Good morning! It’s September 3 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…
Turning sunny; cool in Aptos
Today will be cool with clouds giving way to sun. The high will be 71 with a low of 55. Wear your sunblock — the UV Index is high (7/11).
Looking ahead: Pleasant this weekend
Aptos news
Only the Watsonville battery storage project is under consideration. Cabrillo College and UCSC will break ground Sept. 29 on a $111M student housing and child care complex in Aptos. Fifteen new local businesses registered last week.
Ask Lookout: Is Santa Cruz County considering additional locations for battery storage facilities?
By Tania Ortiz
Sep 3, 2025
Joint Cabrillo-UCSC student housing project to finally break ground this month
By Hillary Ojeda
Sep 3, 2025
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What’s new around you
▼︎ real estate ▼︎ new businesses ▼︎ food inspections ▼︎ events
Read on to see the details about each item…
Things to do in Aptos
Mojo Mix Blues Trio
Come join us for dinner and a show. Great food and Blues. 6-8pm
At Aptos St. Bbq on September 3
Repeats 24 more times until October 29
Property development
- The Santa Cruz County Planning Department has received a zoning application for a project at 133 Stephen Road, located at the northeastern corner of Aptos Beach Drive and Stephen Road in Aptos. The proposal seeks to renew a permit to operate a one-bedroom vacation rental at this address. Approval of a Vacation Rental Permit is required for the renewal to proceed. (view application)
New local businesses
- A new business named SmoGrown was registered at 300 Petery Ln, Aptos CA 95003 on August 26. The business was registered by Elizabeth L. Smolanovich as a business operated by a married couple.
- A new business named CACTUS CORNER MARKET was registered at 3125 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville CA 95076 on August 28. The business was registered by Yousef Albarati as a business operated by a married couple.
Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region
- Starting Monday, August 25, a long-term closure began on the northbound lane of Highway 9 between Lorenzo Avenue and Prospect Avenue in Santa Cruz County, San Lorenzo Valley, for emergency repairs. Work is expected to finish by December 5, depending on the weather.
- The Park Avenue ramps on Highway 1 in Santa Cruz County, Eastside / Live Oak, will reopen on September 5. The long-term closure of the Bay Avenue/Porter Street ramps on Highway 1 has been postponed. Construction is still ongoing for new auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder improvements between the Bay Avenue/Porter Street and State Park Drive interchanges.
Restaurant inspections
County officials regularly inspect food facilities to ensure compliance with state laws. Here, Lookout Santa Cruz reports both those who have passed the inspections and those that the county deems to have a “major” issue. The county’s full ongoing report can be accessed here.
- Kikka at 783 Rio Del Mar Blvd. Ste 25, Aptos, passed a county health inspection on August 29 with no critical issues.
No crimes to report today
We checked with local police and there were no new incidents to report.
Disclosure: Traffic incidents and property development updates are partially generated by artificial intelligence. We are constantly working to improve the accuracy and quality of our AI-generated content. However, there may still be errors or inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.