Submitted by Richard Tolles
The Coronado Times November 8 piece concerning “Cottages at the Cays,” a proposal for a massive hotel on North Grand Caribe Isle in the Coronado Cays, missed the real story. I was at the developer’s “open-house” event at the Cays Yacht Club which the Times covered. It was attended by 200-plus Coronado residents. But these folks were there to oppose the project, not to support it. How do I know? Because immediately before or after the open-house those same 200-plus attendees (234 to be exact) marched down the street to sign a petition intended to defeat the project. Furthermore, two other petitions against this developer’s proposals have now been signed by close to 600 residents.
North Grand Caribe Isle is scenic undeveloped Public Trust land administered by the Port of San Diego, not private property. It is right on the Bay in the Cays and currently leased for use as boat storage. When the lease expires in 2034, the Port has slated it for rezoning as open space so that it can become part of the Port’s “green necklace” of parks around San Diego Bay to be enjoyed by all.
Ignoring the Port’s plan, the lessee now wants to develop North Grand Caribe Isle by building a hotel complex consisting of 47 hideous buildings. The lessee’s proposal is obviously not in the public interest as it would preclude public enjoyment of the property, jam our roads in the Cays, add to existing parking problems, create excessive noise and night light, eliminate bay views and harm wildlife habitat.
The proposal has no community support, judging from overwhelming social media condemnation and from formal written opposition by the Coronado Cays Homeowners Association and the Coronado Cays Yacht Club. Moreover, the City of Coronado has formally opposed all past development proposals for the property. The lessee recently changed the name of the project from an “RV Resort” to “Cays Cottages.” Don’t be fooled by the name change: from all appearances it is the same unwanted hotel proposal and would have the same ruinous consequences.
The real story here is a developer who wants to build a large eyesore hotel on uniquely scenic property that should be preserved in the public interest as a park and Coronado’s strong opposition to this project.
Richard Tolles
Coronado Cays Resident
