Posted inFood & Drink

483 days for 120 square feet: How Santa Cruz’s permitting process almost killed one entrepreneur’s dream

It took winemaker Megan Bell 483 days to complete the permitting process for her new Margins Wine tasting room, a 120-square-foot space with no food service or bathroom on the Westside in Santa Cruz. She feels Santa Cruz’s permit system is stacked against small business owners like herself; architect Bill Kempf describes it as “the worst” in the county.

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