Santa Cruz Local

At a March 10 listening session at the London Nelson Community Center, residents gathered to discuss issues facing the City of Santa Cruz. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local / Catchlight Local)

SANTA CRUZ >> Santa Cruz Local staff spent weeks meeting with and listening to City of Santa Cruz residents about their top concerns going into the June 4 election. The June primary consists of Santa Cruz mayor, Santa Cruz City Council and the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Residents told us their top priorities are housing, traffic, homelessness and government transparency.

To press candidates on residents’ concerns, we asked around 200 residents two key questions: what’s the biggest issue where you live? And what would you like to see done about it? 

Our staff conducted an online survey of 165 residents, interviewed 30 in-person, and invited 14 to an in-person, 90 minute listening session at the London Nelson Community Center. The residents we surveyed ranged in age from 19-93. Of those, 72% were white, 7% were Latino, 70% homeowners and 25% were renters.

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The reoccurring themes that kept coming up for residents?

• Affordable housing availability. 
• Local response to state housing construction mandates.
• Traffic and road safety. 
• Homelessness and homeless services. 
• Transparent communication between local elected leaders and residents.

Housing was the top concern, with affordability and accessibility top of mind. Residents pointed to myriad costs of unaffordable housing in Santa Cruz as a major quality of life issue. “I know so many young people who went to college, who come from middle class families, and they have full time jobs, and they’re living in their cars because it’s like the only affordable option,” shared Michael, 30, of Santa Cruz. 

Many residents were dubious of new construction as a solution. “The narrative is if you just build, build, build things will get more affordable… I would like to believe that’s true, but I’m not convinced that it is,” said Stacey, 45, of Santa Cruz. 

Residents were at turns split or at a loss for how to address affordability. While some residents weren’t interested in new housing being built, others were in favor of creative solutions like more backyard ADUs, potentially to house elderly homeowners who rent out their larger houses, or converting single family homes into duplexes or triplexes. 

Many residents were also concerned about the local government’s response to state housing mandates and the perceived pressure to build new housing. “[There is] excessive catering to developers without local accountability or sufficient affordable housing,” said Michael, 64, of Santa Cruz. 

Transportation was the second most common concern. Residents told us that they find roads to be crowded, unsafe and generally unpleasant for bikers and pedestrians. Many named specific intersections near their homes or on their commutes that they find routinely dangerous. Among those named were Bay Street and High Street and Water Street, Soquel Avenue and Morrissey Boulevard. “Traffic control over speeding and street repairs is needed, especially for bicyclists,” said Linda, 73. “There’s slow East-West traffic from too many cars on the roads,” said Dan, of Santa Cruz. “We need a comprehensive streets program and not only the lower Westside but really citywide,” said Stephen, 76.

Residents also shared concerns about the sustained homeless population in Santa Cruz and quality of life for homeless and housed people. “Homelessness and housing are really big issues right now, and both really need to have county-wide solutions and not piecemeal by city or county.” said Kathy, 73, of Santa Cruz. 

Those we surveyed didn’t agree on how best to address homelessness. Many expressed frustration with constant sweeps. “I’ve seen a lot of hostility and just more crackdowns… you can’t park an RV on the street, you can’t sit on a bench… it’s so hostile to people who are in a situation that any of us could be in,” said Cooper, 28. Some want City officials to focus on increased services and housing. “Redirect some of the Santa Cruz Police Department budget to social service appropriate to unhoused and those needing mental health support,” suggested Michael, 64, of Santa Cruz. Some residents felt that the existence of local services contribute to homelessness, and should be pulled back. “Cut off all money to the homeless, EBT and Medical… total waste,” said Karen of Santa Cruz. 

The desire for a more transparent, responsive and communicative local government was a concern threaded throughout our surveys and interviews. Residents told us they want local leaders to show them that they are listening. Residents offered advice to incoming elected officials on this topic, including:

• “Have meetings or listening sessions with community members with actionable next steps on what you heard.” 
• “Find ways to demystify where our taxes go, where our general fund is spent and how to make the most with the monies our local government has access to” 
• “Gather listening sessions neighborhood by neighborhood to learn what we need you to accomplish during your term representing us.”
• “Engage with your whole community, not just those in the largest tax bracket. You are a representative for Santa Cruz as a whole, you should have the community’s best interests at heart.”
• “Make a point of talking to someone outside your normal circles on a regular basis.”

From these core themes, we plan to ask the following questions of candidates Santa Cruz mayor and city council: 

• Do you support policies like rent control, rental assistance or enhanced eviction protections? Do you have other plans for making existing housing stock more affordable?
• How will you balance the pressures of state housing mandates with the desires of current residents?
• What do you believe works and doesn’t work about the city’s homelessness policy? What changes do you plan to make in office?
• What policies would you propose to make roads safer and easier for all residents? 
• What’s your plan to rebuild trust in local government with the people that you represent?

Elena “Nini” Cohen, Kara Meyberg Guzman and Billy Rainbow discuss the challenges facing residents in the City of Santa Cruz at a March 10 listening session. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local / Catchlight Local)

At our March 10 listening session, 14 residents shared their experiences making a life in Santa Cruz and perspectives on the City’s future. Participants expressed a deep love for the City of Santa Cruz and a desire to stay, even as life feels more and more precarious for renters and those on a fixed income. 

Young people shared the impact of the housing crisis on their lives. “All my friends moved away. Everyone I was friends with who grew up here moved away because the rent was too high and the opportunities were too low,” said Emeline, 25, who hopes to see the City support converting single homes to duplexes and triplexes to increase affordable housing stock. 

