Good morning! It’s December 18 — here’s what’s going on in your community today…
Fog in the a.m.; partly sunny in Eastside / Live Oak
Today will be patchy morning fog will reduce visibiity; otherwise, sun and some clouds. There is a 1% chance of rain. The high will be 63 with a low of 49. Fog now, changing to partly sunny at 1 p.m.
Looking ahead: Expect rainy weather late Saturday night through late Wednesday night
Eastside / Live Oak news
County supervisors will review a 57-unit Capitola Road housing project after neighbor appeals. Santa Cruz seeks applicants for its arts commission; apply by Jan. 11 to help shape local arts policy.
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By Lookout Santa Cruz
December 16, 2025
Letter to the editor: Santa Cruz must stop sweeping unhoused residents away and find real solutions
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What’s new around you
▼︎ police incidents ▼︎ real estate ▼︎ food inspections ▼︎ events
Read on to see the details about each item…
Things to do in Eastside / Live Oak
Orgōne (w/ Andre Cruz & Chris Lujan)
The acclaimed soul and funk band, Orgōne will be performing a local Santa Cruz show at Moe’s Alley on Fri, Dec 19th. After an extensive world tour as …
At Moe’s Alley on December 18
Property development
- The Santa Cruz County Planning Department has received a zoning application requesting an extension of the expiration date for an existing permit related to a proposed administrative office building for the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District’s ParaCruz program at No Situs – Paul Sweet Road, near the intersection with Soquel Drive. The project involves constructing a new, one-story, 4,815 square foot facility on the site of a former Park and Ride lot. The building is designed to house offices, a call center, a mobility center, conference and break rooms, and support spaces. The site plan includes 27 vehicle parking spaces (with ADA and clean air vehicle accommodations), 32 shuttle van parking spaces, 6 bicycle parking spaces, and 2 bike lockers. Planned site improvements feature landscaping with native and drought-tolerant plants, stormwater management, lighting, signage, and accessible routes. The building will be up to 24 feet tall, fully sprinklered, and will include infrastructure for future electric vehicle charging stations and rooftop solar panels. The application specifically seeks to extend the permit expiration from November 24, to November 24, 2026. (view application)
Roadwork is affecting traffic in the region
- There is a one-way traffic closure on South Highway 9 at Lorenzo Avenue in San Lorenzo Valley because of emergency work. The closure is expected to end at 3:59 p.m. on April 1, 2026.
- Southbound Highway 17 at Sugarloaf Road in Scotts Valley is facing closures for emergency work. The closure is expected to last until 5:59 a.m. on December 20.
- A lane on North Highway 9 at Fern Street in the Westside / Downtown area is closed for utility work. The closure is expected to end at 2:30 p.m. on December 22.
- A lane on northbound Highway 17 at W Vine Hill Road in Scotts Valley is closed for tree work. The closure is expected to end at 4:01 a.m. today.
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.
- Callahan’s Bar at 507 Water St., Santa Cruz, passed a county health inspection on December 15 with no critical issues.
- Ferrell’s Donut House at 1403 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, passed a county health inspection on December 15 with no critical issues.
- Deke’s Market at 334 7th Ave., Santa Cruz, passed a county health inspection on December 16 with no critical issues.
- Sushi Market Sprouts at 300 7th Ave., Santa Cruz, passed a county health inspection on December 16 with no critical issues.
- Star Community School (in Star Of The Sea Church) at 515 Frederick St., Santa Cruz, passed a county health inspection on December 16 with no critical issues.
Community crime report
- A person was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol near the 700 Block of Ocean St., Santa Cruz at 10 p.m. on December 12. (source)
- A petty theft was reported online. The incident happened near the 800 Block of Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz, at midnight on November 23. (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.