It took community, creativity, a little political maneuvering, and a lot of grit. But three years later, the city has what Coronado Rotary Club hopes will be an iconic addition to the San Diego Bayfront: its own “Coronado” sign, in the City’s signature shade of green.
“The first day I saw the sign, someone said that it looked like it had been there forever, and I said, I guess we got it right,” said Bill Sandke, who has been championing the project for the last several years.
Sandke says as a photographer, he could really envision what the sign would look like in photos, framed by the bridge, with the blue water and the sign “Coronado green.”
“Visually, it was already painted in my head,” he said. “But to see it in real life, and to see people interacting with it, it’s the icing on the cake of three years of effort.”
In celebration of the Rotary Club of Coronado’s 100th anniversary, the sign was presented to the Coronado community at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, August 21. Located along Tidelands Park’s Bayshore Bikeway, with the San Diego Bay and Coronado Bridge as its backdrop, the sign — which cost $75,000 — is already becoming a popular photo stop for residents and tourists alike. It’s the first signature sign of its kind around San Diego Bay.
But the project hasn’t come without its challenges.
The sign was originally going to have each of the letters painted by a different artist. But the committee spearheading the project decided this would be difficult to maintain. The committee landed on creating the sign in the City font of Garamond and painting it a solid color.
Then there was the cost. Fortunately, about 90 Rotarians and members of the community stepped up and donated $1000 to get their names on one of the commemorative bricks which make up the base of the sign, according to Sandke.
Then, there’s the location. At first, the Port Authority pushed back on the idea of putting the sign on the bayside at Tidelands Park, which it oversees. It cited environmental concerns with birds and problems with light pollution. Then, the sign was going to be installed near the playground at Tidelands Park. But City Council didn’t like that idea, said Sandke.
Eventually, the Port decided to allow the sign to be placed in its current location.
“This is where it needed to be, all along,” said Frank Urtasan, who represents the City of Coronado with the Port Authority. “We’ve done a lot of great things for the city. This is one of them here.”
Urtasan acknowledged all the blood, sweat and tears that went into getting the sign installed.
“These things don’t happen overnight, folks,” he said. “It takes a lot.”
But for members of the Coronado Rotary Club, it’s much more than just a sign.
“We are not simply celebrating this sign,” said Coronado Mayor John Duncan. “It’s recognizing that we are each only a small part of an extraordinary thread of history in 100 years of Rotary.”
He said that, for a century, generations of Rotarians have worked quietly in the background with a deep commitment to “service above self,” which has made Coronado a much better community.
“This is true, with Rotary’s work extending beyond the Coronado region, country, and around the world,” said Duncan.
Sharon Raffer, Coronado Rotarian, applauded the work of the subcommittee and the volunteer spirit of the club.
“Being a part of Rotary is friendship, it’s leadership, and it’s doing things that are important to you and having other people help you with it,” said Raffer. “And the sign is a lasting tribute to a volunteer organization that’s done a lot for the community.”
For Sandke, it’s rewarding to see the dream turn into a reality.
“It’s a real expression of how well it’s been accepted by the community when you look at those in the audience today,” said Sandke. “Port commission executives, port commisioners, and both mayors from Coronado and Imperial Beach.”
Sandke says he’s excited about the role the sign will play in the Coronado community, for residents and visitors alike.
“Take ten minutes and sit on the park bench across from the sign, and you will be rewarded with a nice slice of humanity in a world that’s so turbulent,” he said. “Watching families and children interact with the sign will warm your heart.”