Nico, 27, recently moved and delivered muffins to their new neighbors, but the burden of rent keeps their hopes for community connection low. “My neighbors are renters and work numerous jobs and have multiple kids, and we’ve talked briefly, but they’re like, yeah, it’s hard for us to attend a block party, let alone help facilitate one.”

Among participants, there was excitement for neighborhood-based innovation that focuses on community cohesion. Ellen, 64, suggested that local government funneling money to neighborhoods themselves might allow neighbors to intervene directly for those that are homeless on their blocks – a common point of concern among residents. She also wants to see creative zoning that makes neighborhoods more conducive to community connection. “Allowing for libraries, small stores, not like a Target or a Safeway, but like a little corner store or a cafe… would be really useful to keep people moving and walking and just being present in their space,” said Ellen. 

Participants also expressed a desire for greater local government transparency and accountability, particularly around housing. “There should be some annual public accountability. Here’s what we built, here’s how it reduced the cost of housing, or didn’t, here’s how it changed the rate of homelessness,” said Stacey, 45. 

Our staff spent a week tabling at Cabrillo College’s Aptos campus, where we interviewed 25 students, including 10 City of Santa Cruz residents. We asked: what’s the biggest issue facing your community? 

Almost every student we spoke to mentioned the cost of living and affordability of housing. “The cost of living is pretty bad, seeing everything getting more expensive in real time sucks,” said one 23-year-old student. They shared that it’s difficult to afford housing as a student: rent is high and jobs are low-paying. One student, aged 20, shared that he and most of his friends had been unable to secure part-time jobs, despite months of applications. Even with full-time work, students said it’s hard to make ends meet. Many younger students live with family, and don’t have plans to move out. 

Students also shared community concerns. Almost half of the students we spoke to shared fear about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. They discussed the impact of fear on the immigrant communities they’re part of, like people sheltering at home. Slightly less than half of students also shared concerns about homelessness, which they discussed as a failure of local government to keep residents housed. 

At a food distribution on the North Coast, our staff interviewed 10 Spanish-speaking residents who live in or just outside the City of Santa Cruz. Here too, concerns about housing and the cost of living were top of mind, with residents telling us that rising prices are making it difficult to afford basic necessities. 

Our Noticias Watsonville team conducted a week of listening in March with residents of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley. To learn more about what they heard, check out Catalina Jaramillo’s story. 

Candidates interviews are underway and once published in May, our free election guide will be available in English on our website, in print and on our Instagram. Our Spanish election guide will be available in print and in our Noticias Watsonville WhatsApp group. To stay in the loop, sign up for our weekly newsletter, follow us on Instagram or join our Spanish-language news community on WhatsApp.

Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.

Learn about membership Santa Cruz Local’s news is free. We believe that high-quality local news is crucial to democracy. We depend on locals like you to make a meaningful contribution so everyone can access our news. Learn about membership

The post Santa Cruz residents have spoken: housing, homelessness and transportation appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.

Cabrillo College has the only dental hygiene program in the Monterey Bay region. (B. Sakura Cannestra — Santa Cruz Local)

APTOS >> Cabrillo College’s dental hygiene program was put on a three-year probation by state regulators last month and the threat of losing its accreditation looms over its teachers and students.

An investigation by the Dental Hygiene Board of California, which oversees statewide consumer safety, regulations and licensing for the industry, found eight violations of state law during a Feb. 12 visit to the college’s dental hygiene clinic. 

At meetings March 27 and 28, board members were outraged by the violations and suggested the program should lose its accreditation outright. Instead, the board gave the program an opportunity to improve during the probationary period and levied the maximum fine of $5,000.

“I was stunned, I just want to say that,” Dental Hygiene Board member Dr. Julie Elginer said at the meeting. “This is unacceptable — absolutely, categorically, for public protection purposes, unacceptable.” 

According to a letter from the state board, violations included staff ratios below the minimum, administrators changing students’ grades to advance them to the next course, students accessing the clinic without supervision and students lacking the minimum clinical hours required.

The school’s clinic offers low cost dental care to the public, where student hygienists work with patients under faculty supervision. 

“I am uneasy about letting a program like this continue because I think it really does endanger our consumers,” said Nicolas Kiet Quach, another member of the dental board.

The college is now required to file quarterly reports with the board and may have surprise visits from board representatives during the probation period.

“We don’t have the hygienists we need to serve our population.”

– Dr. Joshua Sanchez, vice president of the Monterey Bay Dental Society.

Cabrillo College has the only dental hygiene program in the Monterey Bay region.

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Travaris Harris, vice president of instruction at Cabrillo, said the current cohort of students are on track to graduate in May, and the program extended the clinic’s hours to make time for students to complete missing hours. He added that they’re working to address some of the violations, including hiring a second full-time employee and another administrator.

“I am confident that, as we go through the process and do our due diligence with reporting, that they’ll see that we address all of the concerns they had, and our program is on track,” Harris said in an interview on Monday.

‘We’ve all worked really hard’

A dental hygiene student said they’re worried the probation will damage their cohort’s reputation and overshadow their two years of education. The student lives in Santa Cruz County and requested anonymity for fear of academic retaliation and risking future job opportunities. They said they pursued dental hygiene to help improve oral health care access throughout the region, and that this program is integral as an affordable and accessible education option. 

