Port commissioner touts $8 million Pepper Park reopening, urges close review of Skycharger truck‑charging EIR

Port of San Diego Commissioner Gil Ungab updated the National City Council on the port's "balance plan" and local projects, saying the Port and partners invested more than $8,000,000 to transform a 5.2‑acre waterfront site that will be celebrated at a ribbon‑cutting on April 4.

Ungab said the project's phase 3 will include infrastructure improvements and a realignment of Marina Way to enable commercial development that would generate transient occupancy (TOT) tax revenue for National City. He described Pepper Park as the first tangible milestone of the broader balance plan and urged residents from all parts of the city to attend the opening.

The commissioner also described the Skycharger electric truck‑charging hub that the Port has proposed and said the Port recently closed public comment on the hub's environmental review. "We requested an EIR because it is the highest level of evaluation of risk to our community," Ungab said, adding that he wants community feedback before the Port decides on any contracting. He framed his concern in health terms, noting higher local rates of childhood asthma and the need to carefully evaluate diesel‑to‑electric transitions and battery safety.

Council members pressed for additional briefings and asked for specifics about community benefits, job commitments and truck routing. In response, Ungab recommended that National City brief commissioners and port staff ahead of Port board hearings so commissioners can advocate for the city. He said port staff have proposed studies and consultant work for stage‑3 planning and that the MSA (Master Service Agreement) negotiations currently under review could reimburse the city less than $1.5 million in the current fiscal year for police, fire and EMS support tied to tidelands operations.

Why it matters: The port's balance plan and the Skycharger hub touch air‑quality, community health, jobs and long‑term revenues for National City. Council members asked staff to seek regular briefings with port staff and the commissioner so they can shape negotiating positions for MSA terms and ensure community safety measures are reflected in project approvals.

What happens next: Ungab said the Port will present next steps when consultant recommendations for stage 3 are available; the council asked staff to coordinate briefings and promised community outreach tied to the Pepper Park opening.