Announcements

Dear Coronado Cays Homeowners:

A well-attended town hall meeting was held on April 20, 2023 in the Grand Caribe Room. Coronado Port Commissioner Frank Urtasun and Port Staff members were in attendance along with Coronado City Council Member Carrie Downey, CCHOA President Mark Crisson, Grand Caribe Task Force Chair Kim Tolles, CCHOA General Manager Henry Angelino, and Master Gardener Mary Berube. A big thank you to Commissioner Urtasun, Christian Anderson (Port Real Estate), Wileen Manaois (Port Development), and Michelle Chan (Port Project Manager) for taking the time after hours to attend and share their expertise on this critical topic.

The main themes of the evening were:

Focus on the PortProject Process: The vote by the Port Commissioners approving the Cottages at the Cays as a valid project for consideration is only the first step in the process. The next step in the process for the proposed development of North Grand Caribe Isle is to hire a CEQA consultant to conduct a study and prepare a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Port will submit a request for proposal for a CEQA consultant and a project manager to work with the Port’s project manager. The Port will hire these professionals, while the Leaseholder is responsible for paying for the study via monthly invoices. The cost of the study is estimated at $500,000 and will take approximately 18 months. In parallel with the EIR, a Port Master Plan Amendment (PMPA) will be required to allow for the project since it was not considered when the current PMP was approved. The EIR and PMPA will be presented to the Board of Port Commissioners simultaneously but for separate votes. The EIR requires a majority of a quorum for approval, but the PMPA requires 5 of the 7 Commissioners to vote for approval. The PMPA, if approved, would be sent to the California Coastal Commission for review and approval, a process that normally takes 12 months. If the PMPA survives that step in the process, it comes back to the Port for another approximately six months before being finalized. If either the PMPA or the EIR is not approved by the Port Commissioners, then the proposed project does not move forward.

Stay Calm. Time ison Our Side: The Port project process takes approximately 3 years to complete with no guarantee of success for the Leaseholder and an investment of approximately $500,000. Additionally, if the project receives approval for its EIR and PMPA, then there is the permitting process and construction. The lease ends in May 2034 and the leaseholder has yetto request an extension. Thus, he will have only seven years remaining on his lease, if the approval process takes approximately 4 years in total. This does not give the Leaseholder much time to recoup his investment into the project before the lease ends. He stated that the project would cost approximately $10 million but others believe this is too low of an estimate.

Port Mater PlanUpdate (PMPU): This is where things started to get confusing. A revision to the current Port Master Plan was started approximately eight years ago and is ongoing. It has been delayed by COVID and for other reasons but is expected to be voted on by the Board of Port Commissioners later this year, approximately September 2023. The Coronado Boat Storage Yard area is being proposed as Recreation/Open Space in the PMPU with a notation that the new designation would take place at the end of the current lease in 2034. If approved by the Port, the PMPU will then go to the California Coastal Commission for review and consideration. The Coastal Commission will vote Yes or No for the PMPU in its entirely. No modifications are allowed. If the PMPU is approved by the Port and the Coastal Commission, it is our understanding that the Coronado Boat Storage Yard Leaseholder would need to apply for an amendment to the newly approved PMPU in order for his project to proceed. Again, a PMPA would require affirmative votes from 5 of 7 Port Commissioners to be approved.

CommunityInvolvement: During the Port project process, there will be several opportunities for public comment including a 30-day comment period regarding the scope of the EIR and a 45-day comment period regarding the draft EIR. General Manager Angelino discussed how individual comments were used against the CCHOA in the previous decision by the Port at their February meeting. The Leaseholder used comments submitted on cards at the two public outreach meetings along with other comments made by Cays’ residents to demonstrate our opposition to outsiders and poor behavior. The result was to shift attention away from the real issues and focus on emotions. General Manager Angelino pointed out all the ways we welcome visitors to the Cays daily and that future comments/communications should go through the CCHOA for incorporation into official correspondence.

History of the GrandCaribe Task Force (GCTF): Chair Kim Tolles discussed the history of the GCTF going back to its formation in 1992 and its efforts to protect Grand Caribe Isle from commercial development. GCTF has taken the lead in coordinating with the City and Port regarding the Port Master Plan, Grand Caribe Shoreline Park (GCSP) rules, erosion and native plants, and lease compliance by the owner of the Coronado Boat Storage Yard, Cays Resort LLC. She shared slides showing the extent of the Cays Resort LLC leasehold and nearby environmentally sensitive areas. Chair Tolles explained that the GCTF has been and is coordinating with environmental groups to provide input to the proposed project and EIR process. If you have connections with environmental groups that you can share, please send them to admin@cchoa.org.

Tenant in Good Standing: General Manager Angelino explained the critical role the Port’s classification of “Tenant in Good Standing” could play in future votes regarding the proposed project including a lease extension. He requested assistance from owners in documenting Coronado Boat Storage Yard lease violations including boat maintenance and hazardous materials. Photos and a description/date & time were requested to be sent to Manager@cchoa.org. Since the leasehold also encompasses the channel south of Grand Caribe Shoreline Park, he also requested photos/accounts of vessels that have gone aground during low tide in the channel.

Use of Grand CaribeShoreline Park: A comment was made at the February Port Commissioner’s meeting regarding the lack of people using GCSP. The point was being made that expanding GCSP into North Grand Caribe would not greatly benefit all Californians. Commissioners in favor of commercial development stated that they felt the Cottages was the best option for all Californians. In an effort to contradict this statement and show what we know is the true usage of GCSP, General Manager Angelino requested owners share photos of their favorite activities while enjoying the park. A CCHOA Instagram account, Coronado Cays HOA, will be used to upload photos of activities at GCSP. If you would like to join, just download the Instagram app, follow coronadocayshoa Instagram, and mention us by using @coronadocayshoa when uploading photos. Need assistance, contact Brianna Guido (CCHOA Administrative Assistant) at admin@cchoa.org or 619-423-4353.

GCSP Wildlife and Fauna: Master Gardener and long-time GCSP conservationist Mary Berube closed out the two-hour session with an informative slide show of the native plants, birds, and green sea turtles that call GCSP and the southern portion of San Diego Bay home. She explained the critical ecology that would be disrupted by the introduction of 41 “Cottages” at Grand Caribe Island and the ongoing efforts to reintroduce native plant species to GCSP. [NOTE:  THE BEAUTIFUL DAISIES ARE NOT CALIFORNIA SUNFLOWERS BUT THEY ARE CROWN DAISIES OR INVASIVE MUMS (“GLEBIONIS COROARIA”).  TRUE CALIFORNIA SUNFLOWERS ARE “HELIANTHUS CALIFORNICUS” AND THEY WOULD BE VERY WELCOME.]

Thank you to all the owners who took time out of their busy schedules to attend the meeting. There were lots of good questions asked and input received. We look forward to providing updates on this critically important issue and hearing from you regarding the above requested items.

Sincerely,

CCHOA Management

Henry Angelino

GeneralManager