“For us as a cohort, we’ve been told that it shouldn’t affect us personally,” the student said. “It’s just concerning to us because we, as community health care workers, we want more hygienists in the area.” 

The violations ranged from not having enough faculty to meet student needs to allowing all of the program’s 20 students to pass classes despite not meeting clinical hour requirements. Students were missing between 12 and 44 hours of required clinic experience.

Another violation included that seven students did not meet additional course requirements but were able to enroll in the next course prior to completing the prerequisites. According to state records, administrators changed students’ grades before they had completed missing coursework.

Many violations are related to the program’s narrow budget, according to the state investigation, including the department dropping to one full-time employee and having students pay for personal protective equipment like masks and gloves. 

Since the state board meeting, the school has begun making efforts to aid the program. Students were required to find their own patients for the clinic, often tabling at local events or around campus for advertising. Administrators are now helping to find patients by advertising the clinic more on social media.

The current student said as a result, they’re seeing more patients, and some classmates have now met and exceeded the required clinical hours. 

Worries remain about the future of the program. 

“We don’t have the hygienists we need to serve our population,” said Dr. Joshua Sanchez, vice president of the Monterey Bay Dental Society. “This program is so vital in trying to catch up and get health providers into our offices to take care of our communities.”

Sanchez said there would be vast consequences if Cabrillo’s program lost its accreditation, as it’s the only one in the Monterey Bay area. 

“We’re just so close to the end and don’t want anything to happen,” said the current Cabrillo dental student. “We’ve all worked really hard to be where we are right now.”

Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.

Learn about membership Santa Cruz Local’s news is free. We believe that high-quality local news is crucial to democracy. We depend on locals like you to make a meaningful contribution so everyone can access our news. Learn about membership

The post ‘Unacceptable’: Cabrillo College dental hygiene program on three-year state probation appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.

Residents living in the Bonnie Brier community have lost their main access point since the part of the road leading to the bridge washed out in February 2025.

Santa Cruz County leaders say the collapsed bridge is not their responsibility to repair.

“A year ago, on about the fourth of February, I was the last person to drive over the road and the bridge, and then the whole road collapsed, the abutments went backwards,” said Kathy Tracy, a retired special education teacher who moved to Bonnie Brier 32 years ago.

Lanktree Lane crumbled on one side of a 100-year-old bridge, cutting off some emergency services from 21 households. The only other access is across a bridge too small for full-size ambulances or firetrucks. 

Residents living in the Bonnie Brier community have lost their main access point since the part of the road leading to the bridge washed out in February 2025. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

BOULDER CREEK >> The tiny, tight-knit community of Bonnie Brier is tucked away in the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Founded in 1905, today there are about 30 homes with some families that have lived there for  generations. 

The Boulder Creek neighborhood is isolated and tranquil, surrounded by trees and set back from the roads. Bear Creek flows through the neighborhood.

Like other isolated, mountain neighborhoods in the county —  in Bonny Doon, San Lorenzo Valley and the Soquel hills — Bonnie Brier is accessible only by privately owned roads and bridges. 

In February 2025, one of two ways in and out of the neighborhood failed after a rainstorm washed away part of the road. Lanktree Lane crumbled on one side of a 100-year-old bridge, cutting off some emergency services from 21 households. The only other access is across a bridge too small for full-size ambulances or firetrucks. 

A year later, the road has not been repaired and residents are racing to track down the original owner that constructed the bridge and may still be responsible for its maintenance. 

Bonnie Brier residents have invested in maintaining the bridge over the years, but the cost to repair the failed road is more than they can afford as many are low-income and seniors. The estimated cost is up to $1.5 million, according to Kathy Tracy.

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Lanktree Lane, which connects to Bonnie Brier’s bridge, is still washed out in Boulder Creek on Feb. 27, 2026. The Bonnie Brier neighborhood is made up of three subdivisions and spans across Bear Creek.

Residents have turned to the county for help to repair it, but the road is privately owned despite being publicly accessible, and the county said it’s not their responsibility. 

“It’s been that way since [the roads] were created in the early 1900s and they’ve never been a part of our system,” said Matt Machado, director of the county’s community development and infrastructure department. “We don’t have any ownership.”

Their only alternative is the private Monte Vista bridge, which runs through a nearby neighborhood but has a six ton weight limit. Most ambulances weigh that much or more. 

The Boulder Creek Fire Protection District has some vehicles with basic medical supplies that can cross the Monte Vista bridge, including SUVs, pick-up trucks, and a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV). These are likely the vehicles to be used in the case of an emergency where the department will have to cross Monte Vista bridge but no major firefighting equipment would be able to access those residents.

Bonnie Brier neighborhood in Boulder Creek on Feb. 10. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

“A year ago, on about the fourth of February, I was the last person to drive over the road and the bridge, and then the whole road collapsed, the abutments went backwards,” said Kathy Tracy, a retired special education teacher who moved to Bonnie Brier 32 years ago. 

With the safety of their community at risk, Tracy and other residents formed an executive committee within the Bonnie Brier Improvement Association, which she said has been around since the 1950s. The five-person committee has spent nearly a year researching the history of the area and believe the bridge was originally owned by a family. 

Tracy’s husband, Terry, has amassed hundreds of pages of historical documentation on Bonnie Brier. They are also working with an attorney to track down the family lineage and discover who is responsible for it today.

Until ownership is determined, the bridge will likely remain unusable, with parts of the fallen concrete road still littered at the creek’s edge.

