Scotts Valley has grappled for nearly 40 years with a vacant lot at the heart of its city. Long envisioned for a vibrant Town Center development, the overgrown expanse has become a symbol of unfulfilled promises. Now, a federal earmark and a shift in state housing mandates offer a lifeline. Will this time be different?
Housing & Development
Posted inHousing & Development
‘Get real’: City council, neighbors blast Food Bin developer, postpone vote on project
Tensions continue to flare over a proposed redevelopment of the Food Bin property on Mission Street, a project widely viewed as a sign of a rapidly changing Santa Cruz. On Tuesday, the city council postponed its decision on the project until May 28.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Up in the air: Watsonville’s airport and housing clash on the runway
A new chapter has begun in the decades-old battle between growth and preservation around Watsonville Municipal Airport. A local pilots group is suing the city after the city council narrowly voted to decommission the airport’s auxiliary runway.
Posted inHousing & Development
Monterey Bay region falling far short of homebuilding targets to address farmworker overcrowding
A 2018 report estimated that the Pajaro Valley and Salinas regions needed more than 45,000 additional housing units for farmworkers, but a new analysis finds that just 4,500 beds for farmworkers and 300 permanent homes have been added since.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz acquires Toadal Fitness site for downtown library project after lengthy negotiations
The city’s $2.5 million purchase of the Toadal Fitness site marks a significant milestone in the progress of the downtown library mixed-use project; however, hurdles still remain.
Posted inEducation
Santa Cruz County school districts ramp up plans to build teacher, staff housing
As school districts face challenges retaining staff and teachers due to the rising cost of living in Santa Cruz County, they’re also trying to push forward one potential solution: building and renting out their own workforce housing at below-market rates. Santa Cruz City Schools hopes to have workforce move into a development by 2027.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
In the Public Interest: New era of policing vacation rentals in Santa Cruz County pushes complaints, violations into public view
News and notes on Santa Cruz County politics and policy from Lookout’s Christopher Neely.
Posted inHousing & Development
New era of policing vacation rentals in Santa Cruz County pushes complaints, violations into public view
Vacation rentals have come under intensifying scrutiny as Santa Cruz County tries to balance its tourism industry and housing supply crisis. Previously lax enforcement has given way to a stricter approach, filled with listing checks, public hearings to address neighbor complaints and violations, and the potential for license revocations.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz County affordability woes: How two Scotts Valley teachers decided to move their family to Colorado
Special education teachers Cheryl and Bobby Ruyle love their life in Scotts Valley, but recent cost-of-living increases have reached a boiling point. So, deciding to pick up and move to Colorado with their three children is bittersweet.
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz County housing market heating up as spring and summer near
The spring and summer housing market is beginning to manifest in Santa Cruz, with the county seeing more than 20 more home sales in March than it did in February. It’s still a seller’s market, though, and buyers are working creatively with lenders and real estate agents to navigate the crowded and competitive market.