Corralitos / Freedom Neighborhood Newsletter for Tuesday, May 5

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Good morning! It’s May 5 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…

Variable clouds with a shower in Corralitos / Freedom

Today will be more clouds than sun; cool with a stray shower. There is a 55% chance of rain. The high will be 62 with a low of 51.

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Corralitos / Freedom news

Teachers unions at Pacific Collegiate and Pajaro Valley Unified face stalled contract talks over pay and health benefit caps, raising the possibility of a strike.

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What’s new around you

▼︎ police incidents   ▼︎ real estate   ▼︎ new businesses   ▼︎ events

Read on to see the details about each item…

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Things to do in Corralitos / Freedom

Add an event to our calendar

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Property development

• The Santa Cruz County Planning Department is currently accepting public comments on a zoning application for a proposed project at 499 Hames Rd. in Watsonville, but will stop accepting comments after May 13. The project involves constructing a new in-ground swimming pool (12 by 32 feet, 4 to 7 feet deep, holding about 20,944 gallons) and an attached spa (7 by 12 feet) next to the existing single-family home. Plans also include a 4-foot high retaining wall, pool equipment pad, and new pool decking (to be installed separately), with safety features such as an automatic pool cover, required alarms, and 5-foot high non-climb deer fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates. The application requests a reduction of the standard 200-foot agricultural buffer setback to approximately 148 feet at the south property line and 120 feet at the west property line. Site work will involve removing and replacing up to 6 feet of clay soil beneath the pool with engineered fill, grading, drainage improvements, and erosion control, with the pool constructed using gunite (shotcrete). All work will comply with relevant California and county codes for safety, energy efficiency, and stormwater management. No landscaping is included in this permit. Residents who wish to provide input on this project must submit their comments before the May 13 deadline. (view application)
   

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New local businesses

• A new business named SANTA CRUZ OCEAN PAINTING was registered at 203 Dutchman Rd., Watsonville, on April 27. The business was registered by Alejandro Muniz Flores as a general partnership.
   
• A new business named MIRROR VANITY was registered at 278 Green Valley Rd., Freedom, on April 27. The business was registered by Eileens Exhibit LLC as a limited liability company.
   
• A new business named PLEASANT VALLEY ART STUDIO was registered at 1015 Pleasant Valley Rd., Aptos, on April 28. The business was registered by Sandy Shaw, LLC as a limited liability company.
   
• A new business named SANTA CRUZ FLAMENCO was registered at 61 Airport Rd., Freedom, on April 29. The business was registered by Barbara Imhoff as an individual business.
   

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Community crime report

• Police responded to an incident involving multiple weapons violations, animal cruelty, and property offenses. This happened near the 1500 block of Ranport Road in Watsonville at 8 p.m. on April 29. (source)
   
• A person caused physical harm to their spouse or someone they live with. The incident happened near Loma Prieta Avenue in Watsonville at midnight on April 27. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for driving on a suspended license due to DUI, assault with a deadly weapon (not a firearm), and hit and run with injury. The incident happened near the 1000 block of Tierra Alta Drive, Watsonville, at 11 p.m. on April 26. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for violating probation and having drug paraphernalia, a controlled substance, and burglary tools. The incident happened near the 2700 block of Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, at 1 a.m. on April 29. (source)
   
• A person was found carrying a concealed dirk or dagger and in possession of a controlled substance. The incident happened near Airport Boulevard and Pajaro Lane, Freedom, at 8 p.m. on April 29. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for having illegal drugs and shoplifting. The incident happened near the 1400 block of Freedom Boulevard in Watsonville at 4 p.m. on April 29. (source)
   
• A person was arrested for disobeying a court order, violating a protective order, and violating probation. The incident happened near the 300 block of Buena Vista Drive in Watsonville at 4 p.m. on April 22. (source)
   
• A person gave a false ID to police and was found with illegal paraphernalia. The incident happened near Pajaro Lane, Freedom, at 4 p.m. on May 1. (source)
   

Note on today’s report: Some of the incidents listed are not recent. This can happen for a couple of reasons: Delays in agency reporting — sometimes officials don’t file reports right away, or agencies release batches of reports weeks later. Delays in public complaints — people may not notice or decide to contact police until some time after an incident. Please contact the responsible law-enforcement agency or your local elected officials if you have concerns about their delay in releasing information.

Disclosure: Traffic incidents, property development updates and police incidents 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.