From left, Terry and Kathy Tracy and Roberta McPherson pose for a portrait at Bonnie Brier bridge in Boulder Creek. They each have a role in the Bonnie Brier Improvement Association. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

History of Bonnie Brier 

J.C. McMullen founded the Bonnie Brier subdivision in the early 1900s, according to an article from the Santa Cruz Mountain Echo published in 1916. The earliest bridge on a map was recorded in 1905, when Bonnie Brier received its name and seal. It was in 1916 that the bridge was officially acknowledged by the County as a public highway, because technically half of the bridge is on Brier Drive. 

McMullen, who was President of the Oakland State Savings Bank, developed Bonnie Brier. Bonnie Brier is made up of three subdivisions. From Tracy’s research on the area, she said Bonnie Brier’s main bridge was originally a wagon bridge before it was recognized as an official bridge.

When trying to attract visitors to the area, McMullen advertised Bonnie Brier in local papers as a summer getaway for people working in Oakland and San Francisco. 

At the time, Bonnie Brier was for people who “love the restful woodland county, but who shrink from the supposed horrors of ‘roughing it,’” according to The Santa Cruz Mountain Echo article. The article stated 20 plots of land had been sold to “some of the best people in Oakland and vicinity, all of whom have bought with the intention of building villa homes.”

Roberta McPherson, 79,  first moved to Bonnie Brier in 1967 with her husband and their dog. She remembers hearing about the previous neighbors repairing the Bonnie Brier bridge before she moved to the community. “What’s different (today) is there’s always kind of this underneath feeling, because we know that we don’t have emergency services. The other bridge gets us across to Bear Creek Road, but it doesn’t have what we really need to be safe,” McPherson said. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

Roberta McPherson, 79, is the current Treasurer of the improvement association. When McPherson moved to Bonnie Brier with her husband in 1967, she remembers paying $10 dues to the association. As a young couple, they were drawn to the area because they wanted to live somewhere where their Alaskan Malamute would have enough space. 

“Back then, most of the houses were vacation homes, and they were empty most of the year. There weren’t fences around all the yards, and the dogs went from one neighbor to the other,” McPherson said. “We would have dogs come visit us, and our dog would go and visit our neighbors.” 

Some of her favorite memories include spending time with her husband in nature and raising their daughter together. There were a lot of kids growing up alongside each other at that time, she said. 

“The thing that is the most special is the neighbors. I have wonderful neighbors, and I really enjoy being a part of this neighborhood,” McPherson said.

McPherson’s husband, Fred, passed away seven years ago. She now lives alone in the house they bought together. Before his death, the pair would often spend time in nature photographing native plants and wildlife. 

Not having access to the Bonnie Brier Bridge hasn’t scared McPherson off, and she chooses to stay like many of her neighbors. She’s dealt with many hardships during her time in the neighborhood. In the 1970s, there was a snowstorm that was heavier than usual. Then in the 1980s there were the mudslides and the ‘89 earthquake. And in 2019 after her husband’s death, she dealt with the CZU fires.

Now, the community is faced with the impacts of their damaged bridge. She said it could be something that tears a community apart — but not this one.

“We have a really good neighborhood, good neighbors, and we have a real desire to take care of each other,” McPherson said. 

The fallen bridge

The bridge connects Lanktree Lane with Brier Drive, with most of the 65 residents on the side of the bridge that is no longer accessible. Brier Drive was shown as a public highway on original maps and land deeds from 1905. On the Lanktree side is where part of the asphalt road washed out and fell into Bear Creek, which flows beneath the bridge. 

Prior to the bridge collapsing, the bridge had been through decades of slow erosion, compounded by annual rainstorms. Still, the redwood deck that wagons and eventually cars would cross is still intact. Green moss can be seen growing out of the cracks. There are still chunks of asphalt and other debris in the creek leftover from when it collapsed last year.

Chunks of asphalt and other debris lay in Bear Creek on Feb. 10. Bonnie Brier residents jumped into action the moment the bridge was damaged by a buildup of rain water from previous storms. “We call ourselves the Bonnie Brier Improvement Association. It’s all voluntary. We go out and clean the roads and maintain the roads. We’ve done all of that for years and years and years, as long as I know and longer. But bridge collapsed, we don’t have the money for that,” said Kathy Tracy, resident and member of the association. 

Boulder Creek Fire Protection District Chief Mark Bingham said he was aware of the situation from the moment the bridge failed, and sent an emergency response team to the scene. His priority was to alert everyone in the area that the bridge was no longer an accessible exit.

Bingham, who’s worked for Boulder Creek Fire Protection District since 1998 and has been chief since 2020, said the district works tirelessly to keep isolated communities like Bonnie Brier safe. Boulder Creek has many hard-to-reach communities, he said, and the district has recently invested in smaller, four-wheel drive vehicles instead of traditionally large fire engines to navigate the rough terrain — and potentially small bridges.

“We’re constantly looking at what the right model is for our firefighting apparatus,” Bingham said.

Chief Mark Bingham at the Boulder Creek Fire District station on Mar. 11. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

The Bonnie Brier advocates 

Kathy Tracy is a woman who cares a lot. She is passionate about where she lives, and this passion has propelled her into leading the effort to protect Bonnie Brier. One example of her dedication to the community is her application to Firewise USA. 

Firewise is a voluntary national program under the National Fire Protection Association, and Tracy felt that being part of it would help to make Bonnie Brier residents safer as they wait for a new bridge. Becoming a Firewise community helps neighbors organize to mitigate wildfire risk and make homes safer, in an effort to also bring down the cost of insurance.  

