Agenda packet — Santa Cruz City Council, November 28, 2023 (part 3 of 4)

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Lot Area: .81 acres (35,196 square feet)
Environmental
Determination: Categorical Exemption, 15332, In-Fill Development Projects Planning Staff: Ryan Bane, Senior Planner

PROJECT DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
This project involves a proposal to construct a four-story, mixed-use project consisting of ground level parking and commercial space, and 84 flexible density (FDU) units. The subject parcels total 35,196 square feet and are zoned CC (Community Commercial). FDU developments of sixteen or more units and mixed residential and commercial developments with ten or more multiple dwellings above commercial are permitted with the approval of a Special Use Permit and Design Permit. The project also requires approval of a Nonresidential Demolition Permit to demolish the existing commercial structure on the site, as well as a Boundary Adjustment to combine the three subject parcels.

Preapplication Pursuant to Senate Bill 330 (SB330). A Preapplication for the proposed project was submitted on September 26, 2022 and deemed complete on January 10, 2023. As a result, the proposed project became subject to those ordinances and policies in effect at the time of

21.78 AGENDA REPORT
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SUBJECT: 1800 Soquel Avenue – Project No. CP22-0142

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Preapplication completeness, and not to the recently-adopted City Objective Standards effectuated per Ordinance 2022-18 adopted by the City Council on January 12, 2023.

ANALYSIS
Project Site and Surroundings. The .81 acres (35,196 square feet) project site consists of three parcels located on the southeastern corner of Soquel Avenue and Hagemann Avenue.

Commercial uses surround the site, with the exception of residential uses across the 15-foot alley way to the south.

The flat site is mostly paved with a commercial building constructed in the early 1960s that is proposed for demolition. The site has had a number of different uses over the past few years, including a used car dealership, a restaurant, and other auto related uses. There are no trees located on the site, though there are three street trees along Soquel Avenue that are proposed to be retained.

The property is located within a sensitive archaeological area. A cultural resource evaluation was conducted in December of 2022 by Patricia Paramoure Archaeological Consulting, which did not reveal evidence of the existence of an archaeological site on the property.

Consistency with General Plan, Eastside Business Area Improvement Plan, and Zoning. The subject parcel has a Community Commercial (CM) General Plan designation. This designation is intended to accommodate “businesses that serve the general needs of the community, including retail, service, and office establishments. Typical uses in these areas include restaurants, grocery stores, furniture stores, general merchandise, medical and legal offices, and auto parts stores, as well as mixed-use projects that include these commercial uses on the ground floor.” While the project includes some ground level commercial space, almost 70 percent of the building frontage along Soquel consists of private uses such as auto parking, bike parking, and storage. The extent of these private uses along Soquel Avenue is not consistent with the intent of the C-M land use designation to provide commercial uses that serve the general needs of the community.

Conditions of approval are included that require the relocation of private uses at the frontage and the establishment of additional commercial tenant spaces.

The Community Commercial designation allows a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) range from .25 to

1.75. FAR is the total gross floor area of the development divided by the net area of the site. The total floor area for the proposed mixed-use project is 86,443 square feet and the net lot size is 35,196 square feet, resulting in a FAR of 2.45 for the proposed development. With the proposed FAR exceeding the allowed FAR, a waiver to FAR is included as part of the Density Bonus request.

As conditioned, the proposed mixed-use project is consistent with the policies of the General Plan, including the following:

21.79 AGENDA REPORT
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SUBJECT: 1800 Soquel Avenue – Project No. CP22-0142

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 Land Use Development Policy LU3.3.1 - Discourage strip commercial development in favor of clustered commercial and mixed-use development along transit corridors.
 Land Use Development Policy LU3.7 - Encourage higher-intensity residential uses and maximum densities in accordance with the General Plan Land Use designations.
 Land Use Development Policy LU3.7.1 - Allow and encourage development that meets the high end of the General Plan Land Use designation density unless constraints associated with site characteristics and zoning development standards require a lower density.
 Land Use Development Policy LU3.8 - Allow the following residential uses to exceed the maximum densities in this chapter: Density bonus units.  Community Design CD3.3 – Encourage the assembly of small parcels along transit corridors to achieve pedestrian-oriented development compatible with neighborhoods.
 Community Design CD4.1.1 – Support compact mixed-use development Downtown, along primary transportation corridors, and in employment centers.  Community Design CD4.1.1 – Where possible, site buildings at the street frontage and place parking areas away from street corners and to the rear of buildings.
 Community Design CD4.1.3 – On major corridors, encourage mixed-use development, especially projects with priority for commercial uses that can provide services to the adjacent community.
 Mobility Development Policy M1.1 - Reduce automobile dependence by encouraging appropriate neighborhood and activity center development.  Mobility Development Policy M1.3 - Create pedestrian-friendly frontage and streetscapes and attractive pedestrian-oriented areas.
 Mobility Development Policy M3.2.11 - Improve traffic flow and safety and reduce impacts on arterial streets by limiting driveways, mid-block access points, and intersections; removing on-street parking; clustering facilities around interconnected parking areas; providing access from side streets; and other similar measures.
 Economic Development Policy 1.1.3 - Encourage the development of year-round businesses and visitor activities, resources, and destinations that can also attract and engage local residents.
 Economic Development Policy 5.2 - Provide for residents’ daily shopping needs in local-serving neighborhood commercial centers.
 Economic Development Policy 5.2.1 - Encourage neighborhood shopping in nodes of commercial development that serve residential areas and have adequate transit, pedestrian, and bicycle access.
 Economic Development Policy 5.2.2 - Support the development of neighborhood gathering places in conjunction with local-serving neighborhood commercial.

21.80 AGENDA REPORT
PC Meeting of September 21, 2023
SUBJECT: 1800 Soquel Avenue – Project No. CP22-0142

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Eastside Business Area Improvement Plan. The project site is within the “Soquel East Zone” area of the Eastside Business Area Improvement Plan. The East Soquel Zone is largely characterized by auto-oriented land uses, with large parcels of varying size under-utilized, creating a lack of street enclosure. The project meets the goal of encouraging large scale buildings and developing a pedestrian-oriented experience by providing retail uses with a store front character that will benefit from pedestrian traffic on the ground floor. The site plan includes a 10-foot wide sidewalk along Soquel Avenue and an 8-foot wide sidewalk along Hagemann to provide substantial room for pedestrian traffic. The building has been oriented toward the street, screening the parking and emphasizing the pedestrian level design of the building. As conditioned, the project will also provide residential uses above an appropriate level of commercial uses where parking needs can be met through shared use of the parking spaces.

Soquel Avenue is a major east-west corridor connecting the east side to downtown Santa Cruz which is approximately 1.2 miles from the project site. Transit bus stops are located directly across the street from the project site along Soquel Avenue to provide transit service for the project. A drug store, restaurants, medical facility, and open space areas are located within walking distance from the project site.

Nonresidential Demolition Authorization Permit
The primary commercial building on the site is proposed for demolition. Based on City of Santa Cruz Building Permit records, the original structure was constructed in 1961, with subsequent additions occurring in 1963 and 1969. Pursuant to the Nonresidential Demolition Authorization Permit ordinance, the purpose of this permit is to evaluate requests for demolition of nonresidential structures fifty years of age or older, and of undetermined age, to ensure that those which may have historic value are not demolished. City staff has evaluated the structure and determined that that the property is not listed on the California Register of Historic Resources, the National Register of Historic Places, or the City of Santa Cruz Historic Building Survey. The building is not the work of a prominent architect or builder, does not possess architectural interest nor significance, and does not appear eligible for listing in any of the registers. Thus the structure does not appear to be historically significant and is not eligible for listing on the City Historic Building Survey.

Boundary Adjustment
A Boundary Line Adjustment is proposed to merge three existing parcels as well as include approximately 1,645 square feet of dedication along Soquel Avenue and Hagemann Avenue for street widening and sidewalk expansion. The merger includes combining a 14,668 square foot parcel (APN 011-041-63), a 13,247 square foot parcel (APN 011-041-64), and a 7,188 square foot parcel (APN 011-041-65). The resulting parcel will be approximately .81-acres, well over the minimum 8,000 square feet required in the CC zone district for mixed-use projects.

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SUBJECT: 1800 Soquel Avenue – Project No. CP22-0142

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Design Permit
Site Layout. The site is generally flat with approximately 210 feet of frontage along Soquel Avenue, and 160 feet along Hagemann Avenue. The parcel is not located within any mapped potentially sensitive habitat or resource areas. The proposed mixed-use project consists of three stories of residential units above ground level retail and parking with a footprint that covers the majority of the site area. Vehicular access to the garage is provided via a 15-foot wide public alley that runs along the south side of the site connecting Hagemann and Forest Avenues. The first floor consists of 1,928 square feet of retail space at the corner of Soquel and Hagemann Avenues, including an adjacent outdoor dining area for a potential future restaurant/food service use. Additionally, a residential lobby with a mail room, and bike storage room are accessed from Soquel Avenue. Conditions of approval are included that require additional ground level commercial space at the building frontage on Soquel Avenue, consistent with the purpose of the CM General Plan designation and policies listed above. Trash enclosure access and utility rooms front Hagemann Avenue. The trash room layout and interface with the street has been reviewed and approved by the Public Works Department.

Residential uses will be located on levels 2 through 4, with the second floor also including a large podium level open space with seating and landscaping as well as an interior community room. The proposed 84 Flexible Density Units (FDU) are broken down into forty-two 432 square foot studios and forty-two 615 square foot 1-bedroom units.

CC (Community Commercial) Zone District Regulations. The purpose of the Community Commercial district is to “provide locations throughout the community for a variety of commercial and service uses for residents of the city and the region which promote the policies of the General Plan; to encourage a harmonious mixture of a wide variety of commercial and residential activities including limited industrial uses, if they are compatible and nuisance free”.

