Greetings, readers. It is Thursday, April 4, and Santa Cruz County will be dodging the raindrops throughout, with temperatures barely breaking 50 for most of us.
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Christopher Neely spoke with the developer behind an 18-story building being proposed near the clock tower downtown. With the defeat of building-height ballot initiative Measure M, Tim Gordin of Workbench says, “I feel like we’re in a good place for it.”
Max Chun was on hand at the county building Wednesday as proponents of rail and trail rallied to urge supervisors to move forward on two segments of the Coastal Rail Trail they deadlocked on last week. Among their concerns are that the county could lose out on promised state funding if construction doesn’t get underway.
Ahead of his Weekender newsletter, coming later Thursday, Wallace Baine previews the return of TEDx Santa Cruz, bringing “ideas worth spreading” via a diverse set of speakers for the April 13 event at Cabrillo College.
In Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, you’ll find an op-ed from octogenarian Sheila Carrillo detailing her Jewish upbringing and her shifting perspective on Israel and Palestine.
Before the headlines, a Westside snapshot from Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud.
Photo of the day
The 65-year-old Circle Church is being torn down this week, four years after the City of Santa Cruz slated the former community gathering place for demolition to make way for housing. A group of investors called Circle of Friends LLC bought the Westside church at 111 Errett Circle for $3.3 million in 2017. They plan to turn the property into a co-housing project with 12 homes, 12 granny units and a community gathering space. The property has hosted a church dating back to the 1890s, though the current church was rebuilt after a fire in 1959.
An 18-story building proposed downtown promises to be a project ‘Santa Cruz has never seen’
At 18 stories and 192 feet tall, Clocktower Center would be the tallest building in Santa Cruz County. Proposed for 2020 North Pacific Ave., the high-rise would take over the lot now occupied by the Rush Inn dive bar and the old Santa Cruz County Bank building. Here’s what Christopher Neely knows.
Transit advocates protest as RTC delays discussion on contested stretch of Coastal Rail Trail
More than 70 rail and trail supporters rallied in front of the Santa Cruz County building on Wednesday to urge the board of supervisors to approve Segments 10 and 11 of the Coastal Rail Trail after the body failed to do so last week. Supporters are growing concerned that a $67.6 million state grant tied to the project could expire with more delays. Max Chun reports.
DAILY DIGEST
Much to chew over as Thursday gets rolling, and you know there’s more on the way from Lookout. Like you, perhaps, Wallace Baine is looking toward the coming weekend, and you can get his recommendation-packed Weekender and all of our other newsletters, plus breaking news alerts via text and email, by signing up here. Lookout is also on social media, so connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads and you won’t miss a thing.
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Be good, and let’s meet back here Friday.
Will McCahill