Her house, which she lives in with her husband, Terry, is surrounded by about 50 redwood trees on their property, she said. A tall staircase leads to her front door and upon entering, where visitors are met with beautiful works of art and spilling light filling up the living room through the many windows.

Kathy and Terry are proud of the home they’ve built up together. Now in their 60’s, they have been through a lot while living in Bonnie Brier. From repairing their roof, to creating an enclosure for their rescued pet parrot, they’ve taken on many projects. They also enjoy the simple enjoyment that comes from walking their dog together. 

But beyond their home projects, the Tracy’s are also leading the way on the bridge repair effort. Both Kathy and Terry have their roles in the Bonnie Brier Improvement Association. Kathy is secretary and Terry is president. The association, including McPherson and others, has worked nonstop on solutions since the bridge was lost. They’ve held monthly association meetings, met with different government agencies and worked on grant applications, and now are waiting for the lawyer to track down the potential owner.

The resounding fear Kathy hears from neighbors is the financial toll self-investing in the bridge repairs will have if they can’t secure funding elsewhere. But she said they also fear not having easy access to emergency services and relying on one way out – leaving the community in a bind. 

“People are saying they’re going to have to take out second mortgages. They’re going to have to take from their retirement funds in order to help pay for this, which our community, for the most part, is going to try to do their best because we all know we need fire service,” Kathy said. “We need ambulance services here, but it’s going to take a big hit, and we might lose a lot of residents once that bridge is fixed.”

Santa Cruz Local reporter Amaya Edwards spent months reporting this story as part of an enterprise project in collaboration with her fellowship at Catchlight Local. She embedded with the residents of Bonnie Brier who have been cut off from their main access bridge for more than a year. Her goal was to capture why they call such an isolated neighborhood their home and what makes it so special to them. There are dozens of similarly isolated areas around Santa Cruz County that are equally vulnerable to being cut off like Bonnie Brier. Amaya will continue to cover these communities and highlight solutions as these situations become increasingly commonplace due to a myriad of reasons, including climate change and dilapidated infrastructures. 

Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.

Learn about membership Santa Cruz Local’s news is free. We believe that high-quality local news is crucial to democracy. We depend on locals like you to make a meaningful contribution so everyone can access our news. Learn about membership

The post Boulder Creek Community has one way in and one way out appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.

A proposed apartment building on High Street would include 47 units. (Workbench)

Community meeting: Envision Peace Village

• 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30 online

Santa Cruz-based developer Workbench has requested to add more homes to an apartment building proposed at 900 High St. and approved in 2024. The Envision Peace Village housing project is behind Peace United Church of Christ, near the base of UC Santa Cruz, and is being developed by the church. 

The project as previously approved is no longer financially viable, developers wrote in a letter to the city on Jan. 23. 

The new design includes:

• 47 units, up from 40.
• Nine four- and five-bedroom “co-living units” with shared common space. The previous proposal had seven four- and five-bedroom units. 
• A five-story rectangular building, rather than a six-story V-shaped building. 
• Eight units priced below market rate, down from nine. 

See full details of the new project. For questions, email cityplan@santacruzca.gov or call 831-420-5110.

Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.

Learn about membership Santa Cruz Local’s news is free. We believe that high-quality local news is crucial to democracy. We depend on locals like you to make a meaningful contribution so everyone can access our news. Learn about membership

The post Housing development behind Peace United Church grows in size appeared first on Santa Cruz Local.

The Neptune Apartments on Pacific Avenue could become an eight-story apartment building. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

SANTA CRUZ >> Tenants of the Neptune Apartments in Downtown Santa Cruz could soon be the first residents displaced by the upzoning of the area. The six renters have until July 27 to leave their homes and make way for a new eight-story apartment building approved by the Santa Cruz Planning Commission this month. 

“I’m super anxious because I’m old and my ability to earn more than what I’m making right now does not exist,” said Laurie Dodt, who has lived at the apartments at 407 Pacific Ave. for four years and works as a caregiver for seniors. “I don’t want to be homeless.”

Dodt, who was born in Santa Cruz and has lived here ever since, said she often thinks about the possibility of becoming homeless.

“I could be in a tent and it’s sad. It’s scary and it’s sad,” she said. “I don’t live there — in fear — but that’s the reality.”

Laurie Dodt poses for a portrait near her home at Neptune Apartments. She said she’s four years from qualifying for senior housing and expects to be offered three years of relocation assistance. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

The proposed 102-unit building from San Diego-based developer CRP Affordable Housing & Development will include all below-market-rate units and will satisfy the affordability requirements for a separate developer to build 245 market-rate apartments down the street at 201 Front St.

City rules allow the required below-market-rate units of a project to be built in a separate building. The rules also allow developers to bank any additional units beyond the required number to offset future developments’ affordability requirements.

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“It’s nice that they build affordable housing, but then I find out they can use this building, because it’s [eight] stories, against other buildings which then can now be totally luxury apartments,” said Leonard Ross, who has lived at Neptune Apartments since 2020. “That kind of rubs me the wrong way.”

Ross said he and the other tenants are waiting to see how much relocation assistance they will be offered, and if it will be enough to stay in Santa Cruz, where last year rents were ranked as the most expensive in the U.S. by the Low Income Housing Coalition for the third year in a row. 

