What’s up, Lookout friends? Tuesday, March 31, is here, bringing with it chances of rain around Santa Cruz County, mostly before mid-afternoon, under cloudy skies and with temperatures in the 60s.
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Tania Ortiz leads us off with the county facing a pair of lawsuits involving housing developments in Live Oak. In one, residents are challenging a project along Capitola Road led by local firm Workbench; in the other, Workbench itself is suing the county over a proposal for Paul Sweet Road, near Dominican Hospital.
Max Chun was in Boulder Creek on Monday as Rep. Jimmy Panetta and the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission touted $850,000 from the federal government to help make a stretch of Highway 9 friendlier. “That’s where the Boulder Creek Complete Streets project comes into play,” Panetta said. “It is going to contribute to the community aspect of Highway 9 by providing more sidewalks, curb extensions, bike lanes and, of course, transit-stop improvements, all to make it a little bit slower of a highway and a lot safer as a main street.”
And in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, local peace activist, former union leader and retired sociologist Paul Johnston recalls his 1980 journey into revolutionary Iran 46 years ago on a mission to de-escalate the Iran hostage crisis. As U.S. bombings continue, he offers a personal reckoning with war and memory and repeats the enduring call to seek peace.
To the headlines …
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Santa Cruz County facing lawsuits over two contentious housing developments in Live Oak
A group of residents has filed a lawsuit against Santa Cruz County over a proposed development at 841 Capitola Rd., while local architecture firm Workbench is going to court over another of its projects, at 3500 Paul Sweet Rd. Tania Ortiz has the update.
Panetta, RTC announce federal funding for Highway 9 improvements
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission staff and other local partners announced $850,000 in federal funding secured for Highway 9 improvements in Boulder Creek as part of the Boulder Creek Complete Streets project. The transit agency hopes to break ground in 2028. Max Chun was on hand.
DAILY DIGEST
Lookout’s award-winning local coverage continues Tuesday, and among what’s coming to brighten up this rainy last day of March will be the latest news, notes and recommendations from the Santa Cruz County culinary front in the form of Lily Belli on Food – one of the many other newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for free here. Get our mix of news and views, plus breaking news notifications, games and more via smartphone by downloading the Lookout Santa Cruz app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and connect with Lookout on social media by giving us a follow on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and/or Threads.
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Be safe out on those slippery roads, and thanks for reading.
Will McCahill