In a new proposal submitted to a federal judge Wednesday, the city of Santa Cruz suggested moving the residents of the San Lorenzo Park homeless encampment to the Benchlands, another section of the park, with room for more than 100 tents and rules in place for residents.
Isabella Cueto
Follow Isabella Cueto on: Twitter. Isabella joins the Lookout team as a government accountability reporter, building on her experience covering local government for The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C.Before moving to South Carolina, Cueto was in her hometown of Miami. She served as editor-in-chief of the University of Miami’s award-winning student newspaper, and was an intern for WLRN public radio and Northwestern University’s Medill Justice Project, which investigates potential wrongful convictions. Cueto’s work has been recognized by the S.C. Press Association, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Florida Society of News Editors.She is bilingual, fluent in Spanish.Cueto understands how high-quality local journalism makes government more responsive and effective, its inner workings more accessible to the public. That is her aim as Lookout’s government accountability correspondent.“I’m thrilled to be a part of this visionary team and to build something special for the people of Santa Cruz,” she said.
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Scotts Valley Library to undergo $3.5M in renovations this fall. Here’s what’s in the works
Scotts Valley city officials will begin reviewing library plans in early April and will seek bids from construction firms in early June, according to a preliminary timeline for the project. If all goes according to plan, the library will host its grand reopening in early 2022.
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Big riverfront development in downtown Santa Cruz withstands appeal, setting stage for construction
The California Coastal Commission found “no substantial issues” with the development, which will add 175 housing units, new commercial space, and public plazas to downtown along the San Lorenzo River.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘Fantastic news’ that ‘buys us time’: City, Santa Cruz County leaders react to Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus
Santa Cruz County government expects $53 million from the new federal stimulus, while Congressman Jimmy Panetta’s office says the county’s four municipalities will get $37.9 million more.
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Santa Cruz OKs controversial, sweeping changes to where homeless can live, but implementation to be delayed
Before Tuesday’s meeting, the city again received more than 700 pages of written comments about the proposed ‘outdoor living’ ordinance. Hours before it was discussed, several dozen people rallied outside Santa Cruz City Hall in protest.
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Santa Cruz will seek grant funding for multi-use trail, fishing park on the wharf
To secure funding, projects must be within a half-mile of a “critically underserved community” — with few parks or an average household income under $56,982. The average household income in those he surrounding Beach Flats neighborhood is $45,000, according to city estimates.
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Santa Cruz Public Library branch projects are happening everywhere — here’s what we know about their statuses
The architecture firm hired by Capitola to design its new library made a critical mistake by setting the building too…
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Major Santa Cruz proposal affecting homeless up for final vote Tuesday. Will recent changes help it pass?
The ‘temporary outdoor living ordinance,’ also known as the ‘camping ordinance,’ passed 5-2 on its first reading last month after two city council members suggested key changes. But as another key vote looms Tuesday, community debate continues to heat up.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Six-figure mistake: Flaw in Capitola Library plans sparked delays, cost taxpayers at least $580,000
The architecture firm hired by Capitola to design its new library made a critical mistake by setting the building too close to high-voltage wires next to the property line, officials say. Now, city leaders and taxpayers are getting a handle on what that error is costing.
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Capitola set to give $7,500 grants to help businesses stay afloat during COVID-19
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…