Coronado Voters Will Decide 4-Story Orange Avenue Heights in November
Coronado put a height measure on the Nov. 3 ballot after the May 19 City Council meeting. If it passes by simple majority, multifamily buildings in the R-4 zone on Orange Avenue between Second and Eighth can go from three stories and 35 feet to four stories and 42 feet. Voters set the current cap in 1972, so only voters can change it.
Why the measure is on the ballot
The state Housing Department required the measure as a condition of Coronado's Housing Element. HCD says 35 feet blocks the zone's allowed 40 units per acre. Coronado's RHNA this cycle is 912 units, 1,049 with the buffer, a massive jump from prior cycles. The city lost its fight over that number and put the measure on the ballot to stay in compliance. The R-4 strip is about 14.8 acres. If you own or are buying on Orange, this vote is the next density lever.
Why it matters
- Coronado inventory is tiny and expensive. A fourth story on Orange is not a skyline change, but it is how the state expects the city to fit more units on the only multifamily corridor it has.
- Navy and VA buyers shopping Orange Avenue condos should watch this vote. More height can mean more units, more construction, and a different HOA mix.
- The 1972 voter cap is the reason Coronado still looks like three stories. That is a ballot question now, not a Council preference.
Sources: Coronado Times on the November measure; The Coronado News on the ballot placement; City of Coronado 2026 election information.
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