City Council certifies EIR, advances 45‑acre Rohrer site specific plan for Bayfront jobs and visitor uses

Chula Vista — The City Council on Nov. 18 certified the final environmental impact report and took initial land‑use actions to move forward with a 45‑acre specific plan that would convert the former Rohrer aircraft manufacturing site along H Street into a mixed employment and visitor hub.

Arturo Artuno, the city’s senior planner, told the council the site lies in the coastal zone outside port jurisdiction and has been the subject of extensive cleanup: “The project site was formally occupied by the Rohrer aircraft facility, which operated here for decades before closing in 2020,” Artuno said, and he listed the formal actions requested: certification of the final EIR, adoption of mitigation monitoring, amendments to the general plan and local coastal plan, and approval of a tentative parcel map and coastal development permit.

The applicant described plans to split the site into three planning areas for light industrial and creative industries, a main employment center, and a visitor gateway with hotels and retail. A representative for the applicant said the redevelopment would “transform the former Rohrer manufacturing site, a 45‑acre manufacturing site, into a new economic engine for Chula Vista,” and emphasized job creation and design standards meant to tie the site to the Bayfront.

Collins Aerospace, the successor to earlier operations on the parcel, and company counsel confirmed that soil removal under a remedial action work plan is complete and that groundwater remediation and monitoring remain ongoing under a cleanup and abatement order from the regional water quality control board. Kyle Strong, counsel for Collins Aerospace, said the company and its parent remain “committed to completing” groundwater remediation “for as long as it takes.”

The certified final EIR identifies potential significant impacts to air quality, biological and cultural resources, and geology and soils, but staff said feasible mitigation measures are included in the mitigation monitoring and reporting program and would be conditions of future approvals. The San Diego Unified Port District had objected to aspects of the draft EIR — notably the use of a maximum‑impact development scenario and proximity to the Sweetwater Marsh — and staff said those comments were addressed in the final EIR and through follow‑up meetings with the port.

Local business groups and labor organizations urged the council to approve the plan. Marcy Weaver, CEO of the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, said the project will “be a significant boost to our local economy, attracting new companies, increasing spending in our community, and creating quality jobs right here in our city.” Jesse Garcia of the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters lauded the applicant’s commitments to responsible contracting and local hiring.

Council members praised the long process of Bayfront planning and the environmental controls being required. After council debate and the clerk reading the required headings, the council voted to certify the EIR, adopt associated plan amendments, approve the tentative parcel map and coastal permit, and place the specific‑plan ordinance on first reading.

Next steps include final action on the specific‑plan ordinance, ongoing groundwater monitoring and regulatory clearances from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and, where applicable, the California Coastal Commission, before vertical development could proceed.