Meeting on Naval Special Warfare Training Expansion Wednesday

Naval Base Coronado will host a meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the  for members of the community to voice their opinions about the environmental impact of a possible expansion of Naval training activities along the coast.

The first meeting will be held in Imperial Beach Tuesday.

The creation of a Naval Base Coronado Coastal Campus is part of a series of special operation force expansions across the military and the U.S. Special Operations Command.

The project's notice of intent published by the Department of the Navy June 29 called current facilities "inadequate to meet existing and future mission requirements."

As part of the effort to train Naval Special Warfare Command sailors, 25 projects may be built over a period of 10 years. The number of facilities built will be determined while an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is compiled.

After meetings to measure the public's initial response, the Navy plans to publish a draft EIS in July 2013.

The Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and the Environment is expected to make a final decision by August 2014.

Among four possible actions, two are based on expansion solely at the Silver Strand Training Complex South on the border between Coronado and Imperial Beach.

Alternative 1 would include the construction of indoor classrooms, logistical support, maintenance and tactical skills buildings primarily in the northern portion of Silver Strand Training Complex South.

This would keep the Coastal Campus above the Wullenweber circular antenna, popularly known as the elephant cage.

Alternative 2 would have the same facilities but further south at the Coronado-Imperial Beach border.

Alternatives 1 and 2 both call for an entry point to Silver Strand Training Complex South from State Route 75.

A third option would stretch the Coastal Campus across Navy facilities in Coronado and Imperial Beach including Naval Air Station North Island and Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach.

The fourth option is no action.

Other recent expansions in Navy activity in the area include and an increase in helicopter activity at the landing field.

Public comments may also be submitted online or mailed to:

Naval Base Coronado Coastal Campus EIS Project Manager, Attn: Ms. Teresa Bresler, 2730 McKean St., Bldg. 291, San Diego, CA 92136.

Comments must be received by July 30.