Traffic, Rise in Ambulance Fees Top Coronado City Council Agenda

Neighbors have long complained about the traffic on the 1600 block of Glorietta Blvd.

It’s a busy corridor near two major hotels, and . Those that live in the area have voiced concerns about cars racing home from work and tour buses taking up precious parking spaces, among other complaints.  

The issue came to a head in February when a homeowner sought to convert his single-family home into a four-unit condo. There was little objection to , but plenty of ire over the number cars, tourist buses and taxis speeding along the block between Orange Avenue and Glorietta Boulevard, as if it were a major highway.

Indeed the traffic volumes for that tiny stretch of road are high. From February 23 to March 2 of 2010, the 1600 block averaged 1,222 vehicles per week, according a survey conducted by the City Engineering Department. And those numbers are rising. From October 2008 to August 2010, the daily volume of vehicles rose from 501 to 1,946. The number of trucks rose from eight to 67.

At the February 1 City Council meeting, Mayor Casey Tanaka promised residents that something would be done. On Tuesday, the council will consider two options to alleviate the problem. One would prevent drivers from turning right onto Glorietta Boulevard, from northbound Orange Avenue, between 3 and 5 p.m. The other would a place stop sign at the intersection of Glorietta Boulevard and Ynez Place.

But homeowners may demand more. Tim Varley, who owns the condo development, has already written the city to ask that it make the section a one-way street, install speed bumps, allow diagonal metered parking on the south side of Glorettia Boulevard, and prohibit parking on the north side. 

“My opinion is that until the street does not allow traffic to travel east from Orange Avenue, it will always be a danger, due to the high-speed Amphibious Base traffic,” he wrote.

Timothy J. Sullivan, an attorney representing the Glorietta Bay Homeowners Association and R. B. Woolley Jr., owner of the Glorietta Bay Inn, also wrote to support speed bumps and restricted parking, in addition to the right-turn restrictions.

But Woolley strongly objected to making it a one-way street, arguing that it “would be frustrating to drivers and an irritation to our guests.”

He also said it would also pose safety issues. “There is little space to turn around, and there is oncoming traffic,” Woolley said.

Also on the traffic front, the council will appoint members to the , which was established on March 1, 2011. Twenty people applied to serve on the seven-member commission.

All sections of the city will be represented. There will be three members from the Village, one from the Shores, one from the Cays, and two will serve as members at large. The majority of the applicants live in the Village.

In addition, with council approval, fees for  may go up. For advanced life support, the fee would rise from $567to $925. Basic life support would rise from $457to $825. A simple transport and release would rise from $150to $200. There would also be an increase in the cost of oxygen, from $15 to $20, and mileage, from $63 to $72. 

The council will also consider issuing a Major Special Use Permit to Christ Episcopal Church for capital improvements and the expansion of one building. The permit will also allow the church to continue to operate its school and other church-related activities on the property.

The authorization of a new concessionaire and tennis coordinator for the is also on the agenda. The council will additionally decide on whether to allow the Recreation Department to proceed with the implementation of the new .

The meeting is Tuesday, April 2 at 3 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 1825 Strand Way.