The Coronado City Council on March 3 unanimously rejected an appeal from Nikki Rottens on Tuesday, upholding a long-standing condition that the restaurant maintain five off-site parking spaces behind Coronado Hardware.
The requirement dates back to 2021, when the restaurant expanded into a 500-square-foot space next door. At the time, the city allowed the additional seating on the condition that Nikki Rottens secure five off-site parking spaces.
However, owners of the restaurant argued that under a 2022 state law, Assembly Bill 2097, the parking requirement no longer applied.
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.
“As a local business owner, I am really looking for (…) equal treatment, clear direction and timely responses to help inform future business decisions,” said Simon Guindi, the owner of Nicky Rottens, during the council meeting. “I have plans to change the concept of Nikki Rottens into a new, family-friendly sports bar and restaurant, but there are a lot of outstanding questions before proceeding, including the one before you today.”
City staff and the council disagreed that AB 2097 changes things for Nicky Rottens, saying that the law only applies to new development. The council unanimously rejected the appeal.
“One thing (in this decision) is whether this is a new development, and it’s not,” City Councilmember Kelly Purvis said. “It’s been there for over a decade. We have a deal with them. It’s a fair deal. Five parking spots for 169 (restaurant) seats is pretty generous.”
The council also agreed that its role in this decision was to apply state law as written, not to discuss the merits of mandatory parking requirements.
“Regardless of what I personally feel about any type of parking requirements in the city, or what I think state law should be,” Mayor John Duncan said,” my job is (…) to apply the law with the facts that we have.”
