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Village atmosphere -- small building scale, diverse storefronts, and façade variety.

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Community feel, pedestrian friendly, outdoor dining, and a safe walking downtown.

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Landscaped medians.

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Inviting, lively, and interactive atmosphere -- outdoor dining, pedestrians on street, opportunities for community to interact with each other.

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Orange Avenue’s “Main Street” atmosphere / a gathering place / the “Boardwalk” of Coronado – everything is physically close.

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Hotel Del Coronado as a tourist draw, small shops that are easy accessible by walking or biking.

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Unique look of small businesses.

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Eclectic architecture styles.

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Buildings like El Cordova, Hotel Del Coronado, and the Spreckels Building

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Non-retail uses from Orange Avenue, as it creates gaps between shops and is a detriment to a viable shopping district.

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Vacant lots and buildings.

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Relocate real estate offices and liquor stores from Orange Avenue to the side streets.

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North of the Library is more residential, but it is not an inviting area until the Ferry Landing; buildings are not kept up as they are further south.

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Rundown buildings and stretches of Orange Avenue that don’t fit, e.g., shop appearance or type of goods sold.

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Replace the old movie theater with a new one.

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Mixed use, as vertical mixed uses are not working, especially ground floor retail with condominiums on top.

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Redevelop the entire Von’s block with an entertainment center, incorporating the existing facade: arcade for kids, food court, bring back existing businesses, create an anchor tenant, underground parking.

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Increase the community’s appreciation of downtown; tourists appreciate it!

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Create an arts and crafts “mall” in the Petco or Cora Mart building to attract out-of-towners.

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Fix up the older buildings while retaining the streetscape harmony.

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More parking.

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A place for kids aged 12 – 14 years old to hang out, as shown in TV shows (Saved by the Bell or Lizzie Mac).

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Better maintenance and more frequent trash pickups.

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March 4, 2002 The Kickoff meeting topics included, “What Is a Specific Plan?”, Work Program and Schedule, and the Role of the Committee

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April 18, 2002 The Committee provided input to Mark Brodeur of the RRM Design Group on mixed use, zoning to restrict certain uses or to limit the quantity of certain uses, and building heights in the commercial areas.

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May 16, 2002 Gerry Trimble of Keyser Marston Associates summarized the initial findings regarding demographics and market demand for Coronado. The Committee provided input regarding the Urban Design Studio’s memorandum report, “A Direction for Downtown Coronado.”

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July 25, 2002 Gerry Trimble of Keyser Marston Associates presented initial findings regarding the Village Theater and Cora Mart sites and Alan Hoffman of The Mission Group presented initial data on the Parking Study.

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August 15 and 22, 2002 The Committee discussed and provided input to the Consultants on land uses and development standards for the commercial areas.

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September 12, 2002 The discussion of development standards continued, including mixed use and density.

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September 19, 2002 The Committee met independently of consultants and further discussed uses in the commercial zones.

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October 10, 2002 Alan Hoffman of The Mission Group presented various parking strategies and received input from the Committee; Danielle Putnam of RBF Consulting’s Urban Design Studio presented a supply/demand parking analysis for existing and future conditions; and the draft design criteria for the Commercial Zone were reviewed.

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October 31, 2002 The Committee discussed and provided input on design criteria for the R-4 Multiple Family Residential Zone and reviewed preliminary “wayfinding” signage concepts.

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November 14, 2002 The Committee met independently of consultants to discuss development standards in the R 4 Multiple Family Residential Zone.

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November 21, 2002 Alan Hoffman of The Mission Group presented highlights of a Mobility Study and received Committee input. The Committee reviewed and provided feedback on draft goals and implementation strategies for the Specific Plan.

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December 19, 2002 The Preliminary Draft Specific Plan was presented to the DSPC for input and comment.

