City of Coronado
COVID-19 UPDATE

Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Top News
COVID-19 Update - Timely News Announcements

The City’s COVID-19 Update provides the latest news and information on how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting Coronado and how the City is responding. The newsletter will now be published on an as-needed basis with timely news announcements as they happen. The City also provide news on its web page, via Facebook and Twitter and in the City Manager’s Weekly Update on Friday.
Advocacy Letter for Small Businesses Approved

The City Council endorsed a letter Tuesday, May 19, that requests state and county health orders be amended to allow customers to enter small independently owned businesses, subject to the same restrictions and terms as customers to enter big-box stores.

In addition to the letter, which will be distributed to state and county officials, the Council discussed other COVID-19 related items at its May 19 meeting, including the reopening of the Tennis Center, limited parking at the South Bay Bird Sanctuary, parking enforcement in the Commercial District; waiving of commercial use permit fees, and various parking restrictions around Coronado.

At a special meeting on May 8, Council members directed staff to draft the advocacy letter that discusses how large and small businesses are being treated unfairly. Coronado’s business community is comprised of small, locally owned independent businesses. Coronado’s planning has not included large big-box chain stores. State and County health orders have provided a competitive edge to big-box stores over small independent specialty shops.
Tennis Center to Reopen Wednesday, May 20

Th e City Council has approved the reopening of the Tennis Center on Wednesday, May 20, after the San Diego County Public Health Officer amended an order to allow for tennis to resume under monitored limited conditions.

No more than two individual participants or one household group is allowed on the court at a time. The court must be monitored. Temperature checks will be required before entrance to the facility. All participants interacting with staff must wear face coverings.

Call the Tennis Center at (619) 522-2650 to make a reservation. Leave a message and wait for a return call confirmation.

The prerequisite conditions to allow for tennis to resume can be met at the Coronado Tennis Center. Staff has prepared and submitted the required Physical Distancing and Safety Plan to the County Health Department.

The Cays and the High School tennis courts currently do not have the required infrastructure in place to monitor the courts and remain closed. The Council also directed staff to return with costs associated with reopening the Cays tennis courts.
Metered Parking Enforcement in Commercial Corridor to Resume

The City Council directed staff on Tuesday, May 19, to resume metered parking enforcement due to an increase in commercial activity.

The Council approved the Police Department recommendation to begin enforcing meters on Wednesday, May 20, through the use of written warnings and then implement the use of parking citations beginning next Thursday, May 28.

As more restaurants and retail businesses reopen, it is hoped that an increase in parking demand and pedestrian activity will return to the Commercial District. With that return of activity, parking will need to be managed via the parking meters.
Temporary Business Monitoring Needs

As businesses are allowed to conditionally reopen in Coronado, there is a need to monitor and educate businesses to ensure they are in compliance with San Diego County’s safe reopening plan. The City Council agreed to work with Coronado MainStreet to provide that service.

Assigning sworn officers to this function is inefficient and gives the appearance that Coronado is leading with enforcement over education. The City Manager proposed contracting with Coronado MainStreet to provide temporary business monitoring to assist businesses in compliance with various conditions during the health emergency.

These temporary costs will be approximately $2,000 per month.
Parking Restrictions Lifted at South Bay Parking Lot

The City Council approved relaxing parking restrictions at a parking lot at the South Bay Marine Biology Study Area on the southern Silver Strand State Highway.

The move is in accordance with the permissible parking allowed by County of San Diego protocol. Previously, Coronado was directed to close all parking near parks. A new health order states that half of the available parking may be opened, or in other words, parking availability shall be restricted by 50 percent.

The County has directed that all parking lots for beaches shall remain closed.
Commercial Use Permit Fees Waived

The City Council has waived commercial use permit fees for Fiscal Year 2020-21 in light of the public health emergency and the impacts COVID-19 has had on Coronado.

The City issues Commercial Use Permits to authorize businesses to conduct commercial activity in the public right of way, for example for outdoor dining. Permits are issued for a 5-year term and require payment of an annual fee by July 31.

The fee is $903 for FY 20- 21 for a total impact of approximately $15,000 in waived permit fees.
Other Actions in Response to New Health Orders

The Council agreed to consider several items not on the May 19 agenda but that are related to Item 10c "Discussion and Action Regarding Response to COVID-19 Related Health Orders and Emergency Regulations." The Council voted to add the following items to the agenda for consideration:

Dine-in restaurants: The City Council agreed to waive parking code requirements for restaurants to allow them to temporarily serve dining patrons in parking lots or other dedicated parking spots and open areas near their restaurants. The City will work with those restaurants who do not have parking lots or dedicated spaces. Each restaurant must obtain approval by the ABC for alcohol-related service outside their existing permits. The Council approved the arrangement until Aug. 1 or until limitations on indoor seating are lifted, whichever occurs first. The Council also directed staff to identify other public areas suitable for outdoor dining for future Council consideration. Restaurants can send an email to the City Manager's Office providing information on what they plan to do so the City can make all relevant City departments aware.
Passive Beach Activities: The City Council agreed to follow San Diego County guidelines if and when health officials open beaches for passive use. The City is hearing that the County may reopen beaches for sitting, picnicking or laying out within household groups before Memorial Day in San Diego. Currently, passive use is allowed in parks but not on the beach. The City's Glorietta Bay Park has both a beach and a park. Passive use is allowed in the park but not on the adjacent beach. The Council asked the public to heed the social distancing and sanitation measures.

Ocean Boulevard, Nearby Parking: The City Council agreed to lift parking restrictions on Ocean Boulevard on the non-beach side of the street in accordance with recent public health orders concerning parking limitations. The change would include lifting no-parking rules around Sunset Park, including on Ocean Boulevard and Ocean Drive.

Dog Beach Access: The City Council considered reopening Dog Beach but took no action. Dog Beach and the nearby fire pits, as well as Sunset Park, were closed April 3 due to the difficulty visitors have had in adhering to social distancing requirements.

Cays Park Parking: The City Council approved lifting parking restrictions around Cays Park. Currently, parking is prohibited along both sides of Cays Boulevard from the entry to Mardi Gras Road. The Council directed staff to keep parking restrictions on the park side of the boulevard but reopen it on the bay side.

Glorietta Bay Park Parking: The City Council approved lifting parking restrictions by 50% around Glorietta Bay Park. Currently, parking is prohibited around the park.
Lifeline Business Loan Program Update

The City reopened the Lifeline Business Loan Program to Tier 2 businesses on Monday, May 18. The City has so far paid loans totaling $1.04 million to 71 eligible Tier 1 businesses and is processing 16 new Tier 2 applications worth $240,000. The City Council approved the Lifeline Business Loan Program on April 21 to quickly help local businesses who have been forced to close or vastly reduced their operations due to the coronavirus pandemic. City staff developed application forms and loan agreements and began issuing checks May 1. The Coronado Chamber of Commerce is issuing and receiving loan applications. Contact Sue Gillingham at  sue@coronadochamber.com   or (619) 435-9260.
Osher Lecture This Week

This week’s Osher online lecture, brought to you courtesy of the City's Spreckels Center and UC San Diego's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, is “The Arc of Western Art and the Great Disruptions of the Renaissance and Impressionism.” It will be available for online viewing through Monday, May 25. Presenter Linda Blair taught art history for many years in the East (where she was also a docent at The Cloisters), at the Athenaeum Library in La Jolla, and at the Osher Institute.
COVID-19 Health Resources and Links