Staff
The Coronado City Council will hold four public hearings related to fees and taxes and consider extending an emergency proclamation for the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis at its April 15 meeting.
The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at the Coronado City Hall Council Chamber at 1825 Strand Way. It will also be livestreamed here. Public comment will be heard.
A 13.2% increase in waste collection fees
Coronado’s fees for residential waste collection are among the lowest in the county, but they may increase: the City Council will consider an increase from the current residential rate of $27.48 for a 90-gallon container to $31.11.
Commercial fees are also up for a proposed increase: A 3-cubic-yard bin currently costs $135.43 per week, but may increase to $152.77, a 12.8% increase.
If the council approves this increase, a public hearing will be scheduled for June 17. Coronado contracts with EDCO for waste removal.
A 6% increase in traffic mitigation fee for new homes
The council will consider increasing the city’s Uniform Transportation Mitigation Fee, which is assessed on newly constructed residential units, by 6%.
That would bring the fee from $2,875.06 to $3,047.57 for each new build home. If approved, the change will take effect July 1.
All cities must collect a transportation mitigation fee to be eligible for TransNet funding. TransNet is a program funded by a half-cent sales tax levied by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). TransNet funds traffic infrastructure improvements.
The proposed increase is based on construction cost trends reported by SANDAG using the Engineering News-Report Construction Cost Index for Los Angeles. The city says passing the increase will help Coronado receive funding for transportation infrastructure. Staff recommends approving the change.
Reauthorizing a 0.5% tax on hotels
The council will consider reauthorizing a 0.5% assessment on properties on the Hotel del Coronado, the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, the Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa, and the Glorietta Bay Inn for the fiscal year 2025-26. All properties are in the Coronado Tourism Improvement Districts (CTID) I and II.
The projected revenue from this assessment is $2,175,000.
Increasing fees for developers who do not reserve low-income units
The Coronado municipal code requires that subdivision projects involving two or more lots reserve 20% of its units for lower income residents – or pay a fee. The current fee is $7,000 per unit, a figure that has not been updated since it was set in 1993.
All developers in Coronado have chosen to pay the fee rather than reserve the housing. The funds collected go to a dedicated affordable housing fund, which currently has a $1.7 million balance.
In 2021, the sitting City Council opted to hire a consultant on the matter, who found that Coronado’s $7,000/unit fee is much lower than that of its neighbors. In Del Mar, the fee is $27,350/unit. The city of San Diego assesses a $25-50 per square foot fee.
The council is being asked to consider considering the flat fee vs. square-food-based fee. City staff prefers area as the basis, saying it is more fair. The council will consider increasing the fee up to $59 per square foot, with annual, automatic adjustments based on a metric such as the Consumer Price Index. The council will also consider extending the applicability to rental units in addition to units listed for sale and will consider allowing pipelining – grandfathering projects in progress.
Continuation of a local emergency for the Tijuana sewage crisis
Coronado declared an emergency in the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis in March, and it will consider extending the proclamation. Over the weekend, Coronado’s beaches closed as Mexico’s construction projects divert wastewater into the Tijuana River.
A public hearing regarding minor additions
The owner of a residential property has applied to install an elevator to its second floor, build a mechanical room, and a hallway. This was approved by the Community Development Director. However, an additional increase in storage space was denied. The owners appealed, but the city is recommending the appeal be denied on the basis that there is no evidence that a disability requires the additional storage. Further, the change would create zoning conflicts by exceeding its floor area ratio, reducing parking, and encroaching on setbacks. Staff says the applicant did not submit building plans and recommends denying the appeal.
