Beach Restroom Takes Shape

More than 3 million people visit Coronado beaches every year, yet there are only two public restrooms along 1.5 miles of sand: Near Dog Beach and near the lifeguard tower.

South Beach, by the Hotel del Coronado, has none, forcing people to walk to Central Beach or cross to the Community Center, more than 1,400 feet away. 

On Tuesday, the City Council voted 4-1 to accept a plan to build a small unisex restroom at Avendia del Sol, but asked for more data. 

“How much would it flood if we put it in that location?” Councilman Mike Woiwode asked.

Councilwoman Barbara Denny, who voted against the project, said residents of the Coronado Shores told her that “the area was flooded 40 percent of the time.”

“We shouldn’t force a project on a community if it negatively affects their quality of life,” she said.

Capital projects manager Bill Cecil questioned the flooding claims, but didn’t have the data to refute them. He suggested that the structure could be raised.

The boards of four condominium associations at the Shores – Las Palmas, La Sierra, La Playa and El Mirador – wrote letters in opposition.

While Mayor Casey Tanaka was loath to pursue a project that didn’t have neighborhood support, he gave in to the greater need by approving the concept.

“If we learn that the site floods every two years, it won't be worth the money,” he said.

The city has budgeted $100,000 for project design, with construction costs estimated at $300,000 to $500,000.