“We are here to celebrate a success,” said City Manager Blair King. After decades of work, the City of Coronado and the Port of San Diego held a joint ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the Glorietta Bay Boat Launch Ramp and Dock C replacement.
“The old ramp was more than 40 years old and well beyond its service life,” Mayor Pro Tem Bill Sandke said. The new ramp “gives the public access to get out and enjoy our waters.” This includes people with disabilities. Besides replacing the concrete apron of the boat launch ramp, the project added a free public dock that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and is reconfigured to meet current fire and electrical codes, as well as boating design standards. There is also a non-motorized craft launch area on a new sandy beach.
Other improvements include resurfacing the parking lot, installing a new boat wash-down area, and repairing the existing storm drain in the northern beach section of Glorietta Bay Park. The free public dock not only benefits boaters, but kayakers and paddle boarders.
The $1.3 million project was funded at the state, regional and local level. The City of Coronado, the Port of San Diego and State of California Division of Boating and Waterways all contributed. The Port of San Diego provided $470,000, the City of Coronado $150,000, and the rest came from a $670,000 grant from Boating and Waterways.
Not that the project sailed through without its share of conflict. It was vetted through numerous public workshops and city council meetings. It also survived a lawsuit, King noted.
The boat launch is part of the Glorietta Bay Master Plan, which was initiated 20 years ago to improve public access, create more recreational opportunities and open-space along Coronado’s bayfront. Projects in the master plan included City Hall, the Community Center, Glorietta Bay Civic Center and Promenade, and the Boat House and Club Room.
All of these projects were designed with eco-friendly amenities, such as motion-sensor lighting and a permeable parking lot. The Civic Center and Promenade Project also included improvements to the Bayshore Bike Path, a pocket park next to the Yacht Club, and a clear railing for better bay views.
A host of officials attended the ceremony including Coronado councilmen Whitney Benzian and Mike Donovan, and former mayor Casey Tanaka. It was under Tanaka’s leadership that the final plans for the project were approved. County Supervisor Greg Cox, Port Commissioner Garry Bonelli and Port Commission Chairman Robert “Dukie” Valderrama also attended.