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January – June, 2003 Over the course of eight meetings (dates are listed below), the Committee was presented additional information and input on the inter-related topics of land use; parking standards; building height, mass and bulk; signage; and the special use permit process. Following extensive and thorough discussion of these topics, the Committee directed the consultants to make revisions to the Preliminary Draft Specific Plan and release it for public review.

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July 24, 2003 The Committee reviewed comments on the Draft Specific Plan made at the June 24 public workshop and June 25 Design Review Commission meeting. The Committee directed plan revisions to be prepared for the public hearing.

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Specific Plan Planning Factors: Identifies the opportunities and constraints that influence and contribute to the successful implementation of the Orange Avenue Corridor Specific Plan.

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Specific Plan Goals: Provides the broad goals that future development and redevelopment in the Specific Plan area shall implement.

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Specific Plan Objectives: Provides more explicit policy statements that implement the Specific Plan’s Goals.

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Policy

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Land Use & Urban Design

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Parking

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Economic / Marketing

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Traffic / Circulation

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Develop a Community-Based Plan: The Specific Plan area stretches along Orange Avenue, and includes the southern commercial area referred to as “downtown” by residents; the northern commercial area adjacent to the Ferry Landing; and the multi-family-zoned residential area in between. Coronado residents, merchants, and property owners all have various feelings about how these different areas should be preserved or how they should change. Change is an inevitable part of a city’s evolution, but that does not mean it should proceed in an uncontrolled manner. A community that directs its future can keep and enhance what is valued, while encouraging and allowing changes that will contribute to the community’s vision.

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Establish Predictable/Understandable Criteria and Standards: The existing Orange Avenue Design Guidelines (revised 1991) are well written and cite good examples of design, but are non-specific and not regulatory. This means that development proposals can ignore them. Developers’ and designers’ efforts to interpret such guidelines are sometimes different from the understanding of City staff, Design Review Commissions, or decision makers. This uncertainty ultimately harms the City because developers, property owners and lenders perceive that it may be too risky to attempt improvements or projects that may benefit the community.

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Mixed Use: Mixed use development (defined for this Specific Plan as residential above commercial) is a controversial topic in Coronado’s Commercial Zone. Concerns regarding mixed use include: (1) may create additional traffic; (2) increased development intensity; (3) marginal commercial uses; and (4) privacy issues. Residential development provides customers for adjacent commercial uses, but commercial uses sometimes have characteristics that create problems for residents, such as noise or unpleasant odors. It is perceived that mixed use developers in the commercial zoned areas profit from the residential units, while the additional commercial square footage may not be needed. Also, there is concern that currently viable commercial properties will convert to mainly residential use (condominiums) and slowly eliminate existing downtown businesses.

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“White Elephant” Lots and Buildings: Vacant buildings, such as the Cora Mart and the Village Theater, present unattractive gaps in Coronado’s urban fabric, influence the appearance of adjacent buildings, and do not add to the community’s economic vitality.

The Village Theater holds special memories for most of Coronado’s long-time residents and has nostalgic symbolism as the community’s indoor gathering space. It is where families went to the movies together, teenagers had their first dates, and children experienced their first afternoon matinees free of parental supervision. Emotionally, residents don’t like seeing the theatre inactive. Other functional buildings are also “white elephants” in that they do not contribute to the streetscape’s strong pedestrian environment, such as the Petco store and the Bank of America building.

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Protect Points of Community Pride: The community has specific unique features that it strongly identifies with and wants to protect, such as the landscaped medians on Orange Avenue.

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Existing Zoning Doesn’t Create the Desired Scale: In general, the community wants to maintain the low-rise, one- and two-story human scale development currently in the commercial zones; however, the current zoning allows buildings that are taller (3-story) and bulkier than most buildings currently found on Orange Avenue.

