The proposed Chula Vista bayfront development project, which would encompass 535 acres, will transform the waterfront into a residential, recreational and resort destination.
As proposed and when completed it will be acres of parks and open space, a shoreline promenade, RV camping and myriad other amenities.
According to the Port of San Diego the regional economic benefit would be $2.8 billion total during the construction phases, producing 10,000 construction jobs and permanent jobs.
The Port and city of Chula Vista scheduled two workshops for the second phase of Harbor Park and Sweetwater Park. The first workshop was held Jan. 10 for Harbor Park and Jan. 29, at the Chula Vista Public Library, on the Sweetwater Park.
Before some development projects even begin they require an environmental impact report and sometimes archaeologists are brought on as consultants.
Douglas Mengers, an archeologist who was at the Archaeological Institute of America’s first ArchaeoCon 2019 held Jan. 5 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in San Diego, has done work before in the Chula Vista area. The AIA held their annual meeting from Jan. 3 to 6..
Mengers relayed the role an archaeologist plays in contributing to an environmental impact report.
“In the early stages of a project, archaeologists are hired to do background research and conduct a field survey of the project area. Research includes reviewing historic maps, reports of any previous projects done in the area, and records of any archaeological sites found,” he said. “A field survey consists of walking the project area and looking for artifacts on the surface,” Mengers said.
“We then have an estimate of how the project will impact historical resources. The Environmental Impact Report describes what measures will be taken to protect these resources, and discovered during construction. Archaeological monitoring consists of experienced archaeologists closely watching any excavation.”
“If something is found, monitors may pause the excavation work to assess the finds. Artifacts may be collected in the field to be later analyzed in the lab, and then sent to a curation facility, museum or Native American tribe. Tribal outreach seeks to involve the local Native American tribes in the process, and they may choose to participate in the monitoring as well,” he said.
“For the Chula Vista Bayfront Project, two archaeological sites had been recorded earlier in the project area: a portion of the Coronado Belt Line Railroad, originally constructed in 1888; and a prehistoric site containing shell and stone debris. Therefore, no protective measures were required during project construction. However, to play it safe, the Chula Vista Bayfront project EIR calls for archaeological monitoring during all project excavation, to reduce the likelihood of damaging unknown buried deposits.”
The Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan was approved by the California Coastal Commission on Aug. 9, 2012.
The South Bay Power Plant imploded in 2013. The H Street Extension project was completed in 2014 and the Port entered into an agreement with the RIDA Chula Vista, LLC for a resort hotel and convention center in 2015.
In May 2016, the Port adopted a Natural Resource Management Plan. The Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan is a state-approved land use and local plan by the Port of San Diego and the city of Chula Vista.
