Coronado residents are fairly immune to noise from Navy jets and helicopters. Many call it the “sound of freedom.”
Recently residents along Ocean Boulevard have had cause to rethink this attitude.
In April, , which placed more than 400 homes and the in an Accident Potential Zone (APZ), a designation that doesn’t permit homes or the types of businesses there now.
Capt. Yancy B. Lindsey, commanding officer of Naval Base Coronado, will make a presentation on the study to the City Council at its Tuesday meeting, where he will take questions from the council.
Last month, the Navy and Imperial Beach to discuss the report with residents.
and other city officials have expressed concerns about limits the report could place on land owners' property rights.
Under a state law passed in 2002 the San Diego Airport Authority’s Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan and Coronado’s General Plan must comply with the AICUZ.
The Knight Act, as it is generally known, was an attempt to discourage cities from developing property too close to military air bases. It was passed during the housing boom when any available land was ripe for development.
“Lancaster near Edwards Air Force Base was the kind of fast-growing community the state had in mind,” said Councilman Mike Woiwode said.
“Coronado was here first, so it’s not the city encroaching on the Navy, it’s the Navy encroaching on the city.”
For now local officials can only ask questions and raise concerns. The city can’t act until the airport authority issues its report and that won’t happen for about 18 months.
“Right now there is not a problem, but down the road there could be,” Woiwode said.
"The Navy's expectation is that as long as (land) use doesn't change, everything will stay the same. If your house burns down you can rebuild, but you will not be able to tear it down and build two houses. That would be a change in use. At least that is the expectation," he added, saying the city won't know until the airport authority finishes its compatibility plan.
Councilwoman Carrie Downey, an attorney, warned that Lindsey won't have answers to some resident's questions.
“The Navy can only answer technical questions about the report itself, not legal theories about what might happen,” she said.
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