Coronado Common Sense

California Coastal Commission Approves Amendment For Single Implosion Of Power Plant

 

 

A minor amendment to the Coastal Development Permit for demolition of the South Bay Power Plant was recently approved by the California Coastal Commission.

The amendment, submitted by Dynegy South Bay, LLC called for a single implosion of the South Bay Power Plant's above-ground structures, rather than a previously approved two-phased implosion. The benefits include reduced noise levels, less need to re-route traffic in the immediate area and a shortened demolition schedule.

The California Coastal Commission was presented with the amendment at its Friday, September 14 meeting in Casper, California.

According to Dynegy South Bay, and its contractor, Silverado Contractors, Inc., the implosion is anticipated to occur prior to the end of the year in December, provided that all Coastal Development Permit conditions are satisfied and that Silverado's current demolition mobilization remains on schedule without any significant delays due to weather or other factors.

"With a shortened demolition process, Chula Vista residents can look forward to the pending removal of this unsightly power plant," said Ann Moore, Vice Chair of the Board of Port Commissioners and the City of Chula Vista's representative on the Board. "This is an important step forward in our plans to transform the Chula Vista bayfront into a destination for locals and visitors alike."

The Coastal Development Permit to demolish the plant and its above-ground structures was originally approved at the California Coastal Commission's June 14 meeting.

"The City of Chula Vista is pleased that Dynegy South Bay's amendment was approved to allow for a speedier, less disruptive demolition process," said Chula Vista City Manager Jim Sandoval. "Removing the South Bay Power Plant's above-ground structures will improve views of the Chula Vista waterfront immediately."

Silverado Contractors, Inc., has already begun demolition activities on some of the South Bay Power Plant's storage buildings, warehouses and ancillary equipment.
The project is expected to generate about 21,000 tons of recyclable metals and up to 3,400 tons of other non-hazardous waste, which will be recycled and salvaged when feasible.

Demolition activities are anticipated to take about 12 months. Special conditions of the demolition permit require that the implosion activities take place outside of the seabird nesting season which ends in mid-September and starts back in April of each year.

 

Port of San Diego Press Release

Port of San Diego Public Art Office Announces Call for Artists

The Port of San Diego is issuing a call for artists for a new project.

WRAP is a new Port of San Diego public art project designed to encourage artistic investigation of Port tidelands in the development of a temporary multi-site artwork. The selected artist or artist team will create an artwork that creatively reveals some aspect of the working port or of the unseen activities in the maritime facilities through the artistic approach of wrap/wrapping.

• Call for Artists

 

The art budget for the project is $110,000. The deadline for applications is November 15, 2012.

 

For information regarding eligibility and complete details on submission requirements, please visit the Public Art Opportunities page.

 

You may submit questions via email to the Public Art Office at callsforartists@portofsandiego.org.

To receive future Port of San Diego Public Art news and opportunities via email, sign up at http://j.mp/portsd-publicart.

 

Port of San Diego Press Release

Port of San Diego's Harbor Police K-9 Team Sniffs Out Explosives, Narcotics

 

 

Six officers with the Harbor Police Department have a critically important job. These homeland security officers are specifically trained to search for explosives and narcotics – and they can do it all in one sniff.

 

For the full story, read "Port of San Diego's Harbor Police K-9 Team Sniffs Out Explosives, Narcotics".

 

Port of San Diego Press Release

Global Rating Agency Affirms A+ Credit Rating For Port Of San Diego

 

The worldwide credit rating agency Fitch Ratings has affirmed the Port of San Diego's A+ rating and revised its outlook upward to stable from negative on approximately $40.7 million in outstanding revenue bonds that were issued by the Port in October 2004 and are due to mature in 2029.

 

The rating agency's credit update noted that the Port's fiscal year 2011 operating revenue was 5.2 percent more than the previous year and that an important factor in the positive outlook was the focus on reducing operating expenses. The Port of San Diego attributes its success to right-sizing the agency, including its benefit structure, staffing levels, operational focus and best management practices.

 

Fitch Ratings said the revised outlook from negative to stable reflects the Port's improved revenue performance, which was achieved in a slowly improving economy. Other factors reflecting the rating are the Port's strong liquidity position (investments that can be quickly converted to cash) low debt levels when compared to cash flow, and limited use of the Port's surplus cash to cover capital expenses.

 

Port cargo activity factored into the revised outlook. Activity at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and National City Marine Terminal grew by 4.2 percent in fiscal 2012. The previous year there had been a 1.3 percent decline.

 

"We are coming through some rough economic times," said Lou Smith, Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners. "This revised rating reflects the long and painstaking work done by our exemplary Port staff. The team has worked hard and smart under trying circumstances."

 

The Port's responsiveness to economic conditions demonstrates a commitment to fiscal prudence and responsible management practices. In 2010, the Port implemented a reorganization to cut expenses, create efficiencies and position the organization for growth. Ninety three full-time employee positions were eliminated without layoffs through attrition and an early retirement incentive program. The Port also shed expenses by reducing the number of departments from 18 to 13 and the number of executives from nine to six. A year earlier, the Port implemented a hybrid retirement program for new hires to reduce future pension costs.

