bay' Meeting