Housing Unlocked: Bonita in the Crosshairs
- Susan Heavilin
- Apr 14
- 2 min read
The Notice of Preparation Documentation for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was sent on March 10th. The project name is Streamlining Pathways for Housing and Agriculture . . . not a catchy name that would grab your attention.
"Whatever changes are forthcoming require an EIR, which appears to be fast tracked… initiated it last month and will be completed before the end of the year."—Bonita homeowner
Spending time on an EIR first is like putting the cart before the horse. It is my experience that the EIR is begun after they decide the areas to be built. But maybe they're planning to build ALL of Bonita so a general EIR would make sense.
We're featured heavily on their Potential Housing Streamlining Map (see below) and they've even colored in a large part of Rohr Park (previously indexed by Chula Vista). Is the intention of building housing in Rohr Park back on the Master Plan?
March 24th Public Webinar
Below is a recording of the County of San Diego's public webinar—held on March 24th, 2026—regarding a meeting for the Streamlining Pathways for Housing and Agriculture project. The meeting presented the purpose of the scoping meeting and the project overview, including a discussion of an EIR.
The staff presentation begins at 1:38 and is approximately 22 minutes long. The entire video is a little over 53 minutes long and includes pertinent questions from those on the Zoom.
Streamlining Pathways for Housing & Agriculture
This topic was previously referred to as the Grading Ordinance and By-Right Housing Program. This new title is a little more vague. How much land is utilized for agriculture in Bonita-Sunnyside these days? I only know of two farming venues in our community, Ranchito Milkyway Farmstand and Living for Today Ranch. I highly recommend both.
A webinar on this subject has been planned for this Thursday, April 16th. It will be a virtual meeting from 6 - 7pm. Click on Zoom for the registration link.
Project Overview
The County is making it easier to build housing in unincorporated communities — especially near jobs and services. Updates will also simplify rules for local agriculture. This effort updates key ordinances while continuing to protect environmental resources.
The two ordinances are:
The Grading, Clearing, and Watercourses Ordinance (also called the Grading Ordinance)
The Resource Protection Ordinance
This project has two main goals:
Make it simpler and faster to get permits for building homes in areas that are already developed or have little impact on the environment.
Help farmers keep land in agriculture by making the permit process simpler for farming activities.
Something in this subject matter must be changed before they can move forward to construction. I guess that we'll have to listen in to find out.
Notification to the Community
The County notified the Planning Group Chairs at their March meeting about this April 16th webinar. Yet, it failed to appear on the April 7, 2026 agenda of the Sweetwater Community Planning Group (SCPG) that would notify Bonita-Sunnyside residents. Look at the Potential Housing map above, we are fully in jeopardy.
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