The agenda for this week’s meeting of the Coronado City Council includes determining off-stree parking requirements for Nicky Rottens and gratitude for federal leaders who have spurred change in cross-border sewage issues.
The meeting is at 4 p.m. on March 3 in the City Council Chamber at 1825 Strand Way, and will be broadcast here. The full agenda is here. A recording of the meeting will be posted here.
Off-street parking at Nicky Rottens
The council will consider an appeal involving long-standing parking requirements at Nicky Rottens, a restaurant on Orange Avenue, raising questions of how recent state parking laws apply to existing businesses.
At issue is whether a 2012 approval requiring the restaurant to provide off-street parking can be overridden by a 2022 state law, Assembly Bill 2097, which limits when cities may impose minimum parking requirements on projects near major public transit stops.
In 2012, the city approved a 500-square-foot expansion of Nicky Rottens’ dining area. As a condition of approval, the restaurant was required to provide five off-site parking spaces behind Coronado Hardware Glass and Paint. A recorded covenant was executed between the two properties, legally binding current and future owners to maintain the parking arrangement for as long as the expanded dining area remains in use.
In February 2025, an owner of Nicky Rottens requested an exemption from parking requirements under AB 2097, citing the restaurant’s proximity to the Coronado Ferry Landing, which is listed as a high-quality public transit stop under state data. The law generally prohibits cities from imposing minimum parking requirements on certain residential and commercial development projects located within one-half mile of major public transit.
However, city staff is not disputing whether the restaurant is located near qualifying public transit. Instead, the City argues the state law does not apply because the restaurant is not proposing any new development or change in use that would trigger the parking exemption. Under the city’s interpretation, AB 2097 applies only prospectively, when a business seeks new entitlements, not retroactively to eliminate parking conditions attached to approvals granted years earlier.
Because Nicky Rottens has not proposed any new construction or change in use, staff concluded that the law does not apply.
Representatives from Nicky Rottens disagreed and filed an appeal.
It was first heard by the Planning and Design Commission (PDC) in January. The commission vote was split, with two members voting to deny the appeal and uphold staff’s interpretation, one member abstaining, one member recused, and one absent. Because three affirmative votes are required for action, the PDC took no action, allowing the appeal to proceed to the City Council.
The parking requirement constitutes “significant financial costs” to the restaurant, said Simon Guindi Cohen, an owner of Nicky Rottens, in an email sent to Richard Grunow, Coronado’s director of community development, redevelopment services and housing.
Importantly, the council will not be deliberating on parking in general during this matter. Rather, it will determine whether city staff was correct that AB 2097 did not apply in the case of Nicky Rottens, and will determine future action in this particular instance.
Thanking federal leaders for sewage action
The agenda includes three written communications thanking federal officials for their support in securing funding and attention to the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis and related infrastructure needs affecting Coronado. Separate letters were sent to Senator Adam Schiff, Senator Alex Padilla, and Congressman Scott Peters.
Consent calendar at a glance
At every meeting, the council votes on matters that are continued routine without deliberation, unless an item is removed for discussion. This week’s consent items include:
- A one-time exemption to allow the Pacific Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Coronado to host adoptable animals at a designated booth during the 2026 Coronado Flower Show in Spreckels Park.
- Approving payment of routine operational expenses across all departments, such as utilities, professional services, software licenses, fuel, equipment, training, and contractual services. This authorizes the city to release payments that have already been reviewed for budget availability and compliance and does not represent new spending decisions or policy changes.
- Receiving (not approving) the proposed fiscal year 2026–27 budget calendar along with staff’s recommended budget principles and strategies, which will guide development of the upcoming budget.
