"In an effort to promote and preserve the unique architectural character of the Coronado community, it shall be the purpose of this organization to encourage and facilitate the retention and restoration of its small cottages and bungalows."
- Mission Statement, Coronado Cottage Conservancy

Ask a handful of residents or visitors to Coronado what attracts them to our community and they're likely to tell you it's our "smalltown charm." And part of small-town charm is small-town cottages: those modest dwellings and bungalows that try to hold their own, even when they are dwarfed by their larger Victorian, Mediterranean or contemporary neighbors.

After witnessing one cottage after another succumb to the wrecking ball, two community activists were spurred action. Attorney Sharon Sherman, who also serves as president of the Friends of the Coronado Library, and Nancy Cobb, who owns and leads the Coronado Walking Tours, established a non-profit organization to encourage preservation of the island's smaller homes.

"Cottages tend to run about 1,500 square feet, more or less," said Jerry MacCartee, a member of the city's Historic Resource Commission, a group that attempts to preserve Coronado's historic structures from demolition. "The Commission has no power to prevent the demolition of cottages because they typically don't meet the criteria for our intervention. Cottages usually are not designed by a famous architect, nor have they had a famous person living in them."

To encourage preservation, the Conservancy has created a number of free or low-cost methods of educating the public on how they can remodel and expand their cottage's space and function while remaining sensitive to the house's character.

Architects and interior designers will provide free consultations to interested owners. Seminars on cottage design and expansion are in the works. A complete history and documentation of Coronado's "cottage industry" is being compiled. "There's a lot of pro bono work being offered by our membership," MacCartee said.

The Conservancy is also organizing cottage tours of successfully preserved and remodeled homes to serve as "idea showcases." The first tour held December 11 featured Harold and Kae Myers' C Avenue home.

High on the Conservancy's wish list is a "revolving fund," a concept that MacCartee saw successfully implemented in Savannah, Georgia. "We're hoping that an individual or family will endow a cottage to the Conservancy, which we will then renovate as necessary, designate it a historic resource, and sell it," she said.

The funds will then allow the organization to purchase another "threatened" cottage, and continue with the self-perpetuating cycle of renovation, historic designation and resale.

The Conservancy is looking for lenders interested in offering lower interest loans and they have had several realtors offer a reduced commission structure for work in the revolving fund cycle. "It boils down to a community effort," MacCartee said.