The agenda for this week’s meeting of the Coronado City Council includes proposed increases to slip fees in the city’s marina, consideration of a bench commemorating the League of Wives, and more. Public comment will be heard.
The meeting is at 4 p.m. on Oct. 7 in the City Council Chamber at 1825 Strand Way, and will be broadcast here. The full agenda is here. A recording of the meeting will be posted here.
A plaque honoring the League of Wives
The council will consider the wording and placement of a plaque that will further commemorate local women who fought for the humane treatment and return of Vietnam prisoners of war.
The proposed plaque will honor Coronado women who were instrumental in the national League of Wives of American Vietnam Prisoners of War organization, a national movement that shaped US policy on prisoners of war (POWs) and those missing in action (MIAs). It will be installed in Star Park, near the League of Wives memorial that was installed last summer.
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.
Councilmembers will decide both on who to honor, and where to place the plaque.
The first option would say, “Honoring Coronado’s League of Wives,” and would list seven local wives of POW and MIA service members: Marjorie Jenkins, Sherry Martin, Mary Ann “Pat” Mearns, Chloe Moore, Shirley Stark, Sybil Stockdale (who founded the movement), and Donna Rea Thompson.
The second option would say, “Honoring Coronado’s League of Families” and would expand the tribute to include other relatives who supported the cause, such as Anita Woods, mother of former POW Captain Brian Woods (the first POW to return to American soil) and her daughter, Barbara Walker.
The council will also decide whether to install a new bench near Flora Avenue, which would cost about $19,000. Alternatively, the city could replace and relocate existing benches to place the new memorial closer to the statue itself. This option would cost between $24,600 and $31,000, depending on whether slab replacement and turf restoration are required.
Though it costs more, the latter is the recommended option by staff because it better integrates the bench into the existing memorial and because it would allow for standardization of the park’s benches. The plaque itself is expected to cost $775.
The council can alter the wording of the plaque at Tuesday’s meeting as well. The city has notified the women and families suggested as honorees, as well as the League of Wives Foundation, about the upcoming discussion.
Proposed slip fee increases at the city’s marina
A market study conducted in August 2025 found that while the cost of smaller berthing slips at the Glorietta Bay 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.
To adjust for this, city staff have recommended a new rate schedule for marina slips at the Glorietta Bay Marina, which would be phased in over three years if approved. One third of the total increase would go into effect in 2025, with another one-third each year until 2028.
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.
Currently, the city makes annual CPI adjustments to the marina slip fees, but there has not been a major change to the fee schedule since 2013.
Earlier this year, the city distributed a satisfaction survey to its slip holders and most respondents rated their experience as excellent. No slip holders reported a “fair” or “poor” experience. The marina is rented to full capacity and maintains a waitlist for berthing.
The City Council will decide on the proposed rate increases during a public hearing at Tuesday’s meeting.
Proposed Slip Rates (dollars per foot of vessel length per month)
Current Slip Rates (dollars per foot of vessel length)
Public hearings on condos, historic designations
The City Council will hold public hearings on three properties. The first will consider approving a tentative parcel map that would allow two residential units on a parcel on E Avenue to be sold separately as condominiums. The proposal does not involve construction; rather, it would allow for an existing multifamily unit to sell its units separately. The City’s Planning and Design Commission reviewed and recommended approval of the project on Sept. 9.
The second public hearing will consider approving two applications for Mills Act historic preservation contracts to two properties, which have previously been designated historic. The first is on Glorietta Boulevard; the second is on Adella Avenue.
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.