The project is consistent with the purpose of the C-C zone district with the recommended condition of approval that additional commercial spaces are provided at the building frontage along Soquel Avenue, replacing private uses that do not provide for a variety of commercial and service uses for residents of the city and region. Pursuant to 24.10.730.2(q), “Mixed residential and commercial/office developments with ten or more multiple dwellings or condominiums, either above commercial uses or units on the same lot”, and 24.10.730.2(i), “Flexible density housing, sixteen units or more” are allowed subject to approval of a Special Use Permit and Design Permit, both of which are included as part of this application.

The maximum allowed height of buildings in the CC zoning district is three stories and 40 feet.

However, California State Density Bonus Law and the City’s corresponding Density Bonus Ordinance provide tools to incentivize affordable housing and/or deeper levels of affordability.

One incentive is that applicants can utilize a waiver or modification to development standards if those standards would “physically preclude” construction of the density bonus project. For the subject project, the applicants are proposing a waiver to the district height standard to allow for one additional story, with the highest point of the building proposed at approximately 46 feet.

There are roof structures that extend above the 46-foot height, including stairway and elevator housing, however these types of features are permitted to exceed height standards under Section

24.12.150 of the Zoning Ordinance.

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PC Meeting of September 21, 2023
SUBJECT: 1800 Soquel Avenue – Project No. CP22-0142

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With the exception of height, the CC zone district requirements are all being met. The table below summarizes the project’s compliance with the CC district requirements:

CC DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS SUMMARY
Provision Required Proposed Complies?
Building Height 40 feet 46 feet (Allowed per
Density Bonus Law)
Yes
Front Setback (Soquel
Avenue)
0’ 0’ Yes
Exterior Side Setback
(Hagemann Avenue)
0’ 0’ Yes
Interior Side Setback
(East Property Line)
0’ 0’ Yes
Rear Setback
(Alley)
20’ 20’ Yes
Rooftop equipment is incorporated into the roof design and screened from adjacent properties.

Utility installations such as trash enclosures, storage units, and parking are designed into the building, making them accessible but screened from view.

Materials. The proposed modular building has a contemporary design, incorporating a variety of exterior finish materials including: stucco, Nichiha Vintagewood, perforated metal panels, and a mix of white and black vinyl clad and anodized aluminum windows. To ensure that the final building design is well-articulated with the proposed material palette, a condition of approval requires the plans submitted for building permits shall have the same level of articulation, detailing, and dimensionality as shown in the approved plans.

21.83 AGENDA REPORT
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SUBJECT: 1800 Soquel Avenue – Project No. CP22-0142

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Flexible Density Unit Housing Requirements. Part 16 of Zoning Code Chapter 12 regulates Flexible Density Unit Housing projects. The proposed table demonstrates how the development meets these standards:

FLEXIBLE DENSITY UNIT REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY
Provision Required Proposed Complies?
FDU Unit Range 200 to 650 square feet 432 to 615 square feet Yes Storage Facilities 200 cubic feet/unit
16,800 cf
17,250 cf Yes
Bike Parking One Class 1 per unit
84 Class One Spaces
*
73 Class 1 spaces
(Allowed per Density
Bonus Law)
Yes
Usable Open Space 150 square feet/unit
84 x 150 = 12,600 sq. ft.
7,113 sq. ft.
(Allowed per Density
Bonus Law)
Yes
Laundry Facilities 1 washer/dryer for
every 10 units
12 washer/dryers
1 washer/dryer per
unit
Yes
*It should be noted that the SB330 Preapplication was deemed complete prior to adoption of the updated bike ordinance.

Parking and Access. Vehicular ingress and egress to the site will be provided from the 15-foot public alley along the southern property line, accessed via Hagemann Avenue. Pedestrian access to commercial space and residences above would occur from the public right-of-way adjacent to the project site along both Soquel and Hagemann Avenues. All long-term bicycle parking is placed within the at-grade parking garage; short-term bicycle parking would be accommodated in an area along Soquel Avenue between the retail space and residential lobby. Public Works, Police, and Fire Department staff have reviewed the application and have expressed no significant concerns about ingress, egress, or circulation associated with the proposed project design.

State Assembly Bill 2097 (AB 2097), effective on January 1, 2023, prohibits local jurisdictions from imposing minimum automobile parking requirements on most development projects located within a half-mile radius of a major transit stop, as applicable to the subject site. Although AB2097 would exempt the project from provision of any vehicular parking, the applicant has elected to supply auto parking in order to satisfy the demand that may be generated by the project and to offset adverse impacts to surrounding properties associated with spillover demand for on-street parking, a concern expressed by neighborhood residents. A total of 75 parking spaces are proposed at ground level.

Trip Generation Analysis. A trip generation memorandum, prepared by Hexagon Transportation Consultants, Inc. and dated June 6, 2023, provides information regarding the expected number of vehicular trips generated by the proposed project. The memo reports that, after accounting for the trips generated by the existing uses, the development is estimated to generate 409 new daily trips, with 35 new trips in the morning (AM) peak hour and 35 new trips in the evening (PM)

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peak hour. Based on the data provided, the number of net new peak-hour trips falls below the threshold prompting the requirement for preparation of a Transportation Impact Study (TIS) as required by the City of Santa Cruz Transportation Study Requirements for Development.

A Traffic Impact Fee (TIF) will be applied during the Building Permit phase associated with increased vehicular travel volumes projected to be induced by the project, consistent with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), under which local agencies are not precluded from applying traffic impact fee mitigation programs.

Off-Site Improvements. Review of the proposed project by City staff has determined the requirement for completion of various off-site improvements in conjunction with the proposed project. Improvements to the public right-of-way adjacent to the project site include:
 Dedication of approximately 1,645 square feet of right-of-way along Soquel Avenue and Hagemann Avenue for the relocation and installation of new traffic signal poles and equipment as well as street widening and sidewalk expansion;  Construction of a new 10-foot wide sidewalk along the entire frontage of Soquel Avenue and an 8-foot sidewalk along the entire frontage of Hagemann Avenue;  All new utilities will be undergrounded;
 Improvement of the 15-foot alley along the entire frontage of the project;  Installation of two new light standards featuring Light-Emitting Diode (LED) luminaires, one on Soquel Avenue and the other on Hagemann Avenue; and  Installation of three street trees incorporating irrigation along Hagemann Avenue.

Landscaping. With the majority of the site to be covered by the proposed structure, landscaping is limited to the sidewalk areas, the area along the alleyway, and second floor open space area, The project’s proposed tree and planting plan includes a total of 6 new trees:
 Two 24-inch box Monterey Pine Trees
 Three 24-inch box Tupelo Gum Trees
 One 24-inch box Marina Madron Tree
Other new landscape plants proposed throughout the project would include low shrubs and groundcover as well as fern trees and ferns. The second floor open space will include amenities such as large tables and benches, barbeques, a seating area around a water feature, as well as a cornhole court. The three Magnolia street trees along Soquel Avenue are proposed to be retained.

Special Use Permit
FDU developments of sixteen or more units and mixed residential and commercial developments with ten or more multiple dwellings above commercial are permitted with the approval of a Special Use Permit and Design Permit in the CC zone district. The purpose of consideration of the Special Use Permit is to ensure the proper integration of essential or desirable uses in certain locations or zoning districts. The project is consistent with the 2030 General Plan and Eastside Business Area Improvement Plan in that it will provide important affordable rental housing, and maximizes the development potential of an underutilized infill site. With the purpose of the

21.85 AGENDA REPORT
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Community Commercial district being “provide locations throughout the community for a variety of commercial and service uses for residents of the city and the region which promote the policies of the General Plan; to encourage a harmonious mixture of a wide variety of commercial and residential activities including limited industrial uses, if they are compatible and nuisance free”, the proposed mixed-use project provides much needed housing, as well as neighborhood commercial, and therefore meets the purpose of the district.

Rooftop equipment is incorporated into the roof design and screened from adjacent properties.

Utility installations such as trash enclosures, storage units, and parking are designed into the building, making them accessible but screened from view. Taking all of these into consideration, the proposed uses incorporated into the project will not constitute a nuisance or be detrimental to the public welfare of the community. Additional conditions have been added to the approval in order to ensure the development does not constitute a nuisance or would be detrimental to the public welfare of the community.

Affordable Housing/Density Bonus
To address California’s need for affordable housing, the State enacted the density bonus law (Government Code §§ 65915 – 65918) in 1979 to encourage the provision of affordable housing units by offering a combination of benefits to developers. For projects that include the requisite number of affordable housing units, and upon the request of an applicant, cities are required to (i) allow more market rate units to be built than otherwise allowed by the applicable zoning designation); (ii) provide “incentives or concessions,” such as reduced development standards, that result in actual and identifiable cost savings for the project; (iii) provide “waivers or modifications” of development standards that would physically preclude the project from being constructed; and (iv) allow reduced parking requirements.

Cities have very limited discretion when reviewing density bonus applications. Cities are generally obligated to grant a density bonus and incentives, concessions, waivers, or reductions in development standards to the developer so long as the proposed development complies with the applicable affordability requirements and the waivers or incentives/concessions meet certain standards. Projects that include a specified amount of affordable housing are entitled to a density bonus, even if the density bonus would allow a project to exceed the maximum density under the City’s general plan and zoning code.

The amount of the density bonus is based on the number of affordable units at each income level that are included in a project. To determine whether a project qualifies for a density bonus, the percentage of affordable units is based on the maximum number of units that would be permitted under the City’s zoning code (i.e., the “base density”). In areas where there is no density range, or in the case with a project that proposes FDUs, Section 24.16.255(6) of the Zoning Ordinance requires an applicant to submit base plans, or plans showing a project that fully conforms to objective standards, in order to determine the number of units that could be constructed on the site, thus establishing the base density. The applicant has provided plans for a base project that meets all of the CC zone district development standards, including height, setbacks, open space, etc., and the determined base density is 67 units.

