Naval Special Warfare Training Expansion Meeting Tuesday

Naval Base Coronado will host a meeting at the for members of the community to voice their opinions about the environmental impact of a possible expansion of Naval training activity along San Diego's coast.

Another meeting will be held in Coronado Wednesday.

The creation of a Naval Base Coronado Coastal Campus is part of a series of special operation force expansion across the military and the U.S. Special Operations Command.

The project's notice of intent published by the Department of the Navy June 29 called current facilities "inadequate to meet existing and future mission requirements."

As part of the effort to train Naval Special Warfare Command sailors, 25 projects may be built over a period of 10 years. The number of facilities built will be determined while an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is compiled.

After meetings to measure the public's initial opinions, the Navy plans to publish a draft EIS in July 2013.

The Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and the Environment is expected to make a final decision by August 2014.

Among four possible actions, two are based on expansion solely at the Silver Strand Training Complex South on the Imperial Beach-Coronado border.

Alternative 1 would include the construction of indoor classroom instruction, logistical support, maintenance and tactical skills buildings and facilities primarily in the northern portion of Silver Strand Training Complex South. This would keep the Coastal Campus enitrely above the Wullenweber circular antenna, also known as the elephant cage.

Alternative 2 would have the same facilities across the complex and further south down to the Coronado-Imperial Beach border.

Alternatives 1 and 2 both call for an entry point to Silver Strand Training Complex South from State Route 75.

A third option would stretch the Coastal Campus across Navy facilities in Coronado and Imperial Beach including Naval Air Station North Island and Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach.

The fourth option is no action.

Other recent expansions in Navy activity in the area include more and an increase in .

Public comments may also be submitted online or mailed to:

Naval Base Coronado Coastal Campus EIS Project Manager, Attn: Ms. Teresa Bresler, 2730 McKean Street, Bldg 291, San Diego, CA 92136.

Comments must be received by July 30.

Tell us in the comments.

What do you think about the idea of increasing activity at local Navy installations?

Like IB Patch on Facebook | Follow IB Patch on Twitter | Daily email newsletter