County Supervisor Greg Cox said in his State of Bonita address Wednesday evening that Bonita is in much better shape than it was a year ago.
Cox highlighted the achievements of the library, the funding for Bonita organizations and the upcoming infrastructure projects as successes in the community.
Cox said the Bonita-Sunnyside Library continues to succeed despite a small dip in circulation from 362,221 for the 2013-2014 fiscal years.
“We’re still very proud of our library system, as some of you may have been aware, two years ago we were rated as the No.1 library system in the United States,” he said.
Cox said the library has seen 215,494 customer visits and brought in 3,111 new cardholders.
“Libraries are really the heart and soul of communities and I think that is particularly true here in the Bonita-Sunnyside community,” he said.
Cox said the county Board of Supervisors approved funding for Bonita’s civic organizations and events.
Cox said the Bonita Historical Society will get $26,375, while Friends of the Library Bookstores is set to receive $46,000 for additional storage.
The Bonita Optimist Club gets $5,000 in funding.
Bonita area improvements include undergrounding projects.
Construction for an underground project on Bonita Road up to Bonita Mesa Road is set to start in January 2015 and be completed in September of 2015, Cox said.
Cox also said the city of Chula Vista is working to replace the Willow Street Bridge and should start construction later this year or early next year. The Willow Street Bridge replacement project will also provide a 610-foot-long, four-lane replacement bridge within the existing right-of-way.
The project could take 18 months to two years to finish.
Cox also said there are plans for the resurfacing of streets on Bonita Road for more than a mile.
“One of the areas I would be critical of the county is that I would love us to do more in the area of resurfacing,” he said.
Cox said a few walking trails are expected to make their way to Bonita shortly, including one that is on the outside perimeter of Glen Abbey Mortuary that winds up into Chula Vista’s Rice Canyon.
Bonita resident John Taylor, who has lived in Bonita for 25 years, said he is satisfied with the job Cox has done in helping Bonita prosper.
“It is comforting to know that the county supervisor in charge of this area is very actively involved in helping the region,” he said.
“We feel like we’re being watched over and adequately cared for.”
