The agenda for this week’s meeting of the Coronado City Council includes a request to discuss parking stipulations for counter-oriented restaurants, considering median landscaping along SR-75, the city’s 2026 legislative priorities, and more. Public comment will be heard.
The meeting is at 4 p.m. on Oct. 21 in the City Council Chamber at 1825 Strand Way, and will be broadcast here. The full agenda is here. A recording of the meeting will be posted here.
Reconsidering parking requirements for grab-and-go restaurants
Do counter-service restaurants require as much parking as dine-in restaurants do? Councilmember Mark Fleming would like to revisit the city’s minimum parking policy to consider take-away style restaurants.
All businesses in Coronado must provide minimum amounts of parking based on the demand they create, and the Orange Avenue Specific Plan stipulates parking standards that differ from citywide zoning codes to account for the downtown sector.
Under this policy, new commercial development downtown is subject to distinct off-street parking standards. Retail and non-restaurant uses generally require one parking space per 500 square feet of floor area, while restaurants are held to a higher standard of one space per 100 square feet, regardless of seating. The plan includes exemptions and modifications for smaller parcels and existing buildings.
“The line between retail activity and restaurant activity (has become) harder to distinguish,” Fleming wrote in a Policy No. 9 request. “Is a coffee shop with no indoor seating closer to retail or restaurant activity? Is a retail store that offers wine tastings closer to retail or restaurant activity?”
Fleming would like to reopen for discussion a 2019 City Council decision that sought to address this ambiguity by creating a “counter-oriented dining policy.”
The policy applies to retail stores that provide food or beverage service, so long as that service is an “accessory” to the retail business and comprises fewer than 250 square feet of the business’ floor space. Qualifying businesses can be granted a reduction in parking mandates.
Fleming said that it does not appear that any businesses have used this allowance since it was enacted in 2019. Further, he said, in 2018, the council decided to reclassify several businesses — including a yogurt shop and a wine tasting business — as “retail” because they were at risk of closing.
“The requirement that the food and beverage servings be an ‘accessory’ has limited the types of businesses that can open,” Fleming wrote in his request.
“If the council were to remove the ‘accessory’ language and treat grab-and-go style food and beverage business as retail, it would be easier for this new type of business to operate in Coronado while causing minimum parking demand,” Fleming wrote. “This action could single-handedly improve the downtown business environment.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, only the Policy No. 9 request will be considered, meaning that the council will vote on whether to revisit the conversation at a future meeting. No decisions on parking itself will be made.
Deciding the scope of the Shores median landscaping project
The City Council will consider awarding a contract for beautification of the median of SR-75 near the Coronado Shores Condominiums for $1.14 million. This base project would complete landscaping and irrigation of the median from Pomona Avenue to Avenida de las Arenas.
Two additives will also be considered: widening the median near the Community Center and pool to replace unused pavement with landscaped area, and extending the median improvements from Avenida de las Arenas to Rendova Road. These optional add-ons would bring the cost to $2.78 million.
To fund the project, the council will also vote on whether to allocate $1.41 million from the TransNet fund and up to $181,243 from the city’s general fund, in addition to what has already been allocated. TransNet is a county-wide sales tax dedicated to transportation-related projects that was first approved by voters in 1987 and later extended through 2048.
Approval of the 2026 legislative priorities: sewage, affordable housing mandates, e-bikes, and more
After laborious discussion in December about the city’s legislative goals for the year, city staff will present a redlined version of the document for review and approval.
The guidelines dictate the city’s position on state and federal bills, and City Manager Tina Friend proposed minor edits and a short list of priority legislative goals: cross-border sewage, infrastructure funding, affordable housing mandates, and e-bike regulations.
While the council quickly agreed on minor tweaks to the cross-border sewage issue and infrastructure goals, the conversation reached a snag when discussing its position on the upcoming Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), a state program that requires cities to plan for affordable housing. The council agreed that Coronado’s goal should be to ensure the city receives a fair allotment in its next cycle.
Despite general agreement, the conversation grew murky as council members weighed in on phrasing, and the document projected on screen became a rainbow of edits and re-edits. The council agreed that City Manager Tina Friend would harmonize the councilmembers’ thoughts and bring a revised document for approval in January. Read more about December’s discussion here.
A presentation from Port Commissioner Frank Urtasun
Frank Urtasun, Coronado’s representative on the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, will give a presentation. In the past, he has updated the council and the public on matters related to Coronado.
