Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Better Signage and Nixle Alerts Needed for Beach Closures

Letters to the Editor submitted to The Coronado Times are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, editors or writers of this publication. Submit letters to [email protected].

Submitted by Daron A. Case, Esq.


Dear Mayor, Council, City Manager King and City Attorney Canlas,

Silver Strand is still closed today for water contact per the Department of Environmental Health. Yesterday morning, my wife and I drove into the Cays from SR-75 and saw two teenagers walking across the street toward the beach with surfboards. I drove around the Cays security kiosk and to the beach to warn them that the beach was closed due to sewage contaminated water. The surfers were on the beach and about to go in the water. They thanked me and said they did not know the beach was closed and did not see any closure signs.

The only closure sign at the Cays beach entrance is camouflaged, scattered amongst many other signs. To contrast, the City of Imperial Beach has closure signs all over their beaches, and their “sewage contaminated water” signs are accompanied by signs notifying beach goers that criminal misdemeanor citations will be levied for anyone who goes in the water. IB clearly takes sewage contaminated water and beach closures very seriously. It does not appear to me that the water closures are taken as seriously by the City of Coronado. In addition, I have noticed the City of Coronado routinely downplays beach closures at Silver Strand because it is a “state beach.”  While Silver Strand is a “state beach,” it is also the beach used by Coronado Cays residents including the Cays Surf Crew, guests of the Loews, border patrol and military personnel including Navy SEALs who train in the waters along the Strand. Please step up to protect the health & safety of Coronado residents by providing better closure sign visibility and Nixle alerts for beach closures.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Regards,
Daron A. Case, Esq.

 



Managing Editor
Managing Editor
Originally from upstate New York, Dani Schwartz has lived in Coronado since 1996. She is happy to call Coronado home and to have raised her children here. In her free time she enjoys reading, exercising, trying new restaurants, and just walking her dog around the "island." Have news to share? Send tips or story ideas to: [email protected]

More Local News