21.86 AGENDA REPORT
PC Meeting of September 21, 2023
SUBJECT: 1800 Soquel Avenue – Project No. CP22-0142

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Market-rate projects providing certain percentages of affordable units or units at deeper levels of affordability are entitled to an increase in density up to 50% of the total number of units that are allowed under the City's Zoning Ordinance, depending on specified percentages and levels of affordability. The additional units help offset the increased costs associated with the increased number of or more deeply affordable units. The density bonus units themselves are not required to be affordable and, pursuant to Section 24.16.250(2) of the Zoning Code (as well as the State Density Bonus and California case law), “density bonus units shall not be included in the “total units” when determining the number of affordable units required to qualify a housing development for a density bonus.” Thus, by law, the percentages of affordable units that qualify a project for the density bonus are based on the base project only and not the base project plus the density bonus units. The developer is entitled to to a 32.5% density bonus, or 89 units, however they are proposing to construct only 84 units (25% density bonus). With the project requesting a 32.5% Density Bonus, 10% (7) of the base 67 density units are required to be provided at the very-low income level (50% AMI). The remaining seven units are required to be provided at the low income level (80% AMI). These seven units also fulfill the city’s inclusionary requirement to restrict 20% of the base density units to Low Income Households (80% Area Median Income).

In addition to allowing more market rate units to offset the cost of providing affordable units, the law also provides a variety of tools that applicants can utilize to make projects physically or more economically feasible, including incentives/concessions that allow for modification of development standards if those standards would result in “actual and identifiable cost reductions” to the project, and waivers that allow for modifications of development standards if the standards “physically preclude” construction of the density bonus project. The project applicant is entitled to two concessions, while the applicant can request as many waivers from development standards as needed if the development standard would preclude the density bonus project from being built at the allowed density. The applicant has requested four waivers of development standards, all of which are required to be waived if they preclude project development. The city must grant these waivers unless they violate state or federal law, create a specific adverse impact on health and safety or the physical environment that cannot be mitigated, or adversely impact real property listed on the California Register of Historical Resources. There is no evidence that the following waivers requested should not be granted as required by state law:

Waiver 1 - Height: The project proposes to exceed the maximum height of three stories and 40 feet as required in the CC zone district, proposing a four story building at approximately 46 feet in height.

Complying with the 36-foot standard would require the building to reduce the number of floors and eliminate 28 residential units. This would physically preclude the construction of the project that would include the number of residential units allowed under the State Density Bonus Law.

Waiver 2 - FAR: The project proposes to exceed Floor Area Ratio. The Community Commercial designation allows a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) range from .25 to 1.75 FAR. FAR is the total gross floor area of the development divided by the net area of the site. The net lot area is defined as the area within the lot lines less than 30 percent slope and not within a riparian corridor. The total floor area for the proposed mixed-use project is 86,443 square feet and the net lot size is 35,196 square feet with a FAR for the proposed development of 2.45. Complying with the FAR required in the CC designation would reduce the volume of the building and result in a loss of units and amenities. This would

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physically preclude the construction of the project that would include the number of residential units allowed under the State Density Bonus Law.

Waiver 3 – Bike Parking: For FDUs a minimum of one Class 1 bike parking space per unit is required. With 84 FDUs, a total of 84 Class I bike parking spaces are required. A total of 73 Class 1 bike parking spaces are proposed, falling short by 11 spaces. The applicant is requesting a waiver for a reduction in the provision of bike parking spaces, stating that accommodating the require number of bike spaces would physically preclude the construction of the project that would include the number of residential units allowed under the State Density Bonus Law.

Waiver 4 – Open Space: The project proposes a reduction to the private open space requirements.

The FDU code section requires 150 square feet of usable open space for each unit. With 84 units proposed, 12,600 sf of usable open space is required, and 7,113 sf is proposed. Increasing the amount of space in the project would require a reduction in living area and therefore reduce the number of units. . This would physically preclude the construction of the project that would include the number of residential units allowed under the State Density Bonus Law.

Pursuant to State Density Bonus Law and the City’s zoning ordinance, the applicant is required to provide justification for any requested waivers, and the City must approve the requests unless it can make findings of “specific, adverse impact” to public health or safety or similar detrimental effect to the physical environment based on “substantial evidence”, as promulgated in California Government Code Section 65915(e)). No evidence of such public health or safety impact appears evident based on information available to staff.

Housing Accountability Act
The Housing Accountability Act (HAA) is a California state law designed to promote infill development, and it limits the ability of local governments to restrict the development of new housing. The Act applies to housing applications submitted to local agencies that meet the following criteria.
 Meets a city's "objective general plan and zoning standards"  The development would not cause a "significant, adverse impact" to public health and safety; and
 The development meets the standards of the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act.

If an application meets these criteria, the City must approve the application and provide necessary permits within 60 days from the determination by the lead agency that the project qualifies for a CEQA exemption. If the city denies an application that meets the City’s objective standards, it must make a written finding that the project creates a “significant, adverse impact” to public health and safety and provide substantial evidence to support said finding. The HAA also, among other things, eliminates the ability of jurisdictions from proposing modifications to a project that would reduce the number of units to be developed or passing new rules that would retroactively make the project non-compliant.

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The mixed-use FDU development is consistent with all zoning and development standards and the project will not result in significant, adverse impacts to public health and safety.

Health in all Policies (HiAP)
HiAP is a collaborative approach to improving the health of all people by incorporating health considerations into decision-making across sectors and policy areas. HiAP is based on 3 pillars:
equity, public health, and sustainability. The goal of HiAP is to ensure that all decision-makers are informed about the health, equity, and sustainability impacts of various policy options during the policy development process. The mixed-use project supports the pillar of equity by providing affordable rental units on a site in an area that is improved with sidewalks, street trees, and that is in close proximity to public transportation, commercial goods and services, and recreational areas. The development of residences in this central location encourages a sustainable and healthy lifestyle by promoting alternative forms of transportation. Therefore, the project is considered to be consistent with the three pillars of the HiAP and is recommended as an efficient use of the land.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Consistent with the City’s Community Outreach Policy for Planning Projects, the applicants held an online webinar for the community to learn about the project, ask questions, and give input.

The community outreach webinar was held on May 3, 2023 and was noticed with signage on the property, notices mailed to property owners and tenants within 1,000 feet of the project site, and advertised on the City’s website. Email notifications were also sent to those who had signed up for such alerts. Approximately 42 members of the public attended the meeting, with questions and discussion items involving traffic, parking, intersection safety as it relates to bike lanes, and impacts to the public alley. While the previously mentioned issues were part of the discussion, there were comments supporting the project, specifically in regard to eliminating the current uses at the site which have been a nuisance to neighbors, the addition of high density housing in the along the Soquel corridor, and the provision of affordable income units. In addition to the webinar, a project webpage was created and posted to the City of Santa Cruz website that provided a link to the recorded webinar and allowed for members of the public to submit comments to the project planner.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The project is categorically exempt from environmental review under Article 19 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, Section 15332, related to infill development.

The Class 32 categorical exemption applies to a proposed project fulfilling the following criteria:
(a) The project is consistent with the applicable general plan designation and all applicable general plan policies as well as with applicable zoning designation and regulations; (b) The proposed development occurs within city limits on a project site of no more than five acres substantially surrounded by urban uses;
(c) The project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species;

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(d) Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality; and
(e) The site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services.

The proposed project complies with all of the foregoing criteria and demonstrates eligibility for implementation of a Class 32 Categorical Exemption as afforded by CEQA. The application exhibits consistency with General Plan and zoning designations, policies, and regulations, with a project site comprising of 35,196 square feet (0.81-acre) in size, below the maximum threshold of five (5) acres, located within city limits and surrounded by existing residential and commercial urban uses. As a previously-developed urban infill site, the subject lot holds no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species, with none known to exist on the site; development of the project would not result in any significant impact relating to traffic, noise, air quality or water quality as supported by the submitted information; and the site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. Therefore, the proposal qualifies for the Categorical Exemption found in CEQA Guidelines Section 15332, infill exemption, attached as Exhibit B.

None of the exceptions to the exemptions under Section 15300.2 apply to the project in that the project site is not located in a mapped environmentally sensitive area, the project is not part of a larger project that could result in a cumulative impact, there are no unusual circumstances associated with the project or subject parcel, the project will not result in damage to resources associated with an officially designated scenic highway, the project site is not included on any lists compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code related to Hazardous Waste Sites, and the project will not result in substantial adverse changes in the significance of a historical resource site in that there are no known historic resources on the property.

SUMMARY
This project involves a proposal to construct a four-story, mixed-use project consisting of ground level parking and commercial space, and 84 flexible density (FDU) units. The development will implement the City’s vision for the “Soquel East Zone” area as expressed by the General Plan and the Eastside Business Area Improvement Plan by providing 14 much needed affordable units and 70 market rate residential units. Additionally, with a request for a Density Bonus, the project will maximize density while providing 10% of the required 20% affordable units at the very low income level, which will be a significant addition to the city’s affordable housing stock. As conditioned, the proposed project meets the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance and provides a development that is compatible with the surrounding area in terms of its use, scale, and design.

Therefore, staff recommends that the Planning Commission acknowledge the environmental determination and approve the Nonresidential Demolition Authorization Permit, Boundary Adjustment, Design Permit, Special Use Permit, and Density Bonus Request to exceed height and FAR, and reductions to bike parking and open space for the proposed project based on the Findings below and the Conditions of Approval in Exhibit A.

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FINDINGS
Nonresidential Demolition Authorization Permit, Section 24.08.1230

1. The cultural resources evaluation is accepted as accurate and complete; and the cultural resources evaluation concludes that the building or structure is not eligible for listing on the city historic building survey.

Based on City of Santa Cruz Building Permit records, the original structure was constructed in 1961, with subsequent additions occurring in 1963 and 1969. Pursuant to the Nonresidential Demolition Authorization Permit ordinance, the purpose of this permit is to evaluate requests for demolition of nonresidential structures fifty years of age or older, and of undetermined age, to ensure that those which may have historic value are not demolished.

City staff has evaluated the structure and determined that that the property is not listed on the California Register of Historic Resources, the National Register of Historic Places, or the City of Santa Cruz Historic Building Survey. The building is not the work of a prominent architect or builder, does not possess architectural interest nor significance, and does not appear eligible for listing in any of the registers. Thus the structure does not appear to be historically significant and is not eligible for listing on the City Historic Building Survey.

