CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
March 4, 2025 {{section.number}}c
INTRODUCTION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORONADO, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 84.10 OF THE CORONADO MUNICIPAL
CODE TO IMPLEMENT THE HISTORIC CONTEXT STATEMENT AND HISTORIC
RESOURCES INVENTORY, AND ADOPTION OF THE HISTORIC CONTEXT STATEMENT
AND HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY
RECOMMENDATION:
Introduce Ordinance No. 2025-02, “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Coronado, California, amending Chapter 84.10 of the Coronado Municipal Code to implement the Historic Context Statement and Historic Resources Inventory”, and adopt the Historic Context Statement and Historic Resources Inventory.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s Historic Preservation Program includes a requirement, enshrined in the Coronado Municipal Code, that structures that are 75 or more years old must be reviewed through a Determination of Historic Significance process prior to demolition, or a construction project that involves removal of original architectural features that are visible from the street right of way. In 2018, a subcommittee of the City Council comprised of Councilmembers Carrie Downey and Mike Donovan made recommendations on improvements to this review process. Among the recommendations directed by the City Council was development of a context statement and citywide inventory of potentially architecturally significant properties that would guide the Historic Preservation Program, streamline the Determination of Historic Significance review process, and provide increased certainty to property owners with regard to modifications on their property.
Over the next several years, extensive archival and field research was conducted by the City’s contracted consultant for the project. In tandem, numerous public participation and outreach efforts including both in-person and remote meetings were held, public input surveys and mapping applications hosted on the City’s Project Coronado website were monitored, and outreach campaigns were conducted via social media and postal mail to gather input from the public.
After completion of the draft document, City Council considered public comments, reviewed the document, and provided their own comments and direction at the meetings of June 20, 2023, November 21, 2023, September 17, 2024, and most recently, on December 3, 2024. At this meeting, a Final Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), prepared consistent with CEQA Guidelines, was certified by City Council and staff was directed to move forward with the appropriate ordinance amendments to implement the use of the Historic Context Statement and Historic Resources Inventory.
The Historic Context Statement and Historic Resources Inventory has been finalized for formal adoption and can be accessed at this link: https://www.projectcoronado.org/citywide-historicresource-survey ANALYSIS:
The Historic Context Statement is a narrative of the history of Coronado and its built environment, and identifies important themes, property types, patterns of development, significant events, and people that have shaped the history of Coronado from the City’s initial development through 1970.
Information is included on locally significant architectural styles, along with information on prominent architects and builders that have contributed to Coronado’s built environment. The Context Statement provides a framework for evaluation of resources within the important aspects of Coronado’s history and, used in conjunction with the City’s adopted Designation Criteria Guidelines, will assist with consistent identification, evaluation, and preservation of Historic Resources.
The Historic Resources Inventory is a survey of structures in the Village area constructed through 1970 and provides an evaluation of potential historic significance under Coronado’s Historic Designation Criterion C related to architecture, which states: “It possesses distinctive characteristics of an architectural style and has not been substantially altered.” Properties are categorized in tiers based on the level of observed retention of original architectural appearance, as reflected in the Survey Findings Matrix that is included as an appendix to the document:
Tier 1 - Unaltered or minimally altered from historic condition and potentially eligible for City designation under Criterion C.
Tier 2 - Recognizable as a particular architectural style but based on observation and/or construction history are more than “unaltered or minimally altered” from historic condition and do not appear to be eligible for historic designation under Criterion C.
Tier 3 - Substantially altered properties that retain little to no elements of a particular architectural style and, based on observation and/or construction history, are not eligible for historic designation under Criterion C.
Year Built Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
Through 1950 155 130 1,058
1951 through 1970 31 14 606
TOTAL 186 144 1,664
There are 84 properties in the Village area that were not sufficiently visible from the public right of way to be evaluated and were not assigned to a tier. Because these properties have not been evaluated for potential significance under Criterion C, they would be subject to the Determination of Historic Significance Review process based on age. Additionally, properties constructed after 1970 (including the entirety of the Coronado Cays), areas in Port of San Diego or Military jurisdiction, and state or federally owned properties were not evaluated.
After review of the document and discussion of alternatives for program changes, City Council agreed on the following elements and directed staff to prepare an ordinance for introduction:
• Exclude Tier 3 properties from the required Determination of Historic Significance Review process.
• Retain the existing 75 or more-year age threshold for a required Determination of Historic Significance Review process for properties that are not categorized as Tier 3.
With this direction, there are 1,058 Tier 3 properties built through 1950 that will no longer be subject to the Determination of Historic Significance Review process in association with a project, and over time, an additional 606 properties will be excluded from the required review process as they meet the 75-year age threshold. Staff has prepared the attached amendment to Chapter
84.10 of the Coronado Municipal Code to capture this direction and implement the use of the Historic Context Statement and Historic Resources Inventory. Additionally, staff will prepare and publish relevant updates to the Historic Preservation Program Guidebook, the City’s Historic Preservation Program website, and other public information resources to communicate this program change.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City Council authorized a contract with Dudek for the completion of the Historic Context Statement and Historic Resources Inventory in the amount of $120,780 and a contract with Project Design Consultants in the amount of $122,205 for completion of the Program Environmental Impact Report. Both contracts were completed within budget.
The City typically receives around 25 applications for Determination of Historic Significance Reviews annually. The City subsidizes the cost of the Historic Research Report for each property at an average cost of approximately $7,000 for each report. As a result of the program changes, it is anticipated that the annual cost paid by the City for Historic Research Reports will be reduced, as there will be fewer Determination of Historic Significance applications per year.
ALTERNATIVE:
The City Council may alter prior policy direction or choose not to adopt the ordinance amendments.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT:
These amendments to the Historic Preservation Program were analyzed pursuant to Section 15091 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines through a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) and on December 3, 2024, the City Council made findings in accordance with Public Resources Code Sections 21081(b) and 21081.5 that the economic and public benefits of the project outweigh the unavoidable and adverse impacts identified in the PEIR.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
Public notice will be published in the Coronado Eagle & Journal following introduction.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Ordinance 2025-02 Amending Chapter 84.10 of the Coronado Municipal Code to implement the Historic Context Statement and Historic Resources Inventory Submitted By: Community Development Department / Tricia Olsen