For the first time in decades, Scotts Valley is set to host a 100% affordable housing complex. Yet local leaders are at odds with state mandates, decrying the project’s demolition of one of the few commercial spaces in Scotts Valley with the amenities necessary to attract high-tech tenants.
Government
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Justin Cummings picked to lead powerful California Coastal Commission as chair
Justin Cummings, a scientist, former Santa Cruz mayor and current county supervisor, has been named chair of the California Coastal Commission, the powerful state agency that oversees land use and development along the 1,100 miles of California’s coastline.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Despite staffing concerns, supervisors vote to bring CZU rebuild permitting program under county auspices
Santa Cruz County supervisors voted Tuesday to end a costly third-party contract for wildfire rebuild permitting, shifting responsibilities to a county staff who said they were already stretched. With hundreds of homes still unfinished, questions linger about whether the county can handle the workload without derailing recovery for CZU fire victims.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
In departing from 4Leaf, county thinks it’s ready to handle next phase of CZU recovery
More than four years after the CZU wildfire, Santa Cruz County plans to phase out its partnership with 4Leaf, the firm praised for streamlining rebuild permits for fire victims. While officials promise continuity, residents fear a return to bureaucratic delays.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
For voters in Watsonville’s District 6, Dutra’s community ties outweighed legal troubles
Jimmy Dutra won reelection to the Watsonville City Council with 55% of the vote, two months after a jury found him liable for sexually assaulting a minor in a civil lawsuit. Some voters in District 6 cited Dutra’s neighborhood advocacy as the reason behind their support, while others questioned the lawsuit’s validity.
Posted inHousing & Development
Scotts Valley Town Center vision, land purchase could advance with city council vote Wednesday
Scotts Valley’s decadeslong quest for a vibrant downtown hub could move closer to reality this week, as city leaders are set to decide on a pivotal land purchase and affirm residents’ vision for a community-centered Town Center, featuring housing, retail and gathering spaces.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville Planning Commission denies appeal of ‘tiny village’ homeless housing project
The Watsonville Planning Commission on Tuesday denied an appeal filed by resident Catalina Torres asking the commission to rescind zoning approval of the 34-unit “tiny village” project intended to provide shelter for the unhoused on the Westview Presbyterian Church property.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Measure Z, Santa Cruz’s mold-breaking soda tax, passes despite expensive attack from beverage industry
Santa Cruz’s Measure Z, the first soda tax passed in the U.S. since 2018, delivers a rebuke to the beverage industry’s $1.7 million opposition campaign. With legal battles looming, the measure’s success could signal a turning point in using such taxes as a tactic for public health advocacy.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville planning commission to hear appeal of ‘tiny village’ homeless shelter next month
At its Dec. 3 meeting, the Watsonville Planning Commission plans to hear an appeal filed by a resident asking the commission to rescind its zoning approval of the “tiny village” shelter for the homeless on the Westview Presbyterian Church property.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz group to propose dual parcel, home sale tax housing bond in 2025
Santa Cruz civic leaders unveiled an ambitious dual-tax proposal to fund affordable housing, blending a $99 annual parcel tax with a progressive real estate transfer tax. Aiming for the November 2025 ballot, the plan hopes to generate $5 million annually for the city.