The city of Coronado has reached an agreement with the state of California to adopt a housing plan allowing for the development of 912 units in order to bring the city into compliance with the state's affordable housing laws, it was announced Friday.
As part of the agreement, which still must be approved by a judge, the city will adopt a plan by April 16 that will permit the new units and modify its zoning by May 7 to meet housing targets.
State law holds that cities and counties must update their housing plans to meet their share of regional and statewide housing needs. Coronado failed to update its plan in 2021 to meet its 912-unit Regional Housing Needs Allocation target.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement, "The city of Coronado has wisely chosen to collaborate with us and confront its housing challenges head on. There's no question that this moment is long overdue — I want to thank the current Coronado City Council for finally doing the right thing. The housing crisis we are facing in California is enormous, and the only way we can tackle it is if every local government follows the law and builds its fair share of housing. Today should serve as a valuable lesson to counties and cities across the state: No matter your situation, state leaders are willing and able to help you deliver housing for all of your residents. If we could get it done in Coronado, an island city where a military base and a port sits on more than half of it, we can get it done elsewhere, too."
The Coronado City Council voted earlier this week to approve a new plan, which the Coronado Times reported was approved "unanimously but begrudgingly" at its Tuesday council meeting.
The settlement holds that until a compliant housing element is adopted, the city will not deny housing projects due to zoning or general plan inconsistencies. A plan for 374 housing units at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado will also be counted towards Coronado's Regional Housing Needs Allocation.
If Coronado fails to abide by the settlement, it could lose authority to approve or deny certain types of developments, may be ordered to facilitate homes for households earning below the area's median income and could face monetary penalties, according to California Attorney General's Office.
"This agreement provides the city of Coronado the certainty and state support necessary to attain a compliant Housing Element," said Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey. "Grappling with a RHNA allocation that is much greater than in prior cycles, the combined creativity of the city and state was brought to bear for this workable solution. With a shared goal of developing a meaningful and achievable plan to reach compliance, we've found resolution to a yearslong challenge."