2. The project which will replace the demolished building or structure has been, or is concurrently being, approved by the city, and an appropriate building permit has been, or is concurrently being, issued; unless some other practical hardship can be documented rendering this requirement inappropriate.

The proposed mixed-use project is being approved concurrently with the approval to demolish the subject structure.

3. The property owner has been advised of the benefits of listing the property on the city historic building survey and incorporating the preservation of the historic resource into the proposed project.

Not applicable as the property has been determined to not be eligible for listing.

4. The cultural resources evaluation determines that the resource is eligible for listing on the city historic building survey, appropriate environmental review has been completed in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, and the zoning administrator can make a finding of overriding consideration that the replacement project will have public benefits which will outweigh the impact of loss of the historic resource.

It has been determined that the property does not qualify as a historic resource. Therefore, this finding does not apply.

Boundary Line Adjustment Section 66412(d) of the California Government Code.

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5. The parcels resulting from the lot line adjustment will conform to the general plan, any applicable specific plan, any applicable coastal plan, zoning and building ordinances; and
The proposal to merge parcels 011-041-63, -64, and -65 into one 35,196 square foot parcel is consistent with the General Plan and Community Commercial zone district standards which require a minimum 8,000 square foot parcel size for mixed-use projects.

6. A greater number of parcels than originally existed are not created by the lot line adjustment.

The proposed Boundary Adjustment will not result in the creation of any additional parcels or building sites, but rather the three parcels will be combined to result in one parcel.

Design Permit, Section 24.08.430

7. The site plan and building design are consistent with design and development policies of the General Plan, any element of the General Plan, and any area plan, specific plan, or other city policy for physical development. If located in the Coastal Zone, the site plan and building design are also consistent with policies of the Local Coastal Program.

The subject parcel has a Community Commercial (CM) General Plan designation. This designation applies to areas that accommodate “businesses that serve the general needs of the community, including retail, service, and office establishments. Typical uses in these areas include restaurants, grocery stores, furniture stores, general merchandise, medical and legal offices, and auto parts stores, as well as mixed-use projects that include these commercial uses on the ground floor.”
The Community Commercial designation allows a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) range from .25 to 1.75 FAR. FAR is the total gross floor area of the development divided by the net area of the site. The net lot area is defined as the area within the lot lines less than 30 percent slope and not within a riparian corridor. The total floor area for the proposed mixed-use project is 86,443 square feet and the net lot size is 35,196 square feet with a FAR for the proposed development of 2.45. Therefore, a waiver to FAR is included as part of the Density Bonus request.

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 Land Use Development Policy LU3.7.1 - Allow and encourage development that meets the high end of the General Plan Land Use designation density unless constraints associated with site characteristics and zoning development standards require a lower density.
 Land Use Development Policy LU3.8 - Allow the following residential uses to exceed the maximum densities in this chapter: Density bonus units.  Community Design CD3.3 – Encourage the assembly of small parcels along transit corridors to achieve pedestrian-oriented development compatible with neighborhoods.
 Community Design CD4.1.1 – Support compact mixed-use development Downtown, along primary transportation corridors, and in employment centers.  Community Design CD4.1.1 – Where possible, site buildings at the street frontage and place parking areas away from street corners and to the rear of buildings.  Community Design CD4.1.3 – On major corridors, encourage mixed-use development, especially projects with priority for commercial uses that can provide services to the adjacent community.
 Mobility Development Policy M1.1 - Reduce automobile dependence by encouraging appropriate neighborhood and activity center development.  Mobility Development Policy M1.3 - Create pedestrian-friendly frontage and streetscapes and attractive pedestrian-oriented areas.
 Mobility Development Policy M3.2.11 - Improve traffic flow and safety and reduce impacts on arterial streets by limiting driveways, mid-block access points, and intersections; removing on-street parking; clustering facilities around interconnected parking areas; providing access from side streets; and other similar measures.  Economic Development Policy 1.1.3 - Encourage the development of year-round businesses and visitor activities, resources, and destinations that can also attract and engage local residents.
 Economic Development Policy 5.2 - Provide for residents’ daily shopping needs in local-serving neighborhood commercial centers.
 Economic Development Policy 5.2.1 - Encourage neighborhood shopping in nodes of commercial development that serve residential areas and have adequate transit, pedestrian, and bicycle access.
 Economic Development Policy 5.2.2 - Support the development of neighborhood gathering places in conjunction with local-serving neighborhood commercial.

The project site is within the “Soquel East Zone” area of the Eastside Business Area Improvement Plan. The East Soquel Zone is largely characterized by auto-oriented land uses, with large parcels of varying size under-utilized, creating a lack of street enclosure.

The project meets the goal of encouraging large scale buildings and developing a pedestrian-oriented experience by providing retail uses with a store front character that will benefit from pedestrian traffic on the ground floor. The site plan includes a 10-foot wide sidewalk along Soquel Avenue and an 8-foot wide sidewalk along Hagemann to provide substantial room for pedestrian traffic. The building has been oriented toward the street with the majority of parking located away from the street, screening the parking and emphasizing

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the pedestrian level design of the building. The project also provides residential uses above commercial uses where parking needs can be met through shared use of the parking spaces.

Soquel Avenue is a major east-west corridor emanating from downtown Santa Cruz which is approximately 1.2 miles from the project site. Transit bus stops are located directly across the street from the project site along Soquel Avenue to provide transit service for the project. A drug store, restaurants, medical facility, and open space areas are located within walking distance from the project site.

8. For nonresidential projects, the project’s location, size, height, operations, and other significant features and characteristics are compatible with and do not adversely affect or further degrade adjacent properties, the surrounding neighborhood, or the public health, safety, and welfare. For residential projects, the project complies with the objective standards and requirements of the zoning district in which it is located, as well as any objective standards of any area plan or other regulatory document that applies to the area in which the project is located.

The commercial portion of the project is located at the corner of Soquel and Hagemann Avenue, a good distance from the neighboring residential uses to the south. Vehicular ingress and egress to the site will be provided from the 15-foot public alley along the southern property line, via Hagemann Avenue. Pedestrian access to commercial space and residences above would occur from the public right-of-way adjacent to the project site along both Soquel and Hagemann Avenues. With that being said, the site plan has been designed to not adversely affect adjacent properties, the surrounding neighborhood, or the public health, safety, and welfare. In regards to the residential portions, the project complies with the CC zone district standards with the exception of the requested Density Bonus waivers, as well as complies with the Eastside Business Improvement Area guidelines.

9. For nonresidential projects, the project provides for an arrangement of uses, buildings, structures, open spaces, and other improvements that are compatible with the scale and character of the adjacent properties and surrounding neighborhood.

The commercial retail space is sited along Soquel Avenue, adding to the other commercial uses along the Soquel Avenue corridor. The retail space is compatible with the scale and character of the adjacent properties and is designed to enhance the commercial experience of the Eastside Business Improvement Area.

10. The exterior design and appearance of buildings and structures and the design of the site plan shall be compatible with design and appearance of other existing buildings and structures in neighborhoods which have established architectural character worthy of preservation.

The proposed modular building has a contemporary design, incorporating a variety of exterior finish materials including: stucco, Nichiha Vintagewood, perforated metal panels, and a mix of white and black vinyl clad and anodized aluminum windows. This stretch of

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Soquel Avenue has a wide variety of building types and appearances, none of which have established architectural character worthy of preservation.

11. Design of the site plan respects design principles in terms of maintaining a balance of scale, form and proportion, using design components which are harmonious, and materials and colors which blend with elements of the site plan and surrounding areas.

Location of structures takes into account maintenance of public views; rooftop mechanical equipment is incorporated into roof design or screened from public rightsof-way to the extent possible. Utility installations such as trash enclosures, storage units, traffic-control devices, transformer vaults and electrical meters are accessible and screened.

While the proposed project exceeds FAR and height (waivers to exceed FAR and height is included as part of the Density Bonus request), the development has been designed in a way where the structure appears as four separate building, breaking up the overall scale of the development. The massing is separated by way of a second floor open space area. In addition, the use of different materials and colors further breaks up the overall scale.

The proposed building has been designed in a contemporary style with rooftop equipment incorporated into the roof design and screened from adjacent properties. Utility installations such as trash enclosures, storage units, and parking are designed into the building, making them accessible but screened from view.

12. Where a site plan abuts, or is in close proximity to, uses other than that proposed, the plan shall take into account its effect on other land uses. Where a nonresidential use abuts or is in close proximity to a residential use, the effect of the site plan should maintain the residential quality of adjacent or nearby areas.

Commercial uses surround the site, with the exception of residential uses across the 15-foot alley way to the south. While the proposed building will be four stories in height, the combination of the 20-foot setback, 15-foot alley, and 20-foot residential driveway provides a 55-foot separation from the neighboring two-story single-family homes. Additionally, the commercial space is located at the corner of Soquel Avenue and Hagemann Avenue, maintaining a substantial distance from the neighboring residences.

Vehicular ingress and egress to the site will be provided from the 15-foot public alley along the southern property line, via Hagemann Avenue. Pedestrian access to commercial space and residences above would occur from the public right-of-way adjacent to the project site along both Soquel and Hagemann Avenues. All long-term bicycle parking is placed within the at-grade parking garage; short-term bicycle parking would be accommodated in an area along Soquel Avenue between the retail space and residential lobby. Staff of both the Police and Fire Departments have reviewed the application and have expressed no significant concern about ingress, egress, or circulation associated with the proposed project design.

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13. To the extent feasible, the orientation and location of buildings, structures, open spaces and other features of the site plan maintain natural resources including significant trees and shrubs, minimize impacts to solar access of adjacent properties, and minimize alteration of natural land forms; building profiles, location, and orientation must relate to natural land forms.

The flat site is mostly paved with a commercial building constructed in the early 1960s that is proposed for demolition. There are no trees located on the site, though there are three street trees that are proposed to remain.

