The Coronado City manager is moving forward with big plans for Third Street that may result in a “duplication of services.” The city will resurface damaged pavement, construct a new finished roadway surface, replace sidewalks, curbs and gutters, and replace pedestrian ramps along Third. (There is no mention regarding soundproofing re-coating).
This comes less than one week after the CTC made the unanimous recommendation to support changes to Third Street, and two weeks after the Gateway Project designs were presented. Along with changes recommended by the Gateway Project, some of the CTC recommended changes to the roadway include features that will require replacing curbs and adding new ADA required ramps. There are recommended speed tables, which will require asphalt resurfacing.
There are three major projects under consideration for Third Street and ‘few’ if any collaborative strategies: Third and Fourth Streets Study, the Gateway Improvement Project, and now these Third Street upgrades. There is a fourth project in the hospital neighborhood of Third Street that concerns additional parking. There is no current plan to oversee and implement these projects uniformly.
The greatest challenge to improvements and management of Third and Fourth Streets has been this lack of leadership and coordination. Specifically, between Coronado, Port District, Caltrans, Sandag, CHP and CPD, all of whom share jurisdiction for some part of Third Street (Bridge to Base). This disconnect has for forty-plus-years resulted in shell games whenever TAF residents have tried to find who is in charge of what. This quagmire continues to prevent solutions and apply sporadic bandaids to the sustained long-term neglect of the shared roadway.
One glaring, but easily rectified reason for a lack of leadership and coordination in these and other projects – is our weak and obsolete City of Coronado mission statement. It has no set of guiding principals. The current mission statement is so outdated in fact, you will not even find it on the city website.
Here is Coronado’s mission statement: “Leading our community for a partnership of excellence.” Partnership with who? Excellence in what?
This vague statement leaves city leaders to make decisions based on public pressure or their own values, rather than based on a set of “stated” community-wide shared values. The current mission statement gives no indication of who we are as a city, what we value. Values became a topic of debate among residents after we had a critical vehicle vs bike accident of a child and the tragic death one of our neighbors on Fourth Street.
In contrast, here is the more detailed Coronado Police Department mission statement: (note-former Chief Scanlon is still listed as Chief)
The Mission of the Coronado Police Department is to protect and enhance the quality of life for all who live, work or visit our community by delivering the highest quality of public safety services. Members of the Coronado Police Department are dedicated to accomplishing the mission by:
-Maintaining public peace and order through the fair and impartial enforcement of law and superior police service.
-Fostering an environment of cooperation and trust within our organization and the community.
-Conducting public business efficiently and effectively.
-Challenging the future with a spirit of optimism and innovation.
-Valuing our employees as our most important resource.
At this crucial time in our city planning, with potential big changes on the horizon, attempting to lead our city into the future without a solid and defining mission statement, leaves Coronado as a ship of sailors with no Captain.
Wouldn’t it be wiser to organize and implement improvements in line with a mission and a comprehensive plan that carries the City of Coronado forward – and does not waste tax dollars by overspending on duplications? A well thought out mission and vision for our city will establish a plum line for decisions that will support us through this period of change.
List of mission and visions statements from other municipalities. http://www.townshipsofheadclaramaria.ca/download.php?dl=YToyOntzOjI6ImlkIjtzOjM6IjE0NSI7czozOiJrZXkiO2k6Nzt9
Third Street, Street, Curb and Gutter Project
(From the City Managers Update.)
