CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) – A controversial proposal to build a psychiatric hospital in east Chula Vista is not moving forward.
In a decision made late Tuesday evening, the Chula Vista City Council voted 3-2 against the proposed plan for a facility in the Rolling Hills Ranch area of Eastlake.
The idea to construct the 120-bed facility in the South Bay was first introduced in 2019 as a joint effort between Scripps Health and Acadia Healthcare.
The psychiatric hospital was intended to provide more beds for those in need, and it would have been largest hospital of its kind in San Diego County.
However, nearby residents have fought against the proposal from the start, expressing concerns about the hospital's proximity to residential areas, where patients would end up after their release, and the lack of other emergency services near the proposed site.
Councilmembers all agreed that mental health services are necessary, but some had concerns about the location and planning of the facility.