While the proposed building will be four stories in height, a 55-foot separation from the neighboring two-story single-family homes will maintain a compatible relationship and preserve solar access of adjacent properties. The site will remain flat, with minimal alteration to the existing land forms.

14. The site plan ensures that the scale, bulk, and setbacks of new development preserves important public views along the ocean and of designated scenic coastal areas. Where appropriate and feasible, the project shall restore and enhance visual quality of visually degraded areas.

The project site is not located adjacent to the coastline or within any scenic view area. The new development will enhance the visual quality of the site by replacing an underutilized site with existing auto uses with a new mixed-use structure, including street improvement such as wider sidewalks, street trees, and street lights.

15. The site plan shall reasonably protect against external and internal noise, vibration and other factors which may tend to make the environment less desirable. The site plan should respect the need for privacy of adjacent residents.

The applicant will be required to obtain a building permit for the new building. The structure will be required to meet all applicable regulations of the California Building Code pertaining to noise, vibration, and other factors affecting indoor and exterior environmental quality. The project respects the privacy of the abutting residents with a 55-foot separation between the proposed structure and the neighboring residences. Conditions of approval require that the applicant submit a project-level noise assessment for review and approval prior to building permit issuance and require compliance with the reports’ recommendations to ensure compliance with the noise policies in the General Plan.

16. Building and structures shall be designed and oriented to make use of natural elements such as solar radiation, wind, and landscaping for heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting.

The proposed building will be designed to meet the City’s Green Building Program requirements. New planted trees and landscaping will reduce the heat island effect.

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Special Use Permit, Section 24.08.050

17. The proposed structure or use conforms to the requirements and the intent of this title, and of the General Plan, relevant area plans, and the Coastal Land Use Plan, where appropriate;
The subject parcel has a Community Commercial (CM) General Plan designation. This designation applies to areas that accommodate “businesses that serve the general needs of the community, including retail, service, and office establishments. Typical uses in these areas include restaurants, grocery stores, furniture stores, general merchandise, medical and legal offices, and auto parts stores, as well as mixed-use projects that include these commercial uses on the ground floor.”
The Community Commercial designation allows a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) range from .25 to 1.75 FAR. FAR is the total gross floor area of the development divided by the net area of the site. The net lot area is defined as the area within the lot lines less than 30 percent slope and not within a riparian corridor. The total floor area for the proposed mixed-use project is 86,443 square feet and the net lot size is 35,196 square feet with a FAR for the proposed development of 2.45. Therefore, a waiver to FAR is included as part of the Density Bonus request.

The proposed mixed-use project is consistent with the policies of the General Plan, including the following:
 Land Use Development Policy LU3.3.1 - Discourage strip commercial development in favor of clustered commercial and mixed-use development along transit corridors.
 Land Use Development Policy LU3.7 - Encourage higher-intensity residential uses and maximum densities in accordance with the General Plan Land Use designations.  Land Use Development Policy LU3.7.1 - Allow and encourage development that meets the high end of the General Plan Land Use designation density unless constraints associated with site characteristics and zoning development standards require a lower density.
 Land Use Development Policy LU3.8 - Allow the following residential uses to exceed the maximum densities in this chapter: Density bonus units.  Community Design CD3.3 – Encourage the assembly of small parcels along transit corridors to achieve pedestrian-oriented development compatible with neighborhoods.
 Community Design CD4.1.1 – Support compact mixed-use development Downtown, along primary transportation corridors, and in employment centers.  Community Design CD4.1.1 – Where possible, site buildings at the street frontage and place parking areas away from street corners and to the rear of buildings.  Community Design CD4.1.3 – On major corridors, encourage mixed-use development, especially projects with priority for commercial uses that can provide services to the adjacent community.

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 Mobility Development Policy M1.1 - Reduce automobile dependence by encouraging appropriate neighborhood and activity center development.  Mobility Development Policy M1.3 - Create pedestrian-friendly frontage and streetscapes and attractive pedestrian-oriented areas.
 Mobility Development Policy M3.2.11 - Improve traffic flow and safety and reduce impacts on arterial streets by limiting driveways, mid-block access points, and intersections; removing on-street parking; clustering facilities around interconnected parking areas; providing access from side streets; and other similar measures.  Economic Development Policy 1.1.3 - Encourage the development of year-round businesses and visitor activities, resources, and destinations that can also attract and engage local residents.
 Economic Development Policy 5.2 - Provide for residents’ daily shopping needs in local-serving neighborhood commercial centers.
 Economic Development Policy 5.2.1 - Encourage neighborhood shopping in nodes of commercial development that serve residential areas and have adequate transit, pedestrian, and bicycle access.
 Economic Development Policy 5.2.2 - Support the development of neighborhood gathering places in conjunction with local-serving neighborhood commercial.

18. That any additional conditions stipulated as necessary in the public interest have been imposed;
Additional conditions have been added to the approval in order to ensure the commercial and residential activities do not negatively impact surrounding uses.

19. That such use or structure will not constitute a nuisance or be detrimental to the public welfare of the community; and

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The project meets all district development standards and the overall building mass is broken up by architectural treatment. Rooftop equipment is incorporated into the roof design and screened from adjacent properties. Utility installations such as trash enclosures, storage units, and parking are designed into the building, making them accessible but screened from view.

Taking all of these into consideration, the proposed uses incorporated into the project will not constitute a nuisance or be detrimental to the public welfare of the community. Additional conditions have been added to the approval in order to ensure the development does not constitute a nuisance or would be detrimental to the public welfare of the community.

20. That all thrift store uses shall include a management plan that identifies collection facilities for donated items, operating hours for donation facilities which discourage unsupervised dropoffs, adequate storage areas for sorting the materials, and provides a plan to properly dispose of unusable items in a timely, secure, and orderly fashion and maintains premises in a clean and attractive condition.

Not applicable.

Density Bonus, Section 24.16.270

21. The housing development is eligible for a density bonus and any concessions, incentives, waivers, modifications, or modified parking standards requested; conforms to all standards for affordability included in this section; and includes a financing mechanism for all implementation and monitoring costs.

With a base density of 67 units, 14 (20%) of the residential units will be required to be provided as affordable housing units. With the project requesting a 32.5% Density Bonus, 10% (7) of the base density units are required to be provided at the very-low income level (50% AMI). The remaining seven units are required to be provided at the low income level (80% AMI). All financing mechanisms for implementation and monitoring costs will be provided by the applicants.

22. Any requested incentive or concession will result in identifiable and actual cost reductions to provide for affordable rents or affordable ownership costs based upon appropriate financial analysis and documentation if required by Section.

Not applicable. The project does not include any requests for incentives/concessions.

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23. If the density bonus is based all or in part on dedication of land, the approval body has made the findings included in Section 24.16.230.

Not applicable. The project does not include any requests for dedication of land.

24. If the density bonus, incentive, or concession is based all or in part on the inclusion of a child care center, the development conforms to the standards included in Section

24.16.235.

Not applicable. The project does not include a proposal for a child care center.

25. If the density bonus incentive or concession is approved for a condominium conversion, the development conforms to the standards included in Section 24.16.240.

Not applicable. The project does not include a proposal for a condominium conversion.

26. If the incentive or concession includes mixed-use buildings or developments, the nonresidential land uses will reduce the cost of the housing development and the proposed nonresidential uses are compatible with the housing development and with existing or planned development in the area where the proposed housing development will be located.

Not applicable. The project does not include any requests for incentives/concessions.

27. If a waiver or modification is requested, the applicant has shown that the development standards for which the waiver or modification is requested will have the effect of physically precluding the construction of the housing development at the densities or with the incentives or concessions permitted by this Part 3.

The applicant has requested four waivers of development standards, all of which are required to be waived if they preclude project development. The applicant is requesting waivers to height, FAR, bike parking, and open space requirements. The city must grant these waivers unless they violate state or federal law, create a specific adverse impact on health and safety or the physical environment that cannot be mitigated, or adversely impact real property listed on the California Register of Historical Resources. With regard to the proposed project, failure to grant the waivers requested would physically preclude construction of the project accommodating the number of residential units allowed under Density Bonus Law. As presented, the project would not induce any specific, adverse impact upon public health or safety and includes no characteristics constituting grounds for reduction in residential density or project denial pursuant to the provisions of SB330. No evidence has been revealed which would suggest that the requested waivers should not be granted as required by State law.

28. If a commercial development bonus is requested, the project complies with the requirements of Section 24.16.258, the city has approved the partnered housing agreement, and the bonus has been mutually agreed upon by the city and the commercial developer.

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Not applicable. The project does not include a proposal for a commercial development bonus.

29. If the housing development or the commercial development is in the coastal zone, any requested density bonus, incentive, concession, waiver, modification, modified parking standard, or commercial development bonus is consistent with all applicable requirements of the certified Santa Cruz local coastal program, with the exception of density.

Not applicable as the site is not located in the coastal zone.

Submitted by:

Ryan Bane
Senior Planner
Approved by:

Samantha Haschert
Principal Planner
Attachments:

1. Conditions of Approval

2. Project Plans

3. Trip Generation Memo dated Jue 6, 2023, prepared by Hexagon Transportation Consultants, Inc.

4. Preliminary Archaeological Reconnaissance dated December 14, 2014, prepared by Patricia Paramoure Archaeological Consulting

5. Phase I Environmental Site Assessment dated December 3, 2021, prepared by AIE Consultants

6. Public Correspondence

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CITY OF SANTA CRUZ
City Hall
809 Center Street
Santa Cruz, California 95060

PLANNING COMMISSION

ACTION SUMMARY
Regular Meeting
September 21, 2023
7:00 P.M. GENERAL BUSINESS AND MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST, COUNCIL CHAMBERS Call to Order-The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.

Roll Call-Commissioners Conway, Dawson, McKelvey, Polhamus, and Kennedy were present.

Absent w/notification-Commissioners Gordon and Maxwell were absent with notification.

Statements of Disqualification-None
Oral Communications-The following members of the public addressed the Commission: None.

