Hey hey hey – it’s Tuesday, July 8, shaping up to be another excellent summer day around Santa Cruz County, with morning cloud cover leading to afternoon sun and temperatures from the upper 60s to low 80s.
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A housing development planned along Ocean Street is casting a shadow over the Marianne’s Ice Cream shop there – literally, Carly Heltzel reports. While Marianne’s owners say they’re optimistic overall, parking during construction and the fact that a five-story building will put the shop in shadow at some times of the year are downsides.
More details are emerging about the future of Big Basin Redwoods State Park as its post-CZU fire rebuild continues, Max Chun reports. Plans include new trails, the return of camping, education and ecology centers, and collaborations with local Indigenous groups, and you can find out more at a California State Parks webinar later this week.
A new assessment put the total value of taxable property in unincorporated Santa Cruz County at $64.7 billion in 2025, William S. Woodhams reports. That’s a record, with home sales and new construction behind the jump of nearly 6%.
Wallace Baine has a pair of stories – in one, he reports that the Santa Cruz County Fair has a new CEO, though she’s a familiar face around the county; in the other, he previews an upcoming event that brings Jane Wiedlin of Go-Go’s fame to the Museum of Art & History to perform, including a set with a band of local musicians.
The future of passenger rail in Santa Cruz County is again the topic in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, with Kevin Maguire arguing that the estimated price tag already topping $4 billion is too much for too little.
The Tuesday headlines also include Lily Belli’s lookahead to a big annual Homeless Garden Project fundraiser. Away we go …
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On Ocean Street, Marianne’s Ice Cream comes under the shadow of a major housing development
A five-story mixed-use development is slated to go up behind Marianne’s Ice Cream, a Santa Cruz staple. Marianne’s owners are worried about street parking during construction and the shadow of the building — which will stretch across Ocean Street in front of the parlor in winter — once it’s done. Carly Heltzel has the story.
At Big Basin, new campgrounds, trails and a visitors center rise from the ashes of the CZU fire
California’s oldest state park is unveiling new details about its post-fire revival plan, including Indigenous partnerships and eco-focused design. Public review begins with a webinar Thursday. More here from Max Chun.
DAILY DIGEST
A full plate this Tuesday morning, but please do save room for what’s still cooking at Lookout. One of those dishes will be Lily Belli on Food, just one of the many newsletters and breaking news alerts you can (and most definitely should!) sign up for here. Download the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to keep our award-winning local coverage close at hand, and if your online diet includes social media, give Lookout a follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Bluesky.
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Thanks for reading, and have a super Tuesday.
Will McCahill