Around Santa Cruz County politics and policy with Lookout correspondent Christopher Neely.
Housing & Development
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz County housing picture ‘almost a buyer’s market’ as inventory, sales continue rising
Inventory and sales were up in both July over the previous month and over July 2024 as the busy summer for Santa Cruz County’s housing market continues. Realtors say the market is shifting more in favor of buyers, even if it hasn’t quite gotten there yet. They look ahead to the fall, which is typically slower, to better gauge the economy and see if the Federal Reserve makes any major moves.
Posted inHousing & Development
One arrested as Santa Cruz breaks ground on long-sought downtown library and affordable housing project
Santa Cruz launched construction on its flagship downtown library and affordable housing project Wednesday, though protests erupted as Food Not Bombs founder Keith McHenry disrupted the event before being arrested by police.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County overhauls rules on short-term rentals, implementing new caps
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved new limits on short-term rentals throughout the county on Tuesday, responding to growing concerns that the region was losing housing to platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz County OKs pilot project to pay Native tribes to consult on new developments
A California rule change this summer exempted some development projects from having to consult with Native American tribes before building projects on culturally sensitive lands. On Tuesday, Santa Cruz County’s board of supervisors voted to require developers to pay for tribal consultations.
Posted inEducation
UCSC clarifies delay on major housing project – now expected to break ground in 2027, open in 2029-30
Construction on the 2,900-bed Heller Drive student housing project at UC Santa Cruz will start in 2027 and be completed sometime in the 2029-30 school year; it was originally slated to be finished in 2028.
Posted inEducation
Massive UCSC student housing project delayed at least one year as campus grapples with housing shortage
The construction of UC Santa Cruz’s 2,900-bed Heller Drive student housing project, a key part of the long-delayed and controversial Student Housing West development, has been pushed back to 2027 and is now slated to be completed during the 2029-30 school year.
Posted inHousing & Development
With construction underway, city invites public to ceremonial groundbreaking for downtown Santa Cruz library mixed-use project
The public is invited to Lot 8, across Lincoln Street from the site of the future downtown Santa Cruz library and affordable housing on Lot 4, for a ceremony marking the occasion at noon next Wednesday, Aug. 20.
Posted inHousing & Development
Downtown Plan Expansion — with 1,600 new housing units and pathway to new Santa Cruz Warriors arena — wins state’s OK
The California Coastal Commission has signed off on Santa Cruz’s Downtown Plan Expansion, clearing the way for taller buildings, up to 1,600 new housing units and a potential new Santa Cruz Warriors arena south of Laurel Street.
Posted inHousing & Development
Eight-story, 178-unit Clocktower Center clears final vote, capping Santa Cruz’s most polarizing development battle
The Santa Cruz City Council approved Workbench’s scaled-down Clocktower Center project — originally hailed by its developers as something “Santa Cruz hasn’t seen.” The vote ends more than a year of fierce public debate and cements the controversial development as a high-profile product of California’s pro-housing state laws.