Leonard Ross stands in front of his home. ‘It’s an old building, but it has that certain kind of style to it,’ he says of Neptune Apartments. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

Paul Yale, who has lived at Neptune Apartments for more than 20 years, implored the Santa Cruz Planning Commission to not let the project, and the razing of his home, go through.

“By demolishing it, you’d pretty much be kicking me out of town,” Yale said to commissioners at the April 16 meeting. Planning commissioners approved the project unanimously, in what was essentially a formality. State housing law strips local authority to change or deny most housing proposals.

In an interview with Santa Cruz Local, Yale said he’s lived in Santa Cruz since he was a child and doesn’t know if he’ll be able to stay after he loses his home in July.

“I don’t have a credit rating because I’ve been renting for the last 20 years month-to-month,” he said, adding that he pays $1,200 for the two-bedroom apartment. “Rates for finding a new place to live are ridiculously higher than what I’m paying right now.” He said if he ends up in a studio costing $2,000, the rent would be more than half his monthly income.

The developer informed residents last year that the property would be redeveloped, Yale said, and some tenants have since left.

City rules require developers to hire an independent company to facilitate relocation of tenants and Long Beach-based real estate consulting firm Overland, Pacific & Cutler, Inc. was hired for the Neptune tenants. 

In a 180-day notice to vacate dated Jan. 26 and shared with Santa Cruz Local, the company advised residents to wait until a 90-day notice is given before signing a lease or moving out. Otherwise, they may not be eligible for relocation assistance.

Paul Yale says ‘it felt terrible to be right’ when he finally got the notice he was expecting, informing tenants the building would be redeveloped. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

Yale said that makes the situation more stressful, as finding adequate housing in Santa Cruz can be a lengthy and challenging ordeal.

Tenants will be guaranteed a spot in the new housing once it finishes construction, but rents for the below-market-rate apartments could be double, or even higher than what they pay at Neptune. 

The expected displacement of the tenants comes just under a year after the city council approved upzoning the neighborhood. City leaders dubbed the area “SoLa” or “South of Laurel” in the process of rezoning to allow buildings up to 85 feet. 

“I’ve seen the downtown plan, and there was a gray box over where I live,” Yale said, referring to the map of which blocks were to be upzoned.

Though the loss of the Neptune Apartments is a relatively small number of affordable homes compared to the 102 units set to replace them, it will serve as an important case that puts the city’s anti-displacement policies to the test. 

How many of the residents land on their feet, or are forced to leave town in search of affordable rents, remains to be seen.

Anticipated rents in a proposed eight-story, below-market-rent apartment building have not yet been published. (CRP Affordable Housing & Community Development)

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The June primary election includes races for Santa Cruz Mayor, Santa Cruz City Council and Santa Cruz County Supervisor. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local file)

SANTA CRUZ >> Those vying for a local political seat in the June 2 primary had their first campaign finance disclosure deadline Thursday, giving a first look at candidates’ coffers. 

There are competitive races for Santa Cruz Mayor, Santa Cruz City Council Districts 4 and 6, and Santa Cruz County Supervisor District 4 on the June primary ballot. Other races, including Watsonville City Council, will only be on the November general election ballot.

If a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in June, they are elected outright. If no candidate in a race reaches 50% approval in June, the top two vote-getters will face off in November.

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Among the five candidates running for Santa Cruz city’s four-year mayoral seat, longtime Santa Cruz politico Ryan Coonerty is leading with $55,115 raised, including a $5,000 loan. As a former city councilmember and county supervisor, Coonerty’s campaign has seen much fanfare since his entrance into the race, receiving endorsements from every sitting Santa Cruz City Councilmember.

Some have supported his campaign, including $450 from Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson’s 2024 election committee, as well as individual donations from Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley and Councilmember Renee Golder, both also for $450. He’s received support from more than 200 individual donors.

Coonerty has spent about $21,116, leaving him with $33,998 on hand.

Former city councilmember Chris Krohn is trailing Coonerty with $10,652 raised, including a $5,000 loan. He’s spent $3,403, leaving him with $7,248 on hand. Krohn was recalled in 2020 over allegations of bullying and opposition to his homeless policies. 

Environmental activist Gillian Greensite has raised $8,189 including a $3,500 loan, and Get the Flock Out co-founder Ami Chen Mills has raised $8,382 with a $1,718 loan. Santa Cruz Cares and Sanitation for the People co-founder Joy Schendledecker has raised $2,650 and has not taken out a loan. 

Of the five Santa Cruz Mayor candidates, every one except Coonerty signed a voluntary campaign expenditure limit agreement. It limits campaign spending to roughly $40,000.

Santa Cruz County Supervisor district 4

At the county level, incumbent District 4 Supervisor Felipe Hernandez faces challenges from Pajaro Valley Health Care District board chair Tony Nuñez and Youth Alliance associate director of movement building Elias Gonzales.

Despite filing for reelection and signaling his intent to run, Hernandez did not file campaign finance forms as of Friday.

Nuñez has raised $20,023 without loans, and has about $8,134 remaining on hand. He holds a substantial financial lead over Gonzales, who has raised $7,878 with a $2,000 loan and has spent about $4,567.

District 3 Supervisor Justin Cummings is running for reelection with no opponent. He has raised $4,303.

Santa Cruz City Council

There are two Santa Cruz City Council seats on the June ballot — District 4, where incumbent Scott Newsome is running against local paraeducator Hector Marin, and District 6, where incumbent Renee Golder is running against UC Santa Cruz student Gabriella Noack. 