Approval of Minutes

1. Approval of the minutes of August 3, 2023.

MOTION: Motion made by Commissioner Dawson, seconded by Commissioner Polhamus, to approve the minutes of August 3, 2023.

ACTION: Motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Dawson, McKelvey, Polhamus, Kennedy
NOES: Conway
ABSENT: Gordon, Maxwell
Public Hearings

2. 1800 Soquel Avenue Project Number CP22-0142 Assessor’s Parcel Numbers: 011-041- 63, -64, -65. Commercial Demolition Authorization Permit to Demolish an Existing Commercial Building; Boundary Adjustment to Merge Three Parcels; Design Permit; Special Use Permit; and Density Bonus Request Involving Incentives, Concessions, and Waivers to Development Standards, Including Exceeding Height, and a Reduction in

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Auto and Bike Parking and Open Space Requirements to Construct a Four-Story Mixed Use Project Consisting of 1,928 Square Feet of Ground Level Commercial Space and 84 Residential Units on a Parcel Located in the Community Commercial (CC) Zone District and Within the Eastside Business Improvement Plan Area. Environmental Determination: Categorical Exemption; Applicant: Mark Donahue, Lowney Architecture; Filed 10/03/22.

MOTION: Motion made by Commissioner Conway, seconded by Commissioner Polhamus to acknowledge the environmental determination and approve the Nonresidential Demolition Authorization Permit, Boundary Adjustment, Density Bonus Request involving incentives, concessions, and waivers to development standards, including exceeding height, and a reduction in auto and bike parking and open space requirements, to construct a four-story mixed-use project consisting of 1,928 square feet of ground level commercial space, and 84 residential units on a parcel located in the Community Commercial (CC) zone district and within the Eastside Business Improvement Plan Area, with the following modifications and additions to the Conditions of Approval (additions and deletions noted by strike-through/underline):

Condition of Approval Number 26 shall read as follows: Prior to issuance of the demolition permit, the applicant shall obtain a building permit for the construction of the new mixed-use development. Issuance of the demolition permit may be made prior to building permit issuance at the discretion of the Planning Director.

Condition of Approval Number 29 shall read as follows: Bike Parking. Plans submitted for building permit issuance shall demonstrate that all bike parking has been provided per Section 24.12.250 of the Zoning Ordinance. 73 bike parking spaces will be provided pursuant to a density bonus waiver requested by the Applicant. The plans shall include specifications for the Class 2 bike parking racks including manufacturer, dimensions, and design, and a description of the access privileges to any proposed secure bike parking areas. And as per waiver Condition of Approval shall read as follows: Final colors shall be approved by the Director of Planning and Community Development prior to application for building permits, provided there are no substantial deviations from the final colors as proposed in the Project submittal and application materials.

The following Conditions of Approval shall also be included:

65. Management Plan – Applicant shall submit a finalized management plan that provides the criteria specified in Zoning Code Section 24.12.1040, which shall be subject to approval by the Planning Director prior to building permit issuance.

66. Alleyway – The alleyway shall be repaved between Hagemann and Forest Avenues prior to building occupancy. The property owner shall maintain the alleyway in good condition for the portion that abuts the property.

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67. Prior to submittal of building plans the owner shall work with the city to identify possible safety improvements on the private property portion adjacent to the alley for pedestrians, cyclists, strollers, and other non-vehicle uses in the alleyway. Improvements shall be installed prior to building occupancy.

68. Two additional street trees shall be added to the Soquel Avenue street frontage if determined to be feasible by all city departments.

ACTION: The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Conway, McKelvey, Polhamus, Kennedy
NOES: Dawson
ABSENT: Gordon, Maxwell
MOTION: Motion made by Commissioner Conway, seconded by Commissioner Dawson, to extend the meeting time to adjourn at 11:15 p.m.

ACTION: The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Conway, Dawson, McKelvey, Polhamus, Kennedy
NOES: None
ABSENT: Gordon, Maxwell

3. Amendments to Downtown Plan and Local Coastal Program Project Number: A23-0001 Notice of Availability of amendments to the Downtown Plan and the Local Coastal Program to clarify and update various sections, remove obsolete sections and references, streamline application processes, and bring the Downtown Plan into conformity with State law. The amendments include but are not limited to removing use permit requirements for certain residential uses, expanding hotel, residential and recreational use allowances, revising additional height criteria, adding language to encourage activated roof top amenities, and amending landscape requirements to allow more flexibility with landscaping and tree selection. (Environmental Determination: These amendments are consistent with the adoption of an addendum to the Environmental Impact Report approved for the Downtown Plan). The proposed amendments require a Local Coastal Plan Amendment to be approved by the California Coastal Commission. Applicant: City of Santa Cruz; Filed: 6/6/2023. o MOTION: Motion made by Commissioner Polhamus, seconded by Commissioner Conway, to recommend that City Council approve Amendments to the Downtown Plan and the Local Coastal Program to clarify and update various sections, remove obsolete sections and references, streamline application processes, and bring the Downtown Plan into conformity with State law, finding that the public necessity, and the general community welfare, and good zoning practice shall be served and furthered with the adoption of the Downtown Plan amendments; and that the proposed amendments are in general conformance with the principles, policies and land use designation set forth in the General Plan, Local Coastal Program, and the Downtown Plan. The amendments include but are not limited to removing public hearing requirements for day care and supportive housing, consistent with state law; expanding hotel, residential, and

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recreational use allowances; revising additional height criteria; adding language to encourage activated roof top amenities; and amending landscape requirements to allow more flexibility with landscaping and tree selection with the following additional recommendations: On page 32, under Housing, remove the reference to the City’s 15% affordability requirement; and on page 80, include the addition of language (in bold) to Section H(2)(d)(ii) regarding Skyline Architectural Variation to read as follows:
ii. Skyline Architectural Variation. To promote skyline variation, the top floor of any building shall not exceed 60% of the floor area below or 60% of the building length as measured along Front Street or the Riverwalk, unless the project incorporates planned publicly accessible pedestrian passageways between Front Street and the Riverwalk (in the proximity of the extensions of Cathcart Street, Maple Street, and Elm Street). For projects that incorporate other publicly accessible connections, variation to the 60% floor area standard may be permitted with a recommendation from the Planning Commission and final approval by the City Council provided a finding can be made that the project includes adequate variation/breaks in massing, including as provided by the pedestrian passageways between building, a paseo, etc.

ACTION: The motion passed by the following vote:

AYES: Conway, McKelvey, Polhamus, Kennedy
NOES: Dawson
ABSENT: Gordon, Maxwell
Information Items
Subcommittee/Advisory Body Oral Reports
Adjournment-The meeting adjourned at 11:17 p.m.

21.105
1 Luke Jones
From: Levi Glatt <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 12:31 AM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue traffic pattern concerns
Dear Planning Commissioner,
My name is Levi Glatt, I am 22 years old, and I live on Forest Avenue, Santa Cruz. I ride my bike to work everyday through this area. I have concerns about the project at 1800 Soquel Avenue and care about traffic safety, and the multi-use functionality of my neighborhood. I urge you to postpone approval until the project is safe for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles. This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway.

Hagemann is connected to Forest Avenue as a cul-de-sac. The only through-street is Soquel, and during most times of the day, turning left onto Soquel is impossible without the protected light at Hagemann. This development of 84 units doubles the traffic and needlessly complicates our limited traffic options by putting the exit of the proposed development on Soquel. The alley and intersection cannot safely accommodate this impact.

The alleyway is a one-lane road used for two-way traffic. It also has significant bicycle and pedestrian use, with many dog walkers and families using it to walk to Arana Gulch. This project commandeers this public road as its personal driveway, disrupting the delicate balance of the one-lane road. The plan eliminates room to pull over when a car is coming the opposite direction, while at the same time, doubles the two-way traffic.

There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces.

Where are those future residents supposed to park? Hagemann's street parking is already full without the development, and there is no room for additional cars. Please do not grant this waiver, and postpone the approval of the project until appropriate parking solutions can be addressed.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Unlike the out-of-county developers, we live here and understand the impact of this project. Overall, this is a project I approve of in this neighborhood. I am in full support of this proposed development, I just want officials to find existing solutions to keep our street safe.

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2 Thank you~ Levi

21.107
1 Luke Jones
From: Rebecca Silver <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 10:19 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: 1800 Soquel Ave - public comment
Dear Planning Commission,
As a resident of Hagemann Ave, very close to the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Ave, I'm writing to express two concerns about the project as currently planned. I support new housing in Santa Cruz - yet ask that you consider how the scale, design, and exemptions being granted to this project will adversely impact safety for pedestrians/bicyclists and parking.

Safety for pedestrians/bicyclists: The project design and layout appear to reflect a lack of familiarity with the Soquel/Hagemann/Trevethan intersection's unique layout and due to this lack of familiarity, safety impacts are not being adequately considered.

First, the crosswalk from the SE corner of Soquel/Hagemann (starting in front of the building formerly housing May's Sushi and crossing Soquel to the Barrios Unidos building) is already dangerous for pedestrians. Because the crosswalk is so far to the right of the actual intersection, and because the green light for cars exiting Hagemann to Soquel is so short (while the red is very long), drivers making right turns from Hagemann onto Soquel often accelerate impatiently onto Soquel - at which point they encounter a crosswalk where one is not normally expected - just as pedestrians begin their very short window of time to cross. Neighborhood residents may be familiar with this peculiar intersection, but most traffic coming off Hagemann is made up of Walgreens customers who are not familiar with the intersection and not expecting to encounter a crosswalk in this location. I have been crossing with my children, or on my own, numerous times and have experienced close calls. The only current mitigating factor is the small parking lot at the SE corner of this intersection which provides some limited visibility toward the crosswalk for those drivers sitting on Hagemann and waiting to turn right onto Soquel.

