Council Approves RSIP-3 and Gateway Project Schematic Design Funding

Concern about overdevelopment has been leading up to our local mayoral and city council elections. Whether at candidate meet-and-greets, in social media forums, or during coffee with friends, property owners’ rights verses community rights have made for lively discussion.

You can watch the full City Council meeting here.

At the September 20, 2016 City Council meeting, Sheryl Rosander, Chair of the Planning Commission, explained that in 2013 the Coronado City Council tasked the Planning Commission to be more aggressive in its attempts to maintain one of the main goals of the Coronado General Plan which is to maintain the pleasant residential character of Coronado. This was the third time this commission was tasked to present a Residential Standards Improvement Plan (RSIP). This latest plan is known as RSIP-3.

In addition to being more aggressive in maintaining a “neighborhood feel” for Coronado in the R1 zones (single family homes), the Commission was charged with addressing development in areas of the city zoned as R3.  R3 zoning allows for multiple family homes.

On September 20, the Planning Commission presented their recommendations.  They made twenty-five recommendations in six areas. The Commission noted that in May 2016, the City had recommended to go forward with the Commission’s recommendations.

Rosander noted that there were three recommendations that would require a change to city building ordnances and praised City staff for their detailed review of City code.

Dorothy Howard, Chair of the Design Review Commission, then addressed the Council.  She presented a variety of changes to current building allowances, but the most notable were:

For Single Family Homes:

• changes in the number and type of parking area within the property. This proposal would require at least one of the allotted parking spaces to be an open driveway rather than in a fully closed garage.  This change hopes to encourage the parking of a car in the designed parking space, rather than using all parking spaces for the enclosed storage of personal belongings.
• No change to FAR (Floor Area Ratio) requirements.
• Removing number of FAR points available, but increasing points for going through Design Review.
• Lowering height on the narrow houses and creating a “daylight plane.”  A “daylight plane” would be created by pushing the bulk of the second story to the center of the house and reducing height of perimeter walls.  There were some exceptions to this.
• All roof decks will now be subject to Design Review.

For Multi-family residences and the Business District:

• most recommendations were to mitigate unattractive off-street parking, the encouragement of the under-grounding of utility poles, and the hiding of rooftop equipment.

Ms. Downey, Mr. Bailey, and Mr. Sandke had numerous questions to make sure that Council fully understood the recommendations.

Mayor Tanaka welcomed public comments.  There were numerous comments from both the public and city council.

The Council voted to unanimously approve the commission’s recommendations with a few very small changes.

Vote to approve funds for gateway project

Approved the requested $117,000 to Michael Baker for a schematic design for the Gateway Project.

Vote to Amend Recreation Services and Facility Use Fees and Policies. 

The Council voted to approve amended recreation services and facility use fees and policies.