Both challengers did not file campaign finance forms as of Friday. Newsome has raised $7,738 in the race with a $2,000 loan, and Golder has $11,659 raised without loans. 

Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.

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An unpermitted home at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Soquel. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

SANTA CRUZ >> A new housing project using renewable construction materials will feature six tiny homes for formerly homeless residents at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Soquel.  

People First of Santa Cruz County and Just Places are partnering with the church to construct New Creation Village. Just Places is a fiscally sponsored project of People First, a local nonprofit, and describes its mission as combating homelessness and climate change by building housing with natural materials.

Just Places will develop the project, People First will act as a service provider and Mt. Calvary owns the land. Other partners and supporters are involved as well. 

People transitioning out of homelessness have been living on the church’s lot in unpermitted structures built by volunteers in 2022. Evan Morrison, executive director of People First, became aware of Mt. Calvary’s unpermitted structures several years ago and said he’s been searching for more sustainable solutions. Funding for the new project is the main focus right now, he said.

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Evan Morrison, founder and executive director of People First, works in his office in Santa Cruz on April 16. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

“If the funding comes together, it’s likely we’ll start building in May of next year,” Morrison said. 

During the first of two phases of construction, six tiny homes would be built. The homes would primarily be made of strawbale and natural plaster, with solar to power the homes, and are expected to last up to 100 years. The second phase of development includes constructing up to 10 apartment units on the church property using the same sustainable building methods and will include in-unit bathrooms and kitchenettes. 

The goal is to make some of the units available to those with Section 8 housing vouchers.

Kita Glass, natural builder, general contractor and owner at Buckeye Natural Builders, is one of the many partners on the project. He poses for a portrait in Santa Cruz on April 16. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

Kita Glass, owner and contractor at Buckeye Natural Builders in Santa Cruz, is on the Just Places leadership team. He said when the time comes, he will be a contractor on the New Creation Village project. 

“They have four cabins there that need to get replaced, and so we want to replace them with strawbale cabins that are fully contained tiny houses,” Glass said.

Strawbale also absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, which will then be stored within the building itself, Glass said.

“It’s a really easy way to store carbon, take it out of the air and put it in the building,” he said.

Pastor Stan Abraham, of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, poses for a portrait in Soquel on April 20. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

There are currently six residents living in the unpermitted structures on the church property. 

Stan Abraham is the pastor at Mt. Calvary and said the church has welcomed unhoused residents to live on the 5-acre property for more than two decades. The arrangement has been a mutually positive one for both the church and unhoused people, he said, with the people living there seeing it as their home and some of the tenants being part of the congregation.

“It provides an atmosphere for them to have a resource of either counseling or spiritual care here,” Abraham said.

He said much of the congregation is made up of environmentally conscious members, and Just Place’s use of ecologically sound materials became of interest to them and gained internal support.

“We know from our congregation’s experience that providing safe and stable housing for those who so desperately need it makes a huge difference in their lives,” Abraham said of the project in a speech at a fundraiser on April 19.

To learn more about New Creation Village and register to volunteer visit Just Places.

Four unpermitted homes at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church could be replaced by permitted tiny houses built with sustainable materials. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

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A rendering shows an apartment building at Mission and Otis streets in Santa Cruz proposed by local developer Andy Goldberg. (Workbench)

SANTA CRUZ >> A proposal to demolish a medical office building in Santa Cruz at the corner of Mission and Otis streets and replace it with a six-story, 60-unit rental apartment building faces opposition from neighbors and from those concerned about the potential displacement of medical professionals.

All but two of the more than 20 residents who spoke Tuesday at an online community meeting were against the project, proposed at 926 and 930 Mission St. 

The building would contain a mix of studios, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments, five of which would be reserved for “moderate income” renters and five for “very low income” renters. Income limits are set annually by the state.

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The building would also have ground-floor commercial space, bicycle parking, solar panels, a 14-space parking area and other amenities. 

Jamileh Cannon, owner and co-founder of Santa Cruz-based Workbench, the project’s architect, said Tuesday that more than half of Santa Cruz renters pay at least 30% of their income toward housing, and that more than a third of Santa Cruz renters pay at least 50% of their income toward housing.  

“If we build more, then demand decreases and price growth slows,” Cannon said. Already, she said, rents in Santa Cruz County are starting to level off, “which is amazing for our community.”

Cannon said that the city of Santa Cruz must approve thousands of additional units by 2031 to meet its state-mandated housing goals.

She said she expected the new apartments would attract university students, as well as young professionals, couples and older singles looking to downsize.

At the meeting, several neighbors brought up traffic, parking, privacy and safety concerns, as well as concerns about the building’s size, shadows, architectural design and potential effect on property values.

“I share your concerns over the proposed height of this building, abutting up to a single family-home neighborhood, the lack of a setback, and the lack of parking,” said City Councilmember Scott Newsome, who is up for reelection and faces a challenger in the June primary. 

“A sentiment I’m hearing more often from the community is that people are for housing, but they also feel that certain developers have shown they’re not willing to responsibly wield the power the state has handed them,” Newsome added. 

In recent years, state laws meant to address California’s housing crisis have largely stripped power from local authorities to deny or change proposals for housing.

A Santa Cruz resident who identified herself as a health-care provider in the building set to be demolished said “this will put us in a really tough position.” 

Another woman who said she’s a patient at a chiropractor office onsite asked where the medical professionals would go once displaced by this housing project. “It’s very inconsiderate of the developers to destroy their practice and deprive the community of such needed service,” she said.  