However, the project design will make the safety situation much worse by placing a multi-story building directly on the corner, swallowing up the small parking lot that currently provides some visibility of the crosswalk. This will put the safety of all pedestrians crossing Soquel at this intersection at greater risk. Please note that children living on Hagemann must cross this intersection in order to walk or bike to neighborhood schools (i.e. Delaveaga Elementary, Branciforte Middle School) and please also recall that there was already a fatality a few years ago when a bicyclist was hit by a car at this same corner. Will you approve a project with a flawed design that will worsen safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, or will you ensure this project's design is adjusted to protect (or, ideally, improve) pedestrian/bicyclist safety at this already dangerous intersection? Secondly, the alleyway behind the proposed development is essentially being absorbed by this development and turned into the entrance/exit to its parking lot. The design also transforms it into a de facto "street" into which cars will back up from the row of diagonal parking spaces along the south side of the development. This design appears to ignore the heavy use of this alley by pedestrians and bicyclists. Not only does the design lack any protected space in the alley for foot/bicycle traffic, despite funneling a significant amount of new traffic right into the alley, it will also result in cars backing out of the diagonal spaces right into the path of pedestrians and bicyclists. In addition, the alley is already too narrow to accommodate two cars passing in opposite directions and it does not appear the project design will widen it in any meaningful way (if at all). What will happen when the alley is essentially turned into a busy two way street with cars entering/exiting the parking garage and backing out of the row of diagonal parking spaces - all with no shoulder, sidewalk or other protected space for pedestrians and bicyclists? Before approving this project, please consider the safety impacts of the current design and ensure that it is modified to improve, not worsen, safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Parking - It is unrealistic to believe that the number of parking spaces provided in this design will come anywhere close to accommodating the number of cars that residents of the building will bring with them. Many, if not most, of the 1 br and studios in this development will be occupied by 2+ adults, given the reality of cost of living in Santa Cruz, and anyone who believes otherwise is engaging in wishful thinking. Additionally, the vast majority of those adults will have cars, given the limited availability of public transit in our county, and anyone who believes otherwise is engaging in wishful thinking.

Where are all those cars going to park? Only some will be able to fit in the parking provided by this development. The rest will search for street parking on neighborhood streets which already, on most weekdays, are full, given that employees of many nearby businesses (Walgreens, car dealerships, etc) already park on the local side streets such as Hagemann. It's

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2 also worth noting that human nature being what it is, most people in search of parking will take what seems to them like the fastest path to finding parking: they will circle the immediate streets (the Hagemann/Forest loop) and hope to find parking there, rather than crossing Soquel - since to do that they would have to wait at a very long red light and then walk back across that same busy intersection. This will further exacerbate the pedestrian/bicyclist safety issues already mentioned at the Soquel & Hagemann intersection and within the alley. Please readjust the parking requirements for this project to ensure that a realistic balance is achieved, whether by requiring the project provide additional spaces, reducing the number of units, a combination of the two, or some other means.

My hope in writing this email is that you will ensure that the project design is modified to improve safety for pedestrians/bicyclists and to realistically plan for parking impacts. If the details of what I have described are hard to understand or picture, I urge you to please visit the site and see for yourself the unique ways that traffic flows around this little pocket of streets. You may then begin to understand more clearly why this project's design causes safety concerns not only for me, but for many people in this neighborhood. Also, please try crossing that crosswalk a few times during busy times of the day, and then consider how you'd feel if your kid (or the kid of a family member or friend) had to cross at that intersection every day to get to school.

I sincerely hope that this project's design will be modified to accommodate safety and realistic parking needs. And then, I sincerely hope that it will be built, in order to provide more housing which is desperately needed. Thank you for considering my comments.

Rebecca Silver
178 Hagemann

21.109
1 Luke Jones
From: Aliya Glatt <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 11:00 AM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: Comment about 1800 Soquel
Dear Planning Commissioner,
My name is Aliya Glatt. I am deeply concerned about the project at 1800 Soquel Avenue and I urge you to postpone approval until the project is safe for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles.

This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway.

Hagemann is a cul-de-sac, and is connected to Forest Avenue in a horseshoe shape. The only through-street is Soquel, and during most times of the day, turning left onto Soquel is impossible without the protected light at Hagemann. Instead of putting the egress of the proposed development on Soquel, this development of 84 units doubles the traffic, and needlessly complicates our limited traffic options.

The alley and intersection cannot safely accommodate this impact.

There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, including children, who walk and bike along the alleyway every day.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents such as this, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Unlike the out-of-county developers, we live here and understand the impact of this project. Solutions exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets safe.

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2 Thank you,
~Aliya Glatt
Aliya Glatt (she/her/hers)
Summa Cum Laude Graduate, UCLA
Anthropology, B.A. & French Minor (2023)
UCLA Master of Social Science Program, Class of 2024
Lab Manager, UCLA LING Lab || [email protected]

21.111
1 Viviane Pearson
From: Allison L-D <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2023 6:13 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: REwork 1800 Soquel Ave
Dear Planning Commissioner,
I am deeply dismayed about the project at 1800 Soquel Avenue and urge you to postpone approval until the project is safe for bicycles, pedestrians, families, and vehicles.

This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway.

We have young kids and live on Hagemann. We use the alleyway to avoid homeless people, needles, garbage, broken windows, and out of control Soquel traffic. Soquel isn't safe to drive on or cross at Hagemann and Soquel. The light changes way too quickly for young kids, my father in a wheelchair, and even animals on leashes.

The alley and intersection cannot safely accommodate this impact.

There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces. Where are those future residents supposed to park? Don't expect residents to rely on busses or e bikes- we live in Sta Cruz where public transit is grossly inadequate. i Hagemann's street parking is already full without the development, and there is no room for additional cars. Please do not grant this waiver, and postpone the approval of the project until appropriate parking solutions can be addressed.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Unlike the out-of-county developers, we live here and understand the impact of this project. Solutions exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets safe.

Thank you~
Concerned Hagemann Family
--
Allison

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21.116
1 Luke Jones
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2023 9:58 AM
To: Ryan Bane; Samantha Haschert
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue ‐ Significant Project
Date & Time: 08/27/2023 9:58 AM
Response #: 19
Submitter ID: 106231
IP address: 142.254.109.105
Time to complete: 21 min. , 8 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

Thank you for your interest in the proposed project for 1800 Soquel Avenue. Please provide any project related question or comment in the fields provided. Your comment/question will be automatically directed to the City Planner assigned to this project. Please note that questions and/or comments entered here are public information and subject to release in accordance with the Public Records Act.

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (831) 426‐6037

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) In Support with Concerns

4. Question/Comment:

I'm lucky. I can use Arana to access that part of town. I use the alley to cut through to Walgreens. I would hope that since there is garage access from the alley that it would be one‐way, directed to the signal street. Residents could easily make a right turn from Soquel into the alley ‐ I don't know if a left‐turn lane is proposed for a more difficult left turn from Soquel or not?
Other concern. Of the x amount of "affordable" units, I hope it's a good mix of studio, one‐bedroom, and one‐bedroom +; otherwise, fewer people and certainly no families would find it desirable.

Other other concern. It's got a mix of colors and textures, sort of ‐ but it's still a big ugly box. I know developers want to maximize profit and are willing (have to!) concede units for affordable, but aren't we getting a little tired of the big boxes????

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2 Other other other concern. I read in the description the developer said it's easy to swap out trees for more parking. I would hope they were kidding.

Thanks ‐
Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz
This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email. To help pr privacy, M
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21.120
1 September 13, 2023
From: Debora Bone and Neighbors
170 Hagemann Ave
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
To: Planning Commission
Planning & Community Development
809 Center St Room 107
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Re: 1800 Soquel Ave, CP22-0142, APN: 011-041-63, -64, -65 Dear City Council and Planning Commission,
I am writing to express concerns regarding the proposed development for 1800 Soquel Avenue at the intersection of Soquel Ave., Hagemann Ave. and the Alley connecting to Forest Ave. The project location shown on the aerial photo of the Development Proposal is inaccurate and shows the proposed development on the corner of Frederick St. and not Hagemann Ave.

Based on the number of parcels and dwellings, there about 75-100 households who live and drive on these streets daily. We do understand the pressures on the City of Santa Cruz to develop more housing, but we are sincerely requesting that the City also manage growth by mitigating impacts and providing for the safety of existing and future residents.

Many of us who live here question the concessions of increased building height, decreased parking spaces and the waiver of required Open Space that would result from the proposed Density Bonus. With 84 tiny apartments, there will likely be upward of 100 adults, most of whom will have a car. The proposed 75 parking spaces will not accommodate the people who will live there, guests and those who will frequent the commercial space.

Although there are other concerns, I will focus my comments on the concession of Auto Parking, and especially the larger concern of traffic flow at this very busy and sometimes lethal intersection.
• The Soquel/Hagemann intersection is one of the busiest stretches of Soquel Ave., located between the merger of Water and Soquel, and the turn off to Capitola Road. o There is literally NO OTHER continuous route through this section of town besides the freeway. Any time there is an accident or incident on either of these throughways, the traffic back up is massive and dangerous. o The left turn lane from Soquel into Hagemann is often backed up with multiple cars waiting to turn, sometimes disrupting the flow of traffic towards downtown. o The angle of the Hagemann/Trevethan crossing is awkward and misaligned, causing driver confusion around left turns and right of way.

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2 o Multiple accidents have caused utility pole damage and power outages at that corner.
• The Alley between Forest Ave. and Hagemann Ave. is an important traffic corridor that mitigates some of the worst traffic in the neighborhood. o It allows residents from Forest to access the traffic light at Hagemann to turn left onto Soquel Ave.
o It allows residents on Hagemann to bypass traffic incidents on Soquel and travel southward.
o It is used heavily by pedestrians, bicyclists, disabled individuals and families with children in strollers to access Arana Gulch without engaging the heavy traffic on Soquel.
o It represents an alternative emergency exit from the neighborhood in case of a disaster requiring evacuation.
• Existing parking on Hagemann and Forest is strained by the lack of parking on this section of Soquel Ave.
o People who work in nearby auto dealers, shops and services often park in the residential neighborhood.
o City residents coming to enjoy Arana Gulch often park on nearby streets. o Existing and future proposed density of housing needs to include enough parking spaces so streets don’t end up blocked by illegal “double parking”. o Adding a permit system doesn’t help if there are too few spaces available.

