Candidates Elaborate How They Would Handle Rohr Park Impacts Affecting Local Residents

I recently wrote the candidates running for the offices of Chula Vista Mayor, Councilmember District 1 and Councilmember District 2. I asked them a few questions for the benefit of our Sunnyside Common Sense readers, to assist them in picking candidates that are inline with their own beliefs.

As of today's publishing, six of the eight questions asked have been answered by the participating candidates. Their names appear in the order that I received their responses.

Question 5: Rohr Park is in Chula Vista, yet it is located in the middle of the neighboring Bonita-Sunnyside community. What are your ideas about calming traffic, quieting elevated noise levels and reducing light pollution (from lighted fields) that may arise from additions to the Rohr Park Master Plan?

MAYORAL CANDIDATES

Yair Gersten

Rohr Park is a Chula Vista park, but its impacts are felt deeply by Bonita-Sunnyside. Any additions to the Master Plan must include a neighborhood impact review with Chula Vista, National City, and Bonita resident feedback before approval, not after residents are already affected. I would push for traffic calming on park approaches, speed feedback signs, safer crossings, and event scheduling that avoids overwhelming nearby streets. For noise, I would want field orientation, buffers, enforceable event limits, and resident feedback above all else. For light pollution, any new lighting should be shielded, downward-facing, time-limited, and designed to protect nearby homes, wildlife corridors, and the semi-rural character of the area. Most importantly, Chula Vista should not treat Bonita-Sunnyside residents as outsiders when they are the ones living with the consequences.

John McCann

No response

Francisco Tamayo

No response

DISTRICT ONE CANDIDATES

Chuck Sanfilippo

As your next council member, I would like to reduce speeds to 20-15 at schools, senior living facilities, religious institutions and possibly parks for 1/4 mile in either direction, during busiest times. Better crossings with solar driven LED annunciators.  More Solar driven LED speed limit annunciators. (reminding drivers of the limit) Reduce operational hours requiring light hours.

Joy Emmanuel

For organized usage, like sports, the City can provide parking permits for certain days and hours, similar to how traffic is managed in the neighborhoods around Southwestern College. Dedicated ingress and egress to and from Rohr Park should be defined, and traffic better directed, to reduce impact.

Parking spaces should have limited times during high usage hours. Noise abatement statutes across the state of California are plentiful and a survey in effectiveness elsewhere can assist the City in devising our own statutes. The same applies to lighting and sound to be less intrusive.

Additionally, usage can be truncated during certain hours and restrictions on the length of time a vehicle can remain enacted. The park can even shut down for events or during set times and reopen later. Chula Vista used to have and really needs to bring back park rangers.

Carolina Chavez

Rohr Park is a treasured part of our community. Any future updates to its master plan should be approached thoughtfully and in close partnership with the Bonita-Sunnyside residents who would be most directly impacted. I believe neighbors deserve a real seat at the table before any decisions are made.

Concerns about traffic, noise, lighting, and overall quality of life are valid, and should be carefully considered during any future planning discussions. I would support a thorough review process that includes meaningful community engagement, transparency, and mitigation strategies developed in partnership with surrounding neighborhoods — not imposed on them. 

I am committed to ensuring that any future improvements serve both park users and the families who call Bonita-Sunnyside home.

Greg Martinez

No response

Sergio C. Vargas

No response

DISTRICT TWO CANDIDATES

Russ Hall

Rohr Park has been a civic gem for decades that is now surrounded by exploding growth over time. Rohr is a large active park that is multi-use. One of the byproducts of a multi-use park is noise and congestion at times. CV needs to be active in promoting the presence of park rangers to enforce the rules. The lights now being used in new athletic fields are LED which are many times more efficient without the glare of older lights. Rohr should have these if not now. Traffic on the surrounding roads is somewhat affected by the lack of use of SR 125 ….the tolls need to go.

Jose Preciado

No response

Angelica S. Martinez

No response

Jesse Navarro

No response

Look for a second Q&A in today's Common Sense:

There is presently a debate over retaining the Rohr Park Horse Arena or replacing it

with additional soccer playing fields. Which use do you support and why? 

Stay tuned for the final answers to tomorrow's questions:

The County of San Diego has reported 19,000 vehicles using Bonita-Sunnyside roads daily. Most of this traffic is traveling between Chula Vista and Eastlake (both directions) and avoiding tolls on SR-125. All of this traffic travels on San Miguel Road, a narrow residential road. What are your thoughts on reducing this traffic? Would you be in favor of removing the Proctor Valley Road connector section? Please also elaborate on other ideas you may have to relieve Bonita-Sunnyside of excess Chula Vista traffic.

Would you support the City of Chula Vista annexing the remaining parts of Bonita Sunnyside? What advantages/disadvantages do you see from that action?

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