 

The Port will continue to focus on growing its maritime and other businesses and managing expenses in a responsible manner.

 

About the Port:
The Port is the fourth largest of California's 11 ports. It was created by the state legislature in 1962 and spans five Port cities – Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego.

The Port District oversees two maritime cargo terminals, two cruise ship terminals, 17 public parks, the Harbor Police Department and the leases of more than 600 tenant and sub tenant businesses around San Diego Bay.

The Port of San Diego serves as an economic engine, environmental steward of San Diego Bay and the surrounding tidelands, and a provider of community services and public safety.

 

Port of San Diego Press Release

Port Of San Diego Commissioners Approve New Dole Lease

 

 

 

Press release from Port of San Diego

Swingin' On Broadway At The Port Of San Diego's Big Bay Ballroom

 

It’s time for jumpin’ and jivin’ on Broadway Pier. On Friday, Aug. 10, a large dance floor will be set up for the Port of San Diego’s free Big Bay Ballroom at the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, 1000 North Harbor Drive.

 

The festivities begin with dance instruction by the 2011 winners of the National Jitterbug Championships, Chandrae Roettig and Stephen Sayer. Free dance lessons start at 7:15 p.m. Music by Tim Gill and the Tim Gill All-Stars Big Band will follow at 8 p.m. The music and dancing will continue until 10 p.m. Vocalist Adryon Gross will also be singing with Tim Gill and the band. Mary Murphy, owner of Mary Murphy’s Champion Ballroom and judge on the Fox network show “So You Think You Can Dance” will greet the crowd and introduce the dance champions.  Food will be available at Ms. Patty Melt’s food truck, a creation of Chef Deborah Scott and the Cohn Restaurant Group.

 

The Big Bay Ballroom at the Port Pavilion is the second of the four free dance events the Port has planned for the public’s enjoyment in August. On Saturday, Aug. 18, the Big Bay Ballroom moves to Portwood Pier Plaza (Map) in Imperial Beach. The rockabilly swing group Rockin’ Aces will provide the music for the “Barefoot Boogie.” The event is free. Before the dancing begins, there will be the “Taste of IB,” sponsored by the Imperial Beach Chamber of Commerce. The event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. showcases the city's restaurants and businesses and will feature a variety of food. Admission to the “Taste of IB” is $7. On Friday, Aug. 24, the dance floor will be set up for the “Harbor Hop” in Chula Vista Bayfront Park. (Map) Swingtown, a popular Big Band swing group will provide the music. At each location, the music and dancing will begin at 8 p.m. and continue until 10 p.m. The first Big Bay Ballroom featuring salsa dancing and music by The Manny Cepeda Orchestra was held Friday, Aug. 3 in Pepper Park in National City.

 

The Port is hosting the Ballroom events and numerous other community events, ranging from concerts and dances to festivals, fitness clinics and eco-tourism celebrations to enliven the San Diego Bay waterfront The goal is to create a vibrant waterfront and provide residents and visitors opportunities to enjoy year-round activities in the five Port member cities and their parks and open spaces along the bay and the Imperial Beach oceanfront. For information on the event, please visit The Big Bay.

 

News release from Port of San Diego

Harbor Police Officers Cross-Train To Battle Fires On Bay, Waterfront

 

 

The Port of San Diego's Harbor Police officers are all cross-trained as marine firefighters.

Part of the officers' firefighting training is conducted on a fire training vessel, which simulates fire emergencies and is an essential part of the firefighting academy.

Businesses Complying With Port Regulation To Ensure Cleaner San Diego Bay

 

Businesses Complying With Port Regulation to Ensure Cleaner San Diego Bay

The majority of businesses whose divers clean the hulls of boats while in the water are complying with a Port of San Diego ordinance that was implemented about one year ago.

The majority of businesses whose divers clean the hulls of boats while in the water are complying with a Port of San Diego ordinance that was implemented about one year ago. The measure is among the Port's environmental initiatives to ensure a clean San Diego Bay and marinas.

 

An update was provided to the Board of Port Commissioners, which unanimously approved two changes to the in-water hull cleaning ordinance. The changes were approved by the Commissioners at a regular Board meeting on Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

 

The Board agreed to add language to the ordinance stating that businesses with in-water hull cleaning permits are required to adhere to all permit terms and conditions. The language was inadvertently omitted in the original ordinance. The second amendment helps to clarify which businesses are required to obtain a permit. Private boat owners who clean the hulls of their own vessels are not required to obtain a permit.

 

Port Commissioner Dan Malcolm, who is a boater, said that he made sure the diver who cleans his boat was permitted, adding: "This is a great program and probably something we should have done years ago."

 

Karen Holman, the Port's Manager of Environmental Programs, provided the update to the Board.

