Council approves memorial bench for local League of Wives members

A new bench is coming to Coronado’s Star Park to commemorate locally based members of the League of Wives, a national movement that was founded in Coronado during the Vietnam War and shaped US policy on missing in action service members and prisoners of war.

The bench will include a plaque that reads, “Honoring our Coronado League of Wives,” accompanied by a list of names of local spouses involved in alphabetical order. The council considered extending the plaque to “League of Families,” but ultimately decided to focus on the spouses themselves, while acknowledging during deliberation the contributions of family members.

Members of the community overall agreed on these parameters.

In April, Councilmembers Amy Steward and Kelly Purvis submitted a Policy No. 2 request that the council consider installing a plaque near the statue to further honor those tied to Coronado who were personally involved in the movement. The council voted unanimously to move forward with the request.

The bench will be placed near the League of Wives memorial that was installed last summer. A second option — repurposing an existing bench near Flora Avenue — was also considered, but the council agreed that the bench should be close to the memorial.

Doing it this way also allows the city to standardize its park benches by replacing an old bench with one that matches the city’s cohesive standards.

The chosen option is projected cost between $24,600 and $31,000, depending on whether slab replacement and turf restoration are required, compared to the $19,000 cost of repurposing an existing bench.

New berthing fees are coming to the Glorietta Bay Marina

The Coronado City Council has approved new berthing fees at the Glorietta Bay Marina, which will align them with current market rates.

A market study conducted in August 2025 found that while the cost of smaller berthing slips at the city’s marina are aligned with regional averages, larger slips fall 30 to 36 percent below market average.

For example, a 70-foot slip in Coronado rents for $31.96 per foot of vessel length, per month. Similar slips elsewhere in the San Diego Bay average $42.25 per foot. The largest slips in the city’s marina, which are 110 feet, are about 36 percent cheaper than in other nearby marinas.

City staff proposed a new rate schedule more aligned with local costs. The original proposal was to phase the rates in over three years, but, the council opted to increase the rates over two years, citing the value current lessees are already getting.

The first half of the rate hike will take effect once the resolution is signed by Mayor John Duncan. The second half will take effect the following year, with the third year allowing for any final adjustments to bring slip prices to market rates.

After that, rates would be adjusted annually — and automatically — in alignment with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with a market study conducted every five years.

Any new renters will pay the new rates immediately.

Current Slip Rates (dollars per foot of vessel length)Slip LengthGlorietta Bay MarinaSan Diego Bay Area Average RateDifference from Avg ($)Difference from Avg (%)20’20.1519.89+0.26+1.32%22’20.1519.96+0.19+0.96%25’20.1522.12-1.97-8.89%30’23.6226.02-2.40-9.23%32’23.6225.94-2.32-8.96%34’23.6227.47-3.85-14.02%40’25.0028.90-3.90-13.49%50’27.7833.44-5.66-16.94%60’27.7840.63-12.85-31.62%70’31.9642.25-10.29-24.36%106’35.4452.40-16.96-32.36%110’35.4455.05-19.61-35.62%

 

Eventual Slip Rates (dollars per foot of vessel length per month)Slip Length in feetFinal price20–2421.1725–2823.1829–3327.2734–3728.7538–4530.2546–5534.9756–6542.3066–8044.0981–10954.55110–12057.25

 

Council approves parcel map, Mills Act applications

The City Council approved a tentative parcel map that would allow for a property to be subdivided and sold separately, as well as two Mills Act historic preservation contracts.

The Mills Act was enacted in California in 1972, and it allows cities to offer voluntary tax incentives to owners of historic homes who agree to preserve and restore them. Each contract runs for 10 years and automatically renews unless it is canceled.

Mills Act property owners sign a contract with the city outlining required maintenance and restoration projects. In exchange, they save on property taxes. The exact rate of savings varies based on a myriad of factors, but Coronado caps its annual property tax savings for Mills Act properties at 50 percent.

Coronado adopted the program in 2000, and it took effect the following year. Since then, the total cumulative reduction in property taxes is estimated at $9.3 million, with an impact of about $1.05 million last year. To offset these losses, the city maintains a $500,000 reserve in its general fund dedicated to historic preservation.

The estimated fiscal impact to the city, if it approves both applications for Mills Act contracts, is about $7,627 next year.