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Create a Central Civic Space: Most successful downtowns have a significant public open space that brings citizens together to celebrate community. To attract people downtown, activities need to be scheduled in a comfortable and central location. Coronado has Spreckels Park for outdoor cultural activities, but an urban space much closer to Downtown’s commercial area is needed. As stated in the Business Area Development Plan, a focal point such as an enhanced Rotary Park would complement and balance the Hotel Del Coronado’s future entry garden area (corner of Orange and R.H. Dana Place) and Adella Plaza. A central outdoor space would also give strolling visitors a significant destination and provide a place for residents to informally gather.

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Better “Wayfinding” Is Needed: There is a term in urban design called “wayfinding.” That is, urban design efforts must help people find their way to a place and within the place. Many people unfamiliar with Downtown Coronado do not know how to get there after disembarking from the Ferry, driving off the Bridge or coming up the Strand. They also are uncertain where to go once they are Downtown. Signage for parking (surface and underground), directional signage, and downtown directories and kiosks are lacking and needed.

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Parking Requirements Impact Intensity of Development: To satisfy parking requirements for new development, or for redevelopment greater than the building’s original square footage, relatively large lots are required. This is because the parking must be put underground or within a structure, where it is more difficult to accommodate the cars’ turning movements. The result is that smaller lots are difficult to redevelop and may simply deteriorate over time, or lot consolidations create projects that are bigger than what the community wants.

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Location of Public Parking: Public parking located in the right-of-way along city streets is desirable for reasons of convenience and pedestrian safety. Community members are concerned about the visual effects of parking structures.

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Vacant Land for Surface Parking Lots is Limited: Vacant land that could be used for surface parking in the Downtown commercial area is virtually non-existent. A few existing buildings have surface parking lots on Orange Avenue, such as La Avenida and Petco.

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Small Population Base and Isolated Geography: Coronado’s population base is relatively small in comparison to other cities in the region. The City’s ability to compete for retail sales in a trade area beyond Coronado is hampered by is physical separation from San Diego/South Bay proper which, in turn, limits the City’s potential to attract a broad range of national retail tenants. The City’s population growth is stagnant and, at least with respect to retail sales potential, the enlisted and retired military personnel are considered absent because they primarily utilize on-base retail as opposed to Orange Avenue retailers.

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High Incomes: Household and per capita incomes in Coronado are very strong, as compared with comparable incomes for the San Diego region. These factors indicate that Coronado residents have above-average amounts of disposable income to spend on goods and services.

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Strong Military Presence: Coronado is home to two major military installations, the Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) and Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI.) The base-related workforce is estimated at approximately 35,000, inclusive of enlisted, officers, and civilian workers. Although the military bases provide top-quality on-base retail and services to enlisted and retired military personnel, spill-over demand from the military for services is a positive economic generator for the City.

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Exporting Retail Sales Potential: The City is exporting the vast majority of its retail sales potential out of the City. The most recent figures available indicate that Coronado is retaining only 35% of its sales potential. This is due in large part to the presence of the Navy Exchange at North Island Naval Air Station (NASNI) and an abundance of established discount retailers and super-regional malls on the mainland.

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Retail Sales Competition: The Navy Exchange at NASNI offers approximately 100,000 square feet of shopping comparable to a Wal-Mart or Target, inclusive of a food court and other amenities. Adjacent to the NASNI Exchange is a 48,000 SF Commissary. The NASNI Exchange offers a standard discount of approximately 17% before sales tax and the Commissary offers a 30% discount. Neither Exchanges nor Commissaries are subject to state or local sales tax regimes. Four regional malls offering nearly five million square feet of anchor stores and in-line space are located within seven miles (or within 25 minutes drive) of Downtown Coronado.

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Don’t Compete: The Orange Avenue retail corridor should not attempt to compete with the Navy Exchange at North Island Naval Air Station (NASNI) to recapture General Merchandise sales. The scale of the Exchange and the deep discounts offered to active-duty and retired military personnel residing in Coronado cannot be overcome by the local business district.

