The Coronado City Council voted yesterday 3 to 2 in favor of a new ordinance that bans outdoor smoking in many areas throughout of the city.
The new ordinance prohibits smoking in all unenclosed areas of Coronado including:
- all areas less than 25 feet from a doorway, window, crack or vent of a building where smoking is prohibited
- all public property, including, but not limited to, streets, alleys, parkways and highways
- any private or public outdoor places open to the general public for a public event, such as a parade, farmers market or a concert
- any outdoor recreational areas owned by the city
- any public or private services areas
The only exceptions are:
- outdoor areas in which the majority of the dining area consist of private property, such as the Coronado Yacht Club and the Hotel Del.
- unenclosed areas of private residential properties
The new ordinance goes into effect on January 1, 2014 and the fine would be $100 for the first offense.
Council members Al Ovrom and Richard Bailey opposed the ban. Ovrom called the ban “overkill,” saying “you’re banning smoking on every sidewalk and alley when the problem is in the business district,” he said.
Ovrom also expressed concern about “providing a law that people are going to break anyway.”
Bailey’s objections rested on property rights.
Despite the far-reaching implications of the new ordinance, few people in attendance at the meeting indicated strong feelings on the issue. Only a handful of people spoke at the council meeting, and no one wrote in to oppose or support the ban, according to City Clerk Linda Hascup.
Of the people who did address the council only four were from Coronado. The others were anti-tobacco campaigners from San Diego.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” said Nicky Rottens owner Tim Aaron said in favor of the ban on outdoor smoking. Hinting as to why so few people weighed in on the matter, Aaron said simply, “there are not that many smokers.”
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
RELATED: As City Ponders a New Outdoor Smoking Ordinance, Public Yawns
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Gloria Tierney
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
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