Each week, the City of Coronado City Manager’s Office provides an update that includes information on programs, services and issues within the City, as well as news, project updates and follow-up information when applicable. Featured below are highlights from that update. The entire City Manager’s Weekly Update can be found on the City’s website.
Q&A: Hotel del Beach Boundary
The City of Coronado has put together a Q&A that addresses many of the questions that have arisen in recent months about the Hotel del Coronado’s beach boundary. The Q&A answers questions about how the beach in front of the hotel now appears larger than in early hotel photos, what the mean high tide line is and how it was established, and why the hotel doesn’t own more of the beach. The City shares this history in an effort to settle the question about the hotel’s private beach area. The City wants to emphasize that there is a section of public beach, 1,800 feet of sand, just west of the hotel’s private property, which is open and fully accessible to anyone. The Hotel del Coronado deeded that land over the years in exchange for greater development. See map below. Read the Q&A here.
Coronado is Best Beach
Earlier this year, U-T San Diego readers were asked to nominate the “best” in 176 categories, from best restaurant to best movie theater. Coronado’s beach came out on top this year, receiving the most votes for Best Beach in the 2014 poll. The City’s beach is consistently ranked best beach in numerous polls. In 2012, Dr. Beach, aka Stephen Leatherman, director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research, ranked Coronado as having the best beach in the United States. A plaque will be presented to City staff whose job it is to ensure that the beach is always in tip top shape.
Elephant Cage
The Navy has notified the City about its plans to demolish the Wullenweber Antenna Array, Naval Radio Receiving Facility, just south of the Coronado Cays. Located at the Silver Strand Training Complex, the antenna, better known as the elephant cage or the dinosaur cage, will be taken down sometime in mid-September. The demolition supports Department of Defense and Navy initiatives to eliminate obsolete facility inventory. According to the Navy, the Wullenweber Antenna Array is a visual landmark along the Silver Strand. It was built in 1964 and is considered an outstanding example of Cold War-era defense construction. The Navy plans to keep five of the tallest screens, some guy wires and anchorage posts.
Lifeguard Update
The Lifeguards had a busy Labor Day weekend due to the high surf, warm weather and the Optimists Club Sports Fiesta. Over the three-day weekend, the Lifeguards estimated 75,000 visitors visited the beach. Lifeguards performed more than 50 ocean rescues. More big surf is forecast again for this weekend, in the 4-to-7-foot range. Lifeguards advise water enthusiasts to use caution when going in the water. Before you go to the beach, check out this brochure on how to “Break the Grip of the Rip.”
Irrigation Control System Replacement
The irrigation control system at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course is more than 30 years old. The system, which includes a central computer and field satellites, is inefficient at controlling the amount of water used on the golf course compared to today’s technology. Currently, the City has little control of what and how it waters turf. City Council recently approved replacing the central computer and satellite controls as well as adding a weather station to better calculate and control the use of water on the golf course. The new system is expected to reduce the amount of water consumed by up to 10 percent per year. Installation will start the week of Monday, September 8, and construction is expected to last about 45 days. The sprinklers, pipe and wire will not be replaced. The project is being funded from the Enterprise Fund. Additional water reducing considerations also will be reviewed in the future.
Shuttle Bus Ridership
The City’s Free Summer Shuttle Bus service will complete its second season on Sunday, September 14, ending with the Art Walk at the Coronado Ferry Landing. It has been a success by all accounts. Ridership is up. Over the same 28-day period in July and in August, ridership was up 46 percent and 21 percent, respectively, this year over last year. In July, the service transported 927 passengers per day, and 895 passengers in August. The City continues to hear many positive comments on the service.
Upcoming Meetings
– The Parks and Recreation Commission will meet at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, September 8, at City Hall, 1825 Strand Way.
– The Planning Commission meets at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9, at City Hall.
– The Design Review Commission meets at 3 .m. on Wednesday, September 10, at City Hall.
– The Coronado Transportation Commission meets at 3 p.m. on Thursday, September 11, at City Hall.
– RSIP-3 meets at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 11, at City Hall.
– The Civil Service Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 11, at City Hall.