Local real estate developer Andy Goldberg, a frequent partner of Workbench, is behind the project. Once a formal application is filed, a public hearing will take place before the zoning administrator or planning commission. 

This project is one of several multi-story apartment buildings expected to be built on Mission Street in Westside Santa Cruz. Current proposals include an eight-story, 60-unit building on Mission Street between Bay and Trescony streets, a six-story, 67-unit building on Mission and Dufour streets, a three-story, 21-unit building adjacent to Mission Hill Middle School and a five-story, 48-unit building at the site of the Food Bin and Herb Room on Mission and Laurel streets. 

In general, multi-story apartment complexes in Santa Cruz have proved contentious. Three of Workbench’s projects, for example, are now being fought over in court.

Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.

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The city is open to changes to a 24/7 safe parking program that could impact dozens in the area who rely on the program for long-term parking and hygiene services. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

SANTA CRUZ >> The California Coastal Commission could allow city officials to end a 24/7 safe parking program for people who live in their vehicles, redirecting the money to other services for homeless people. 

The program was discussed at a commission meeting on April 16 as part of a report on the city’s oversized vehicle ordinance, which bans large vehicles from parking on city streets between midnight and 5 a.m. and is up for renewal.

Both the oversized vehicle ordinance and the safe parking program were implemented in 2023 with a Coastal Commission permit. The parking program was required by the commission to try to ensure that the oversize vehicle ordinance wouldn’t limit coastal access for homeless or low-income people.

The power to renew and to change the permit, including the safe parking program, lies with the Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge. Huckelbridge is expected to renew the permit, which expires next month. Any changes to the 24/7 parking program would be decided by Huckelbridge through discussions with Santa Cruz city staff and would not come before the Coastal Commission for a vote. 

The process to decide if and how to change or eliminate the 24/7 parking program would involve a meeting of the ordinance stakeholder group, which meets roughly twice a year, said Lee Butler, director of the city’s Housing and Community Development Department. 

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At Thursday’s meeting, some commissioners expressed support for a potential change or end of the program, noting that the commission is not responsible for coordinating homeless services. Others were more dubious, asserting that any changes or replacement of the program would have a high bar to ensure it doesn’t lead to less coastal access for homeless people.

“To remove that program while also continuing those regulations in the Coastal Zone, seems to me to really be specifically excluding a particular class of people from our coast,” said Coastal Commission Chair Meagan Harmon. “If we say ‘in lieu of access to the coast, we’re providing you with an extra caseworker’ — I don’t think that lives up to our obligations of providing access for all under the Coastal Act.”

Harmon said she trusted Huckelbridge, the commission director, to ensure any changes to the permit don’t compromise coastal access.

An RV is parked near West Cliff in 2021. The California Coastal Commission regulates development and protects coastal access. About 20% of Santa Cruz County falls within the ‘Coastal Zone’ and is subject to Coastal Commission authority on certain issues. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)

Discussion of the 24/7 parking program was initiated by Santa Cruz city officials, who wanted feedback from commissioners on whether they’d be open to the city redirecting the roughly $500,000 they spend each year on the program to other support services for homeless people.

The 24/7 parking program, located outside the National Guard Armory near Delaveaga Golf Course, is used by about a dozen RV owners at a time for safe, legal parking. There are also bathrooms, showers, water, charging outlets, trash, mail services and case managers to help people find long-term housing.

The possibility of changes or an end to the 24/7 program comes as the city is scrambling to find a replacement for homeless services that have been slashed in recent months, in particular nonprofit Housing Matters’s day services program. 

Safe parking program a ‘Godsend’ for RV dwellers

Military veteran John Connell, 67, has lived in his RV at the 24/7 parking program since January. After experiencing many problems with landlords and other city services, he calls the program a “Godsend” for providing him safety.

The program’s caseworkers are helping him with paperwork to access other services. Since the program started, 28 people have found permanent housing, according to the city.

John Connell has lived in his RV at the Armory safe parking site since January. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

Residents regularly report there are not enough spaces at the 24/7 lot for all who want to stay there. The city said maximum capacity is 15 RVs. Alicia Kuhl, president of the Santa Cruz Homeless Union, said at the commission meeting that there are more than 150 people living in RVs in Santa Cruz.

The city also operates an overnight-only safe parking program in parking lots downtown near Cedar and Lincoln streets. Open from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m, accessibility is an issue for many, who cite car problems preventing moving vehicles frequently, the time required to drive back and forth each day, and limited options for parking during the day.

The overnight parking has handwashing stations and portable toilets, but no showers or other services. 

While the city is not at this time proposing any changes to the 24/7 program, many fear it will eventually be removed altogether.

“A vehicle is not just transportation. It is home. It is shelter. It is most often a person’s most valuable possession, and the only thing standing between many people and their absolute displacement,” said Dr. Graham Pruss, executive director of nonprofit National Vehicle Residency Coalition, at the commission meeting.

“I wouldn’t have anywhere to go,” said 67-year-old Barbara Jaime, who has lived in her RV parked at the 24/7 site for about a year. “I’d probably be out there trying to scavenge a place to stay.”

Matt Barnett, left, is director of program operations at People First, a local nonprofit that runs the 24/7 safe parking program. Tommy Zabonik is the program manager. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

Nik Altenberg contributed reporting.

Questions or comments? Email info@santacruzlocal.org. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.

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