Coronado City Council Approves Direction For Library Roof Replacement Project
At the April 7 Coronado City Council meeting, council members were presented with a set of options regarding a project to replace the roof of the Coronado Public Library. There are a variety of issues with the current roof, including leaks, water ponding, and drainage deficiencies due to the existing roof materials coming to the end of their lifespan.
In addition to replacing the aging materials with modern materials that focus on long-term durability, City staff have also worked with experts to consider an option that would include solar panels as a part of this project, with the aim of increasing the level of energy efficiency for the building.
The existing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system on the roof will also be replaced as part of this project to address efficiency issues and provide enhanced temperature and humidity control for the building (which is especially helpful for archival and technology purposes, alongside addressing user comfort). Other structural issues have been noted for incorporation into the project, as well, including the damaged skylight of the Spreckels Reading Room, improvements to the roof hatch ladder and fall protection barriers to meet current safety codes, and adjustments to the slopes and flashings of the roof to improve drainage capabilities.
The project proposal brought before the Council included a recommendation for the use of single-ply polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as the replacement material. PVC has a lifespan of 25-35 years, is well-suited to the roof conditions for the library, has a greater level of chemical and fire resistance than other materials, and is low-maintenance and easy to repair.
Two options were also presented to the Council for the scope of the HVAC portion of the project. Option 1 would cost around $7 million and would consolidate the rooftop HVAC units into seven main units across the rooftop, and could include additional equipment to further enhance that mechanical system for an additional $1.5 million. While the consolidation would allow for increased energy efficiency, additional structural supports (a series of beams, columns, and concrete footing) would be necessary to construct inside the library to support the larger mechanical units.
Option 2 would cost around $5.8 million and would replace the existing mechanical units in kind, maintaining 14 separate, smaller units. This option would also include the addition of one unit specifically for the library’s archival rooms and moving two of the existing units to higher elevations on the roof to prevent water ponding. Though this option would not include some of the control or efficiency perks of Option 1, staff recommended pursuing Option 2 as the most cost-effective option to meet the existing needs for the building while requiring the least amount of disruption to the library.
It should also be noted that this project would not include the Winn Room’s roof and HVAC unit in the scope of work, as there is a separate project to address a more expansive renovation of the Winn Room (see https://www.projectcoronado.org/library-winn-room for more information on that project).
As part of this presentation, staff included the preliminary reports for solar options for the library roof. The report included two potential setups, one that would install a 5,000 square foot solar array, or one that would include a full solar array setup across a majority of the rooftop structure. The 5,000 square feet option would offset approximately 30% of the library’s energy usage (saving around $50,000 annually), whereas the full solar array would offset about 90% of the energy usage (saving about $150,000 annually).
A full solar array option would require a much higher level of upgrades on the existing SDG&E electrical and utility structures, however, and staff requested additional time and funding for a more in-depth study of the scope of work that would be required for the full solar array option if the Council were interested in that option.
Council members brought up questions regarding the potential battery usage that could store energy during off-peak hours to be used during the on-peak hours to reduce costs further. Coronado’s Director of Public Services and Engineering Leon Firsht brought up a possibility for the Council to consider, which would be to install a solar battery storage system at Spreckels Center instead of a previously discussed generator that costs $500-600,000 that would be unlikely to be used very often and would be addressed by the solar batteries powering the Spreckels Center and the library instead.
They also discussed the possibility of installing solar panels in phases, to provide staff with the ability to get started on the project immediately, with the option to install the smaller solar array while preparing the rest of the roof for future panel installation once further study of that option has been completed.
Councilmember Kelly Purvis also proposed that the City look at other, easier buildings for solar structures to be installed on for a broader solar energy plan, with the possibility of using solar energy stored from other City buildings for the library. Councilmember Carrie Downey noted there could be complications with that with SDG&E at present, and the City would need to consider those.
In the discussion, Purvis stated her support for the staff recommendation on roof material and for pursuing Option 2 for the HVAC component. She was also supportive of a solar array for the roof and having the City seek possible available credits to help do so, and added that she would be in favor of approving the $100,000 for staff to complete a larger study for the full solar array option.
Councilmember Mark Fleming was also in favor of approving the staff recommendation regarding the material and HVAC system. In regard to the solar options, he said he had concerns over the additional time pursuing solar would add towards the completion of the project and have an improved roof for the library, as well as the potential additional disruption to the library for the scope of work. He felt that with the City’s recent decision to pursue joining a Community Choice Aggregate (CCA), the need to pursue a solar option for the library was negated, but added that he might be more open to solar on newer buildings that would be easier to install solar on.
Downey was similarly in favor of the proposed staff recommendations. She was also supportive of approving the $100,000 for the solar panel study and interested in the possibility Firsht had brought up regarding installing solar batteries instead of a generator at the Spreckels Center building, which she felt could also help prepare that building for potential solar panel installation, as well. She suggested pursuing both solar options at this time so staff could start on the project while also investigating additional, more robust solar panel infrastructure layouts for the library roof.
Mayor John Duncan was in agreement with Downey’s suggestion and also supportive of the staff recommendations that had been presented to them.
Councilmember Amy Steward also supported those recommendations but felt that focusing on completing the study for their full scope of solar options for the roof would be preferable to directing staff to pursue both options from the get-go. Firsht echoed that, adding that he and his team would be able to provide the Council with a more informed solar plan recommendation after they completed a study. That said, Steward added that she was sensitive to the need for the roof issues to be addressed and would like to see the project pursued as quickly as staff could accommodate. She was also supportive of Purvis’ idea to also explore solar in other locations for a larger solar strategy for the City in the future.
The Council unanimously passed a motion to approve the PVC roofing material, Option 2 for the HVAC system, and the funds for staff to pursue the completion of a study regarding a more robust solar installation to provide further details on potential costs and the timeline for that option as soon as possible. Additionally, the motion included direction to staff to pursue information about the possibility of installing solar batteries in place of a generator at the Spreckels Center.
The next city council meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 21, at 4 p.m. at City Hall. For more information, please visit https://www.coronado.ca.us/449/Agendas-Minutes.
VOL. 116, NO. 15 — April 15, 2026