 

"We believe that the proposed ordinance amendments will help to streamline the ordinance, improve its clarity and facilitate enforcement, thereby leading to improved water quality," Holman said. "It appears that the hull-cleaning businesses are complying with the regulations and have improved their business practices."

 

Since the regulation went into effect, the Port has issued 55 permits. More than forty inspections have resulted in six verbal warnings and four citations.

 

The Port implemented the regulation of hull cleaning businesses in July 2011 in an effort to reduce the levels of copper, which can harm marine life. Reducing the copper levels improves water quality and better protects sea life.

 

Regulations passed by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board require the Port of San Diego, marinas, hull cleaners and boaters operating within the Shelter Island Yacht Basin to reduce the copper loads. Studies have shown that boats are the largest source for copper. In addition, the use of overly abrasive cleaning techniques and tools contribute to the copper levels.

 

As part of this improvement, the Port also plans to provide hull-cleaner identification cards for all permitted hull cleaners. Until now, the cards were issued by hull cleaning businesses.

 

This change should help prevent counterfeiting, a concern voiced by many marinas and hull cleaning businesses. The cards are expected to be in place by the end of the summer. Businesses will be notified of the change and provided time to acquire their identification cards.

 

Port of San Diego Press Release

Port Commissioners Approve $670K For Coronado Projects

 

"The Board of Port Commissioners has approved $6.2 million in projects throughout the five Port of San Diego member cities that will be funded as part of the Capital Improvement Program.

Projects targeted for San Diego include:

• Demolition design for the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal: $500,000
• Construction of a mooring dolphin at the B Street Pier: $400,000
• Activation study for Cesar Chavez Park: $50,000
• Modernization of the Crosby Street Pier and relocation of staff at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal: $2.55 million
• Redesign of the baggage area at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal: $200,000
• Possible joint use of Perkins Elementary School, in an amount to be determined

 

For the other Port member cities, projects include:

• $1 million for design work for the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan
• $100,000 for construction of a tot lot at the Imperial Beach Pier
• $250,000 for aesthetic improvements at Pond 20 located on the shore of South San Diego Bay
• $75,000 for a feasibility study for a restroom with a shower at South Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach
• $200,000 for street-end improvements in Imperial Beach
• $175,000 for resurfacing on Tidelands Avenue and Civic Center Drive in National City.

 

In addition, other projects include $470,000 for a boat cleaning station in Coronado; $200,000 for directional signs in Coronado to direct visitors and tourists to locations on Tidelands."

 

Read "Capital Improvement Program Approved by Board of Port Commissioners"  for the full article.

 

Source: Port of San Diego

Port Of San Diego Sets Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal

The Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners set an important environmental goal at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 12.

The Board voted in support of setting a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions along the tidelands, managed by the Port District, by 10 percent by the year 2020. The reduction will be based on emissions from a 2006 baseline year.

The Board also set a target to further reduce emissions 25 percent by the year 2035. This is a milestone in the Port's work on its Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan, known as the Climate Plan.

The main purpose of the Climate Plan is to help the Port District identify, assess, and develop strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address local vulnerabilities to climate change such as sea level rise.

The Climate Plan will be a decision-making tool for future planning and development in the Port's five member cities: Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego. 

The draft version of the Climate Plan will include an implementation plan for how to address greenhouse gas emissions and sea level rise. If the Climate Plan is adopted by the Board, the next steps in implementation will be to recommend ways to achieve the 10 percent greenhouse gas reduction goal. The draft is expected this summer.

Since the greenhouse gas reduction targets extend so far into the future, and the science of sea level rise is continually evolving, the Climate Plan will be a living document to be updated regularly.

The public will have additional opportunities to weigh in on the Climate Plan once the draft version is available. If adopted by the Board, the Climate Plan will be incorporated into a variety of District processes, and be used for evaluating and approving new projects through the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review process.

The Port District, which serves as an environmental steward of San Diego Bay, is not required to create a Climate plan. However, there are several state guidelines and regulations driving its development.

The primary drivers for greenhouse gas mitigation include:

• The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
• California Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32) – the Global Warming Solutions Act
• California Governor's Executive Order S-3-05.

 

The District could be the first port in the U.S. to include both greenhouse gas mitigation and climate change adaptation into one comprehensive plan.

Key stakeholders have been involved in the development of the Climate Plan since the project began. They include the Environmental Health Coalition, the San Diego Foundation, and the San Diego Port Tenants Association.

 

To date, there are over 50 California municipalities involved in climate action planning. All 18 cities in San Diego County and the County itself have completed greenhouse gas inventories and several have completed or are creating climate action plans.

 

Three of the Port's member cities have also set greenhouse reduction goals:

• City of San Diego: Target goal is 15 percent below 2008 levels by 2020; 80 percent below 2020 levels by 2050.
• City of National City: Target goal is 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.
• City of Chula Vista: Target goal is 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2012; staff working on updating goals for 2020.

 

News Release from Port of San Diego