Morning Lookout: Good news for Cabrillo-UCSC housing, two-way West Cliff, Cheek update & fair begins

Well, well, well — if it isn’t my favorite group of newshounds. It is Wednesday, Sept. 13, and you know the drill, Santa Cruz County: morning clouds, sun breaking through (for most of us, anyway), temps in the 70s and 80s.

It’s anything but a dull day as far as the latest from Lookout; click this way if you’re too amped for the guided tour.
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The future of a joint Cabrillo College-UC Santa Cruz student housing development is looking brighter, Hillary Ojeda reports, after negotiations yielded a financial fix that Gov. Gavin Newsom looks likely to sign off on. With that OK, groundbreaking could take place in a year on the 624-bed project.

In Santa Cruz, the city council gave its expected approval Tuesday to returning a stretch of West Cliff Drive to two-way traffic, Max Chun reports, after a switch to one-way traffic following January storm damage. Work starts soon, and there’s plenty to do in the area.

Christopher Neely was in court Tuesday for the latest hearing on the status of convicted sex offender Michael Cheek; while no resolution appears imminent, a Santa Cruz County judge asked the parties involved to move toward finding a home for Cheek elsewhere in California.

And ahead of her weekly report on the local business community, Jessica M. Pasko is along with a Q&A with Santa Cruz Works founder Doug Erickson, who has thoughts on our housing crisis and its impact on the tech economy, where artificial intelligence fits in and more.

The bounty of Wednesday headlines also includes a guide to the Santa Cruz County Fair, opening at noon Wednesday and running through Sunday, plus word that local officials are on alert for an invasive fruit fly after some were detected over the hill in the Bay Area. Follow along, won’t you?

624-bed joint Cabrillo-UCSC housing project closer to reality as state financial fix heads to Newsom

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

After months of uncertainty about funding, Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz say they’re ready to move forward with a 624-bed student housing project on Cabrillo’s Aptos campus. If all goes as planned, officials say they’ll start construction in September 2024 and students could move in by fall 2026. Get the details from Hillary Ojeda.

➤ PREVIOUSLY: Joint Cabrillo College-UCSC student housing project in limbo after changes to state budget

Santa Cruz City Council votes to restore two-way traffic on West Cliff Drive; work to begin next week

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

The Santa Cruz City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to restore two-way traffic on West Cliff Drive by the start of next year, ending a pilot project that has seen a stretch of the scenic road reduced to one-way traffic since January. While many residents told the city they want to see one-way traffic remain, some Westsiders say they are fed up with increased traffic in their neighborhoods and welcome a return to a two-way West Cliff. Max Chun has the latest.

➤ STORMS 2023: Find Lookout’s continuing coverage of last winter’s storms and the ongoing impact and recovery efforts

Upcoming events in Santa Cruz County

FRIDAY 9/22
Midtown Fridays @1111 Soquel Ave.
Embroidery Workshop @Wallflower Santa Cruz
Zayante Fire Fundraiser @Felton Music Hall
Stephen Marley @The Catalyst Club
Bodhi Mojo @Woodhouse Blending & Brewing
Frequency Festival @Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

SATURDAY 9/23
Santa Cruz Elks Oktoberfest @Santa Cruz Elks Lodge
Foodie Fruity Wreath Making Extravaganza @Scotts Valley farmers market
Vegan Italian Cooking & Wine Pairing Class @Flipjack Ranch
Teen Kitchen Project Everett Farm Dinner @Everett Family Farm
Echos Of Empire @Civic Auditorium

SUNDAY 9/24
For the love of dogs @Chaminade Resort & Spa
41st Santa Cruz Triathlon @Depot Park
Music at the park @Skypark
Jean Dawson @The Catalyst

That there is about 10 pounds of news in a 5-pound bag ... but Lookout has more coming. That includes the aforementioned Santa Cruz County business roundup from Jessica M. Pasko, so if that’s something you don’t want to miss, make sure you’re following Lookout on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads. We also offer breaking news alerts via text and email in addition to all of our other newsletters, so sign up for those here.

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May your sailing be smooth this hump day.

Will McCahill
Lookout Santa Cruz