Week of: Thursday, May 24, 2007 |
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by Jared Cohen
The initiative, if voted on, would amend the Land Use Plan of the City of Coronado Local Coastal Program. It seeks to force the council to wait for voter approval before beginning construction projects on Coronado beach. Susan Heavilin, a resident who helped to organize the petition, said that she sought to “cease any future building on the sandy beach beforeŠ voter approval.” The proponents of the initiative, Citizens for the Preservation of Coronado Beach (CPCB), collected signatures in the hopes of forcing a special election and putting the measure before voters. City Attorney Morgan Foley said that the petition met the number of required signatures to be placed on the ballot, but there were “not enough signatures to qualify it for a special election.” Foley said that what the initiative amounts to is an attempt to amend the local coastal program. “It was our belief that we were requesting a special election,” said Heavilin. “Over 2,500 signatures were gathered.” A special election would cost the city approximately $400,000, while adding the measure to a general ballot would cost the city $8,000. The petition by CPCB is on the heels of a lawsuit filed by Heavilin in 2005 over the construction of the Lifeguard Services Building at a site on Central Beach near the rocks. San Diego Superior Court Judge Ronald Prager ruled that the city needed to complete a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) before construction could proceed, and the city complied, releasing the EIR to the public last December and certifying it at the April 2 council meeting. “For some of us, this is the second term of dealing with this issue,” said Councilmember Casey Tanaka. Councilmember Carrie Downey mentioned that she thought there had been ample opportunity for public input through the course of the construction of the services building. Mayor Tom Smisek stepped down during the discussion because he owns property close to the site. Downey expressed an interest in whether or not the word “beach” has a clear enough legal definition in the documents. She wondered if “beach” could be construed to mean any expanse of coastal sand, in which case the measure could potentially affect every beach in Coronado. Downey directed city staff to return with a report on the language and intent of the measure. She also mentioned that the California Coastal Commission may or may not have the authority to overturn the measure if approved by voters. The City Council voted to accept the results from the clerk, certifying the receipt of the necessary signatures. The decision over which ballot to use was tabled until after the staff report is in. City staff said that a special meeting in June to review the report will be necessary.
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