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Develop Unique Retail: The City should encourage businesses that contribute to create a unique retail environment oriented to one-of-a-kind upscale retail.

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Village Theater: It is thought that a single-screen theater can be supported by the local non-military population despite the presence of first-run movies at NASNI. However, finding an operator for a single screen movie theater may be difficult and expensive.

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Office Demand: Overall, the office market is healthy with relatively low vacancy throughout. There may be moderate demand for suites larger than 1,000 SF to serve tenants wishing to expand; however, this segment is dominated by real estate agents and financial service firms and is not considered a deep pool of prospective tenants. There is not a significant demand for new office buildings within the Plan area but the City should consider facilitating periodic infusions of office space in mixed-use buildings as warranted by market conditions.

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Lack of Assemblage Opportunities: There are few vacant sites within the boundaries of the Plan area that can be combined to form larger development opportunities. Moreover, existing parcels tend to be narrow and deep, fronted by Orange Avenue and backed by multi-unit residential properties.

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Disagreement Between City and Business: Many business and property owners expressed the opinion that the City is overly restrictive and un-supportive of the business community. Fair and consistent policies must be established and followed in order to overcome the skepticism regarding the objectives of City government.

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Encourage infill development on small sites and remodeling of existing buildings not likely to be replaced in the near future to make them more pedestrian-oriented and visually distinctive.

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Consider expansion of Rotary Park to serve as a large urban community gathering space.

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Limit certain uses that contribute minimally to the pedestrian environment to locations on side streets or the upper stories along Orange Avenue.

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Encourage sensitive design that is compatible with the varied architecture, low-rise heights, and narrow storefronts of Downtown.

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Create a strong sense of identity for the Commercial Zone through use of banners, distinctive street signage, and enhancement of the landscaped medians.

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Establish a comprehensive “wayfinding” system of informational and directional signs to direct vehicular and other travelers to the Commercial Zone and parking facilities.

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Create appropriate development standards and design criteria that promote a high quality image for Downtown.

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Retrofit and rehabilitate existing buildings so that they reflect the spirit of Coronado’s past and are compatible with the expressed design criteria for new development.

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Continue sidewalk and streetscape improvements in commercial areas.

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Enhance the usability of transit stops.

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Maximize on-street parking.

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Continue to pursue parking agreements with commercial owners of underutilized parking garages.

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Reduce the number of auto trips and congestion on Orange Avenue through better management of parking supply, public transit improvements, and consideration of roadway improvements.

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Consider alternatives to on-site parking that allow businesses to satisfy the parking requirements, such as valet parking and shared parking.

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Evaluate the need for additional short-term parking spaces on Orange Avenue.

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Convert free parking in Isabella’s south median to variable priced metered parking.

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Evaluate the need for additional bike racks in the Specific Plan’s commercial areas.

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Use Wayfinding signage to direct vehicles to appropriate convenient parking for their specific destination or activity, e.g., beach, shopping.

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Encourage a unique retail environment oriented to one-of-a-kind upscale retail.

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Continue a well-coordinated and funded maintenance program for Downtown sidewalks, streets, and landscaping.

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Maintain and expand the pedestrian-oriented retail environment.

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Promote retention of existing businesses and recruitment of new businesses that are wanted in Coronado.

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Retain local retail merchants and attract new retail merchants whose uniqueness will: (a) add to downtown’s ability to offer both merchandise and ambiance that is difficult to duplicate in most shopping centers and other downtowns, (b) help to establish and maintain Downtown Coronado as a significant destination retail location, and (c) serve the retail needs of local residents.

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Revive the Village Theater to serve as an anchor for Downtown.

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Exert local leadership authority to outside governmental agencies when beneficial to the economic climate of Coronado.

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Develop funding mechanisms, where appropriate and feasible, to implement public improvements and business-improvement activities.

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Implement a business recruitment and retention plan.

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Develop specific criteria to measure the effectiveness of the Plan over time, such as 5-year increments.