SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego is monitoring site conditions at the Chollas Operations Yard following a large crack that developed in the pavement of the parking lot on Wednesday, Aug. 7. As a precaution -- because the yard sits atop the closed Chollas Landfill -- the employee parking lot was evacuated yesterday and remains closed to staff and visitors until repairs are complete. Site monitoring conducted since the parking lot was closed has shown no threat to health and safety. 

“The Chollas Operations Yard site sits atop a closed landfill, requiring ongoing maintenance and monitoring to address the natural settling, which is standard for closed landfill sites,” said James Hay, Deputy Director of the Environmental Services Department (ESD). “We took quick action to assess conditions and confirm that appropriate system controls continue to be in place. We will continue to monitor to ensure compliance with applicable regulations.” 

While repairs are underway at the Chollas Operations yard, the bike lane and one travel lane on the northbound side of College Grove Drive will be impacted and traffic control will be in place. Employee parking will be diverted to College Grove Drive and nearby Chollas Lake parking lots.  

The Chollas Operations Yard, located on Caminito Chollas in Oak Park, is the primary work location for the City’s infrastructure crews responsible for water, wastewater, street and stormwater work across San Diego. The site is also used to house materials and heavy machinery, along with office space. Approximately 1,000 employees work on site.  Employee parking has been temporarily moved to College Grove Drive and other areas to ensure all maintenance work continues as planned.  

Chollas Landfill was in operation for and received solid waste for 30 years before it closed in 1981. ESD manages and monitors closed landfills to ensure compliance with environmental and health regulations.