The Chula Vista City Council voted 3-2 last week to continue action on a proposed $4 million funding commitment for the Park Hill UMC affordable housing project, with several council members saying the developer had not done enough to engage neighboring residents before seeking public funds.
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The proposed development at 545 E. Naples St. would place 68 units — 67 of them income-restricted — on a baseball field owned by the Park Hill United Methodist Church. Developer Wakeland Housing and Development Corp. would enter a ground lease with the church and serve residents earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income.
The council first delayed the item at its May 19 meeting, directing city staff members to return with conditions addressing community concerns about drainage, parking and privacy. Staff added language to the loan agreement requiring Wakeland to demonstrate those concerns have been dealt with before any funds are disbursed. But several council members said that was not enough.
Councilmember Michael Inzunza said he and his staff personally visited neighbors’ homes and backyards before the meeting and had received no outreach from the developer.
“I haven’t had a single phone call or an email from Wakeland,” he said. “No one’s contacted me. That’s concerning.”
He called for Wakeland and the church to hold a community meeting before the next council session to field public opinion on neighborhood concerns.
The timeline is tight. Of the $4 million, $3 million comes from the Housing Authority’s Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Asset Fund — legacy redevelopment dollars that must be committed by June 30 or returned to the state, according to Housing Manager Brian Warwick.
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Mayor John McCann, who voted against the continuance, said he could not support the project regardless, saying that under Senate Bill 4, the Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act, the project qualifies for by-right land use approval and can proceed without council action regardless of the funding decision.
McCann suggested redirecting the funds to a competing proposal — a 101-unit 707 F Street development by Eden Housing.
“I cannot support the project currently at Park Hill because of the high density in a very nice, single-family neighborhood without having control from the city,” McCann said.
Councilmember Jose Preciado, who cast a dissenting vote along with McCann to continue the item, supported awarding the funding and cautioned against withholding it.
“I will be supporting awarding the $4 million as envisioned and I invite continued discussion between the developer, the property owner and the neighbors,” Preciado said. “I find that with good discussion and debate, there might be a reasonable way to implement this.”
Following the vote, the council reached consensus directing the city manager to prepare an alternative funding scenario in the event the Park Hill project cannot advance before the June 30 deadline.
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