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Politics & Government

Port to Vote on Park Flag

Last month the City Council voted unanimously to place a giant flag on land owned by the Port of San Diego. The project must now be approved by the port's commission.

Vice Admiral Ed Martin's dream of seeing an American flag fying high over San Diego Bay could take another step forward Thursday when the Unified Port of San Diego's commission considers the project.

It will be among a number of renovation projects the city of Coronado has requested for Centennial Park and the foot of Orange Avenue, Commission Chair Lou Smith said.

Besides the flag pole, these include funding requests for a trolley car and backing for benches along the bayfront.

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“If there is not enough money for all of these, the flag will be considered as a stand-alone project,” Smith said. 

“Since someone has said they will pay for the flag, it's just a matter of determining how much the project will actually cost and if the donor has enough money to fund it.”

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The meeting will take place at 8:30 a.m. at the Port Pavilion, 1000 North Harbor Drive.

to pay for the flag, the pole and the cost of maintaining both.  

Though the project – to place a huge flag in the park that is visible in San Diego and to Navy ships and other vessels using the bay – seems simple, it .

As an engineer, Smith wants to make sure that the true cost of the project is known before moving forward.

Smith doesn’t think a full environmental impact report will be required, but because the flag will be in a “dedicated view corridor,” it may have to face review by the California Coastal Commission. 

“I hope to get away without doing it,” Smith said. “It just adds to the time and the cost.” He said that he has had some informal conversations with state staff and thinks it may be possible to sidestep the Coastal Commission. 

“I’m a big fan of this project,” he said. “I want it to be approved. Right now it's just a matter of making sure we have the funds.”   

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