Residents from the east and west sides of Chula Vista gave their input for a proposed districting map at Tuesday night’s districting public workshop at Bonita Vista Middle School.
The Chula Vista Districting Commission’s draft map, which was created weeks ago, shows the city split into four electoral districts with two on the west side and two on the east.
Most of the 25 people in attendance told the seven-member commission that they would like to see their neighborhoods united.
Karen Shelton, Otay Ranch resident and representative of the NAACP, said she would like to see the two east side districts more blended together.
“From growing up in San Diego, I’ve seen Latinos and African-Americans be separated,” she said. “And I see an opportunity here in Chula Vista for us to unite together for the common things that we love, we care about…”
“The city of Chula Vista has an amazing opportunity to be like the stakeholder in the county that embraces that and allows it to happen and it breaks down a whole lot of barriers, and it strengthens our communities, our families as well as our children.”
Shelton said she supports a modified version of the neighborhood unity coalition map which was created by the unity coalition — a group of community and labor organizations.
The unity map considers the cultures of Eastlake, Otay Ranch and west Chula Vista, Shelton said.
Since district numbers won’t be assigned until later, the districts are represented by different colors.
A blue colored district represents southwest Chula Vista.
The southwest boundaries stretch from Interstate 805 to the bay and also includes the Montgomery area.
The total population for this district is 60,966 with 75.68 percent of that population Latino, 5.18 percent Asian, 3.44 percent black and 14.11 percent of the population is white.
Tino Martinez, president of Southwest Chula Vista Civic Association, said he likes the map the way it is now.
“So far Southwest Civic Association is really happy with the draft of the map,” Martinez said. “It really kept the neighborhood together, it kept a lot of our schools and churches and everything together.”
L Street divides the southwest and northwest districts.
Northwest Chula Vista is an orange colored district with a population of 59,342. The district lines incorporate the bayfront, central and downtown Chula Vista. A section of Interstate 805 toward Terra Nova is also included.
The majority of the population in this district is Latino at 63.74 percent, followed by whites at 23.75 percent, then Asians with 6.53 percent and blacks at 4.14 percent.
Interstate 805 serves as the divider for the west and east districts
With a population of 61,597 the purple district cuts into the South Bay Expressway and adopts most of the Eastlake area including Eastlake Shores and Eastlake Village. Rancho del Rey is also added into this district.
However, several Rancho del Rey residents spoke out Tuesday against being in a district with Eastlake.
“I thought the idea was to make compact districts and when I look at the purple district it doesn’t look very compact to me. It’s very spread out,” said Rancho del Rey resident Randy Bellamy. “Rancho del Rey is really a separate community from Eastlake and the other communities it has us bunched in with.”
The percentage of Latinos in the purple district is 46.96 percent, the percentage of Asians is 21.53 percent, 4.84 percent is black and whites make up 24.73 percent.
The green colored district is drawn from Otay Lakes Road to Hunte Parkway and covers the Otay Ranch community.
The total population for this district is 61,656 with 47.06 percent Latino, 26.43 percent Asian, 5.43 percent black and 18.86 percent white.
In 2012 voters passed Prop. B, which required the city of Chula Vista to establish four electoral districts from which the city’s four council members will be elected. The mayor will continue to be elected at large.
The districts will be in use during the 2016, 2018 and 2020 election cycles.
Jerome Torres, chairman of The commission, will submit the final recommended map to the City Council on June 8.
