CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
May 6, 2025 {{section.number}}g
ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING PORTIONS OF CORONADO MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTERS 86.34 AND 86.70 TO IMPLEMENT THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION’S SUGGESTED MODIFICATIONS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN CERTIFICATION OF THE CITY’S
LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM RELATED TO THE SIXTH CYCLE HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt an Ordinance titled “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Coronado Amending Portions of the Coronado Municipal Code Related to the Sixth Cycle Housing Element Update.” BACKGROUND:
The City adopted the Housing Element Update and required Zoning Ordinance and Local Coastal Program (LCP) Amendments in April 2024. After adoption, the Amendments were submitted to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) for Certification as is required due to the City’s location within the Coastal Zone. On December 12, 2024, the California Coastal Commission approved the LCP Amendments with modifications that update the plan to provide clarity and affirmative language to ensure consistency with the Chapter 3 policies of the Coastal Act in regard to visitorserving commercial uses and coastal hazards. On April 1, 2025, the City Council introduced the ordinance incorporating the CCC modifications.
ANALYSIS:
The CCC modifications are not considered major. The CCC’s stated goal with the modifications was to ensure consistency with their policies to maintain visitor-serving commercial uses and acknowledge coastal hazards. The modifications are specific to Coronado Municipal Code Chapters 86.34 – Housing Element Opportunity Site Overlay Zone, and Chapter 86.70 – Coastal Permits, as well as incorporating the Housing Element Opportunity Site Overlay Zone into the LCP Implementation Plan. The latter is achieved by including CMC Chapter 86.34 and the updated Zoning Map showing the Housing Element Overlay Zones.
Changes required in CMC Chapter 86.34 call for specifying that for commercially-zoned properties, shopkeeper units or live-work quarters are allowed on the entire ground floor, that residential uses may front on Second Street between A and B Avenues, and that other residential uses shall not occupy more than 50% of the total square footage of the ground floor and shall not front on a street. Additionally, a new section related to flood risk is to be included specific to 150 B Avenue, otherwise known as the Smart and Final property. This requires the owner to enter into an agreement with the City that includes various acknowledgements and provisions.
One final change to CMC Chapter 86.34 included additional language related to the “By-right approval” language that called out a coastal permit in addition to the language requiring ministerial design review.
Changes required in CMC Chapter 86.70 provide reference to the City’s overall LCP rather than CMC Chapters 86.74 and 86.76 which are related to Waterfront Development and Protection of Natural Ocean and Bay Processes.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Housing Elements are required by the State and are intended to effectuate State policy. Some State and SANDAG funding is contingent upon a State-certified Housing Element. Without a certified Housing Element, Coronado is not eligible to receive these funds. Additionally, if found out of compliance the State can suspend the City’s authority to issue building permits, grant zone changes or variances, or grant subdivision map approvals, and can fine the City up to $100,000 per month. AB 72, passed in 2017, further strengthened State housing law by allowing for HCD to refer any non-compliance to the State Attorney General for enforcement. This happened when the State sued Huntington Beach in 2019 for removing capacity to build affordable housing units and forced them to rezone sites to provide adequate affordable housing.
ALTERNATIVE:
The City Council may choose to not adopt the CCC’s suggested modifications and risk not obtaining certification of the amended LCP, therefore losing Housing Element Certification.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT:
The project is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Government Code Section 65759, because the project consists of actions necessary to bring the City’s General Plan into conformance with state law under the terms of a judgment entered by the Superior Court of San Diego on November 8, 2023. As provided in Government Code Section 65759, the City has prepared and Environmental Assessment (EA), the content of which substantially conforms to the required content for a draft environmental impact report set forth in Article 9 (commencing with Section 15140) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, to analyze potential environmental impacts from the project.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
Public notice was published in the Coronado Eagle and Journal on April 30, 2025.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Ordinance No. 2025-03
Submitted By: Community Development Department / Jesse Brown