Watsonville City Council denies second appeal against ‘tiny village’ homeless shelter project

A controversial “tiny village” project aimed at housing Watsonville’s homeless population cleared its final political hurdle on Tuesday night, as the city council rejected a resident’s second appeal to put restrictions on the development.

The 34-unit project, to be built on the grounds of Westview Presbyterian Church, can now move forward after months of neighborhood opposition. The project, funded by an $8 million state grant, is a collaboration between Monterey and Santa Cruz counties to address homelessness along the Pajaro River levee.

Councilmembers voted 5-2 to uphold the project’s zoning approval and the planning commission’s previous rejection of an initial appeal by resident Catalina Torres. Councilmembers Ari Parker and Casey Clark sided with Torres, voting to support the appeal. 

Roxanne Wilson, homelessness services director for Monterey County — which is leading the project — said Tuesday’s vote means she and her team can get started with doing the work. Monterey County has submitted a building permit application, currently under review by Watsonville city staff. Wilson hopes to get it approved by April and complete construction on the project by the fall. 

“Here today, the two counties have come together with a solution to help ease the burden of unsheltered homelessness in our respective communities,” said Wilson. “We know the proposed project will not end the Watsonville homelessness problem, but it will help.” 

The 34-unit “tiny village” was first proposed in 2023. The shelter will be made up of 26 individual single-bed shelters for residents experiencing homelessness along the Pajaro River levee. There will also be two double units and four Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant units. Individuals will have access to two laundry rooms, four shared bathrooms, a kitchen and a storage area — which will all reside on Westview Presbyterian Church’s property. The project is funded by an $8 million grant from the State of California that is set to expire in June of next year. 

About 40 people filled the council chambers Tuesday night for the three-hour discussion on the project. Torres and several of her neighbors who were present at Tuesday’s meeting have repeatedly expressed their disapproval of the shelter’s location next to a residential area only a few streets away from downtown Watsonville. They say they believe it will only lead to more “homeless-related” crimes in the neighborhood. 

“Let me be clear on this, we have never opposed this project,” said Torres. “Our concern is solely about location.” 

Dan Hoffman, pastor at Westview Presbyterian Church and strong advocate for the city’s unhoused population, said the “tiny village” project is a solution to the problems expressed by Torres and her neighbors. 

“These are our neighbors,” Hoffman said. “Neighbors that have come into hard times, and any of us could be in their place.”

The project’s zoning application had been approved by city staff in September because it had met the requirements of a state law that bypasses local control to increase housing stock, said Matt Orbach, Watsonville’s interim assistant community development director. 

Torres filed her appeal on Dec. 16 — nearly two weeks after the city’s planning commission denied an initial appeal. She argued that the planning commission improperly rejected some of her arguments in her initial appeal, such as her request that Westview acquire a special-use permit for the project. 

A special-use permit allows a property to be used in a way it usually isn’t. Since Westview Presbyterian’s parking will be used to host a shelter, and not cars, it would need a special-use permit, Torres said. The permit would make it easier for Torres and any of her neighbors to direct any problems that could arise to the city.

Torres argued that state law does not supercede local zoning codes. “The church is required to obtain a special-use permit before the shelter can be established on the property,” she said. 

Torres also argued that Monterey County’s application did not meet the criteria required by the state law, but did not provide which requirements the application hadn’t met. 

Wilson emphasized that Monterey County would not be working alone on this project and that it is unique to see two counties working together on such an initiative. Monterey County has provided strong evidence that its project meets the state’s definition of a low-barrier navigation center, she said. 

The State of California defines a low-barrier navigation center as a “housing first, service-enriched shelter focused on moving people into permanent housing, with temporary living facilities and case management to connect individuals to resources.” 

While the city council’s vote on Tuesday was to determine whether the “tiny village” project fit the description and definition of a low-barrier navigation center, several city councilmembers raised questions about whether Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, the nonprofit that is set to provide services at the shelter, is qualified to do so, and shared their discontent that the city council has not been fully included in conversations surrounding the project. 

“I just want to clarify, I think a lot of people on council, that we’re not against helping the unhoused,” said Parker. “We are, in fact, just the opposite of that. But this whole process has been without us.”

Parker, who had voted against denying Torres’ appeal, said the entire process of the project was poorly done because the city council was consistently kept out of the conversation by both counties and then-city manager Rene Mendez. She said she believed that Community Action Board does not have enough experience to manage the “tiny village.” 

Aimee Ramirez, who will be the operations manager for the “tiny village” and works for CAB, said she understands the concerns raised by Parker and other councilmembers, and that the nonprofit will come back to the city council April 29 to present a detailed operations plan. 

“I am prepared to show you, as the operations manager, to the city council as well as the community, how we intend to keep everyone safe, how we intend to keep everyone housed, and how we continue to build community,” Ramirez said. 

Staff from the nonprofit, including its CEO, MaríaElena De La Garza, spoke during the meeting, expressing their support for the project and that the unhoused community in Watsonville will benefit from the resources. 

The city council’s job was to review the appeal and determine whether there is enough evidence to justify the planning commission’s decision and zoning staff’s approval of the application, said Councilmember Kristal Salcido. 

“I’ve listened to all the evidence, I’ve reviewed all of this, and very clear on the substantial evidence, review, burden of proof, what is before us,” said Salcido, who voted to uphold the project’s zoning approval along with Eduardo Montesino, Vanessa Quiroz-Carter, Maria Orozco and Jimmy Dutra. “And I will be supporting this motion tonight that has been seconded so based on everything that I reviewed, that is going to be my conclusion tonight.”

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