Coronado's over-development

By Barbara Denny

I want to be the Mayor who ends over-development in our town and saves our vanishing village atmosphere. This will improve our quality of life, reduce traffic, preserve our property values and build neighborhood cohesion.

The recent fire in our Corridor's "A" Alley reminds us that over-development increases our risk of property loss and personal injury, as well as traffic and parking problems.

I stand with the people of Coronado. Three times they tried to stop over-building. Each time, city leadership and other special interests defeated us. Remember the battle royale in 2006 when city officials made national headlines by suing our residents to overturn Proposition J on a technicality followed by the weakening of the Residential Standards Improvement Project (RSIP) 1 and RSIP 2 that would have limited over-development?

Several members of this "old guard" are still in office today and continue to force over-development on us.

We must unite now and vote for a fresh change in leadership. Otherwise, like frogs in a slowly boiling pot of water, one day it'll be too late because we'll find ourselves boiled alive by over-building.

I've been engaging our community in a dialogue while walking door-to-door year-round and hosting monthly SPEAK OUT CORONADO Town Hall Meetings in our library. Here are the highlights of a cost-effective plan suggested by a majority of residents and local business owners in these discussions:

1. Traditionally, Coronado voluntarily accepts SANDAG's speculation on regional population increases. The council then agrees to over-develop our island by hiring outside consultants to "amend" the Housing Element of our General Plan and intentionally increase island density. However, we're under no legal obligation to increase density and build additional housing units. Instead, we can make our own reasonable plans in-house and update our Housing Element based on our shared community vision. We should stand up for our island and stop over-development.

2. Since we exceeded our legal requirement to build affordable housing all the way through 2036, based on the property tax increment dollars we received in the past, we shouldn't seek more tax dollars for this purpose. Our city must stop trying to "monitor" existing affordable housing and let independent housing managers do their job without government "oversight."

3. Reconsider some recommendations by RSIP 1 and 2 that were previously rejected. Consider second story setbacks.

4. To help curb over-development, we must no longer ignore our Historic Resource Commission recommendations regarding permits for designation, demolition, and alterations. Instead we must uphold our municipal historic preservation ordinance and reduce the backlog in our Mills Act program.

5. Listen to and consider adopting future recommendations from emerging resident groups Coronado CAN and 4ABC who are concerned about over-development and related matters.

6. Consider codifying in our city ordinance the rights all residents have to sunlight, air and views like other cities have done.

As your Mayor, I'll champion this plan because it preserves our vanishing village atmosphere, improves our quality of life and protects our property values.