Civic Center Parking Lot Closure for Solar Panel Installation

From October 7, 2024, through March 1, 2025, the Civic Center parking lot near the intersection of Civic Center and Alta Vista Drives will be closed. This closure will affect parents who typically use this lot for dropping off and picking up their children at Vista Magnet Middle School. Parents are advised to use an alternate location at the school for drop-off and pick-up during this period. The City respectfully requests that parents not utilize the parking lots of nearby businesses on Alta Vista Drive as it disrupts traffic flow for customers and employees.

The parking lot closure is due to a construction project to install solar panels at the Civic Center. The nearest available parking is at the City of Vista lot located off of Eucalyptus Drive.

The project involves installing solar panels on four large canopies over the Alta Vista Drive parking lot. Once completed, the City anticipates monthly electricity savings of $20,000. This initiative supports the City's Climate Action Plan by increasing distributed solar generation and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

As part of the installation, 38 trees will be removed but will be replaced elsewhere on the Civic Center site. The location of the canopies and tree removals was carefully planned to preserve the trees along the Civic Center Drive frontage to avoid obstructing the view of the Civic Center. The trees along Alta Vista Drive will also be retained but trimmed to accommodate the new solar canopies.

The final component of the project-installing a new electrical panel in the emergency generator enclosure-is scheduled for August 15, 2025. After installation, the system will be tested and activated once it is connected to the City's electrical grid.

We appreciate the public's patience during this project.

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