(Photo: Chula Vista city councilman John McCann addresses the community at the Chargers stadium meeting.
Alison St John/KPBS
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It was a full house last night as the San Diego Chargers football team held their final community meeting in Chula Vista to discuss future stadium sites. Opinions varied, but the Chargers appear closer to settling on a site to propose to the Chula Vista City Council next week. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.
Two down, two to go. Both Oceanside and National City have dropped out of the running for a new NFL stadium. The remaining sites are both in Chula Vista, the second largest city in the county after the City of San Diego. Consultants, paid by the Chargers, have concluded either site could work.
Mark Byner was sitting in the front row with his Chargers tee shirt on. He's all in favor of building the stadium in his town.
Byner: I think Chula Vista needs it economically, and I've been a fan for 40 years.
St John: And which site would you like to see?
Byner: Up by my house. But either way as long as they stay in Chula Vista I'll be happy
But not everyone was that keen on having a football stadium in their neighborhood. Mark Econi has just moved into East Lake to a house that would be mere minutes away from the proposed East Bay site.
Econi: The notion that the NFL would come into this area and set up shop that would infringe on my quality of life that's a no go at this point.
Econi was open to the idea of a stadium on Chula Vista's Bay front, as long as it didn't bring noise and traffic to Eastlake, which he said was sold to him as a quiet suburban community .
There were strong opponents of building a stadium anywhere in Chula Vista. Laura Hunter of the Environmental Health Coalition was one.
Hunter: The negative impacts of this project are just overwhelming. We're very concerned that it would undermine the Chula Vista master plan that we have spent seven years working on.
At least two of the city's community planning groups have taken a vote and come out against the stadium proposal. But Chula Vista city councilman John McCann champions the economic benefits. He told the crowd it would bring millions of dollars and thousand of jobs to town.
Robert Sack, a 50 year resident is a believer, and he knows where he wants the stadium built.
Sack: It would put Chula Vista on the map I think. It's a no brainer it should be down on the bay. I want to get rid of that eyesore down there the power plant. I've been looking at it for 50 years, I'm tired of looking at it!
Many at the meeting see getting rid of the power plant as a major plus. And the Chargers appear to like the Bayfornt site. Spokesman Mark Fabiani says a stadium there could be iconic. However since the site is small, he says Chula Vista would have to use development rights on the eastern site to help finance the project .
Fabiani says he hopes to bring a final choice to the mayor and city council next week. and then start work on a financing plan. But he says, the public probably wont be voting on the stadium next year.
Fabiani: Not if it's the bayfront site, there's way to much to do the east site. Could have easily gone on the ballot in 2008, but the bayfront site for example is owned by the port, it's not owned by the city of Chula Vista. In addition you have coastal commission jurisdiction, state tidelands jurisdiction, obviously the state power authority. So we have a lot to do, so we would be looking for a special election in 09 for the bay front site, but nothing in 08.
That leaves time for all important elections to happen before the Chargers take the issue to the people of Chula Vista. Fabiani continues to insist that the option of staying at Qualcomm is out of the question. But much can change politically in a year and some still speculate that citywide elections, including the election of the mayor and city attorney, could mean a change of heart for the Chargers after all.
Alison St John, KPBS News.
