The island city pushing back on California’s housing plans

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, April 21.

The island city of Coronado is renowned as a destination for tourists in the San Diego area, with its beautiful beaches, lush golf courses, and bike-filled streets.

It might not come as a surprise that affordable housing is sparse on the island (technically a “tied island,” connected to the mainland via the Silver Strand), where the median home value exceeds $2 million, according to Zillow.

City officials and some residents are pushing to keep it that way, even as state legislators target similar affluent communities for defying laws requiring cities to plan for growth and affordability. Coronado’s state-mandated housing plan is two years overdue.

As my colleague Liam Dillon reported this week:

At issue is the dramatic increase in affordable housing Coronado is required to zone for in the most recent planning cycle, mandated by state law. One important distinction: the law only pertains to zoning — it doesn’t require cites to build or approve new housing.

The last planning cycle, covering 2010 through 2020, called for allocating space for 50 new housing units in Coronado. This time around, that number has jumped to 912, with 70% affordable to low- and middle-income residents.

City officials and residents balked at that figure, eventually submitting a plan to the state that includes only a third of those homes. Some residents wondered where all that new housing would go, arguing there’s little vacant land left on the island.

Some condo owners, many of whom use the properties as second homes, sent emails and started petitions, “warning that the housing would bring crime, lower property values and, according to one emailer, ‘a broad scope of social vices,’” Liam reported.

Roughly 21,000 people live in Coronado, though the figure fluctuates due to the U.S. Navy facilities that cover more than half the land. Census data show more than a quarter of homes in the city are vacant, with most of those listed for seasonal or recreational use.

Despite Coronado’s defiance, the state has not yet enforced the law. It’s unclear when Sacramento will respond or how serious the penalties will be.

“Assuming the state filed a lawsuit and won, the city would have at least another year to comply before monthly fines kicked in and even longer before a court-ordered receiver could take over its permitting and zoning,” Liam wrote.

The legal tensions between cities and the state highlight one of the challenges California faces in addressing the housing crisis. And it postpones opportunities for more people — like the hundreds of housekeepers that commute to Coronado from San Diego or Mexico — to live in the communities where they work.

“Housing delayed is housing denied,” Paavo Monkkonen, a professor of urban planning and public policy at UCLA, told Liam. “With the urgency of this housing scarcity situation, inaction just makes it worse.”

An aerial view of the sand dunes on Coronado Beach and residential neighborhood in Coronado Friday, April 7, 2023.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

And now, here’s what’s happening across California:

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L.A. STORIES

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has died at age 92. The city’s last Republican mayor served from 1993 to 2001, leading L.A. in the aftermath of the 1992 uprisings and through the recovery of the devastating Northridge earthquake. Los Angeles Times

A slate of studio cutbacks coupled with fears of a looming writers strike have led to a filming slowdown in greater L.A. On-location film production in the region fell 24% in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the same period last year. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

More than 400 people attended a recent “Troublemakers School” in L.A. for union workers and workers wanting to organize. The Times’ Margot Roosevelt spoke with a stripper, a barista, an electrician and other workers striving “to energize the struggling labor movement.” Los Angeles Times

Francisco “Franky” Carrillo, who spent 20 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of murder, announced he’s running for Congress. The 49-year-old Democrat will compete for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia in California’s 27th Congressional District . LAist

Gov. Gavin Newsom made a surprise visit to San Francisco’s Tenderloin and SoMa neighborhoods this week to talk about the fentanyl crisis. New data show overdose deaths in the city jumped 41% in the first three months of 2023 compared with the same period last year. San Francisco Chronicle

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

With reservoirs across the state nearing capacity and an epic snowmelt expected in the coming weeks, the State Water Project says it will provide 100% of requested supplies to California water agencies. The last time that happened, George W. Bush was president and Arnold Schwarzenegger governed the Golden State. Los Angeles Times

The first cases of an emerging COVID subvariant dubbed Arcturu have been reported in L.A. County. Local health officials said it’s likely that current vaccines and therapeutic drugs will be effective on this strain, though L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer notes that new mutations are “likely to be able to more easily pass on infection. So you could see a bump.” Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

To update an old phrase, Disneyland is as Californian as overpriced churros (which coincidentally are bountiful at the Anaheim attraction). The Times has published a hefty guide to the entertainment empire’s first and most beloved theme park. Here are a few pieces that piqued my interest, in spite of my moderate aversion to Disneyland and its uncomfortably crowded, increasingly premiumized experience:

• What ex-cast members wish you knew about Disneyland
• Disneyland feels classist now. Is it killing the magic for everyone?
• 38 standout photos of memorable Disneyland moments
• You can get to Disneyland from L.A. without a car. Here’s how my family did it

You can explore the full guide here: Los Angeles Times

It looks like the Oakland Athletics could soon be headed to Las Vegas. The MLB franchise announced a land deal in Sin City, and Oakland officials confirmed that negotiations for a new bayfront stadium were dead in the water. East Bay Times

AND FINALLY

Today’s California landmark is from John Brorsen of Kensington: the scenic coastline in Mendocino County.

The Mendocino County coast.

(John Brorsen)

John writes:

What are California’s essential landmarks? Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California — natural or human-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. Your submission could be featured in a future edition of the newsletter.

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.