Suggested Mitigations
This proposed development provides an opportunity for the City of Santa Cruz to improve the traffic flow around the Hagemann/Soquel intersection. As neighbors who will be affected by the increased density proposed, we are especially concerned for the safety of all who live and use this busy corner.

We urge the Planning Department to require greater concessions from the developers before approving the Density Bonus. Specifically, the City should require that traffic and parking studies be done by an independent agency (not beholden to the developer) on busy morning, afternoon and evening commute hours to understand how to accommodate new residents, cars and traffic.

1. Intersection improvements: The current proposal offers to “give” (Sell?) to the city a modest Parcel A of 1,845 SF to improve sidewalk on part of the Soquel facing interface and to round out the corner to improve right turn access. This is good but should be expanded.
a. Can the City request a larger strip of land for Parcel A to widen Hagemann near the intersection? There should be two full right lanes on Hagemann Ave, one straight onto Trevethan or Right onto Soquel, and one to turn left onto Soquel, as proposed, but longer. The two lanes are needed from the alley to the corner,

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3 to handle increased entry/exit from the development and prevent backup at the intersection. This could also allow for better alignment with Trevethan Ave. b. A larger strip of land along Soquel would allow for a longer left turn lane heading towards downtown, along the length of the development, to accommodate for the additional left turns onto Hagemann.

2. Alleyway improvements: It is critical to maintain the alleyway for two-way traffic and room for bikes and pedestrians.
a. A wider strip of land for Parcel A, even 3-4 feet, would improve the Alley. Can the City consider re-categorizing the Alley as a Street, with the accompanying size and access rules? This should be a PRIORITY for this project. b. Existing and new traffic from Forest and Hagemann need a wider Alley to pass and possibly to turn around. This is especially true for large emergency vehicles, delivery trucks and the like.
c. Residents of the development who choose to use bikes for transportation need to access Arana Gulch in both directions.
d. Entrance/exit and management of parking garage traffic impact is critical for safety of drivers, bike riders and pedestrians in this tight Alley.

3. Modify the development plan for parking garage and alley parking. a. Current plan in the small Alley is problematic.
b. Why isn’t garage entry and exit on Hagemann Ave?
c. The outdoor parking spots in the alley are unrealistic in length for larger vehicles that won’t fit in the compact spots indoors.
d. The angle of the outdoor parking spots in the alley is wrong. How will they turn around to exit to Hagemann so they can use the left turn at the signal? Consider a turn-around option and/or have cars enter angled parking spaces that face Forest so they can exit via Hagemann and use the traffic light. e. The landscape proposal (tree) and parking spot to the left of the garage entry will restrict visibility of traffic entering the Alley.

4. Provide the required number of parking spaces.
a. Even though the state allows lower parking spaces near the corridor, local jurisdictions can require higher parking ratios if supported by a parking study.

Since public transportation does not cover many parts of the county and many drivers commute over Highway 17, it is likely that most adults still need cars. b. Provide charging stations to encourage electric cars.

Another question, apart from traffic considerations, is whether this development will be managed entirely as rental apartments or individually sold as some kind of Condominium? Will there be a central management of tenants or potentially independent owners/absentee landlords without coherent policies and expectations? What responsibility does the City have to assure that this large complex of very small units will have uniform oversight of this large population of residents?
Thank you for your consideration.

Debora Bone

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1 Viviane Pearson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2023 12:29 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: re 1800 Soquel Ave
Hello.

I am a long time resident of this neighborhood since 1976. I beg of you not to approve this project! We already have NO parking on this street! We have Walgreens and the Nissan dealership employees already parking daily down our street. I never get to park in front of my house at 161 Hagemann. I have to park down the block and walk back with my groceries and parcels. We struggle daily also with speeders as we have no speed bumps and our street is a straight street perfect for speeders.

I have read the density plan and the amount of parking alloted and it is ridiculous. There is not even enough for one car per unit and many of those units will have couples with 2 cars.

Please please please help us keep our neighborhood safe and useable! Dee Kenville
161 Hagemann Ave
Santa Cruz
831 331-3931

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21.125
1 Luke Jones
From: Emma Kelsey <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 5, 2023 3:07 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: 1800 Soquel Ave
Hi Ryan,
I am writing to voice my strong support of high density housing at the corner of Hagemann and Soquel. I live two blocks away from this site and I strongly support construction of well planned, environmentally responsible multi‐unit housing in our neighborhood.

I am in my mid‐30s and have a young family. Many young professionals I know have either already left or plan to leave Santa Cruz because they cannot find adequate housing that they can afford. I am disheartened by how challenging it is for anyone who does not already own a home or have generational wealth to consider living in Santa Cruz long‐term. I believe the Santa Cruz community would benefit from housing proposals, such as 1800 Soquel Ave., that would allow these folks to stay and become long‐term community members.

As has unfortunately been shown time and time again, all housing projects that are not single‐family will be opposed by neighbors who are unable to think beyond their own convenience. Please consider the needs of less‐vocal Santa Cruz residents, current and future, and approve the project at 831 Water Street.

Thank you for your consideration,
Emma Kelsey
158 Forest Ave.

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21.127
1 Luke Jones
From: Fred Malouf <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2023 1:41 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: Comment about 1800 Soquel
Ryan,
I understand comments are due today regarding this project. Here goes. ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ I am for affordable housing, however as long as housing is a for profit business I fail to see how this state will achieve its goals. It's clear the developers are cramming as many units in as possible to gain a quicker ROI. I get that construction is expensive but maybe there should be less units to reduce the pressure on the neighborhood. Only 14 of these units are low income housing so what does affordable actually mean here? The planning commission must understand the neighborhood in that Forest and Hagemann are the only exit streets for people who live here. Everyone who lives here has to get onto Soquel Ave (super busy) to go anywhere. Taking a left off Forest is dangerous because of the limited line of sight due to the restaurant. Many of us drive around to Hagemann where there is a light.

First ‐ this project will essentially double the traffic trying to get out. Given the alley is the only exit/entry to the housing makes the alley unusable for many. People walk and drive through it quite a bit. The environment will become more dangerous. You probably know there is a proposed development on Hagemann for 7 townhouses and a few ADUs. As more of the large properties become available, how does the city plan on alleviating traffic flow? Has there been a traffic assessment (CEQA)?
Second ‐ parking will become a nightmare for residents and visitors. You do know that employees of both Ford and Sutter park in these neighborhoods (Why don't you require businesses to provide parking for their own employees? ).

With only 73 parking spots in the project, people will start parking on these two streets which will likely create a sliding problem through the neighborhood. We have inconsistent sidewalks so people walk their kids and dogs on the street.

Doubling the number of cars increases the chances of accidents. Does the city plan to make sidewalks consistent throughout the neighborhood?
The overriding concern is safety. How will this be addressed? ‐Fred Malouf

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1 Luke Jones
From: Gabriella Jones <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 11:27 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: Comment re 1800 Soquel
Dear Planning Commissioner,
I am deeply concerned about the project at 1800 Soquel Avenueand urge you to postpone approval until the project is safe for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles. I am a mother of two children raised in the nearby neighborhood (we are on Forest Avenue) and I am very concerned about the impacts to this neighborhood.

This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway.

The alley and intersection cannot safely accommodate this impact.

There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Unlike the out-of-county

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2 developers, we live here and understand the impact of this project. Solutions exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets safe.

Thank you,
Gabriella Jones

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21.131
1 Luke Jones
From: Harlan Glatt <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 11:29 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: Planning Commission Comment for 1800 Soquel Ave Dear Planning Commission,
Please postpone approval of the plans for 1800 Soquel until they are safe for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles. I have lived here more than 20 years, and understand how dangerous the proposal is for the neighborhood. This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway.

Hagemann is a cul-de-sac, and is connected to Forest Avenue in a horseshoe shape with about 90 homes. The only through-street is Soquel, and during most times of the day, turning left onto Soquel is impossible without the protected light at Hagemann. Instead of putting the egress of the proposed development on Soquel, this development of 84 units doubles the traffic, and needlessly complicates our limited traffic options.

The alley and intersection cannot safely accommodate this impact.

There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Solutions exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets safe.

Thank you for your time.

Harlan Glatt

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2 21.133
1 Luke Jones
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, May 1, 2023 3:53 PM
To: Ryan Bane; Samantha Haschert
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue ‐ Significant Project
Date & Time: 05/01/2023 3:53 PM
Response #: 8
Submitter ID: 103799
IP address: 2600:1700:87f0:a200:d5c8:a52f:79e6:b4b
Time to complete: 16 min. , 33 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a question(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (831) 426‐2366

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) Concerns

4. Question/Comment:
1)Was the original plan for only 3 stories and 50+ units? Why is it now 4 stories when there are no comparable heights nearby, there's no parking, and that intersection is a nightmare from 3:30 to 5:30 PM every weekday? 2) Why have ordinances if the city can just offer a waiver (as in height and parking)? 3) How many of the units are "affordable?" 4) The city has been working on Soquel Ave near the proposed structure for months. Has the underground street infrastructure already been laid without hearing from the public first? Is this a done deal and our comments/concerns on 5/3 are for show only?
Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz

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2 This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.

21.135
1 Luke Jones
From: Jacob Sackin <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 9:17 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: Comment about 1800 Soquel
I am writing to express concerns about the development at 1800 Soquel. I live at 178 Hagemann Ave and ride my bike down the alleyway twice a day with my child on the bike. I have used the alley every day for 10 years and it is our neighborhood's outlet to get to Arana Gulch. Almost every time I ride I see people riding their bike or walking their dog or pushing their kid in a stroller as many people use this alleyway to also get to Wallgreens. I understand the development will be for over 80 people and that the outlet for all cars would be this alleyway. Whenever a car comes while pedestrians or bikers are in the alley, the car has to pull over to make room as it is too tight. Often large trucks unload at the east end of the alley and one neighbor has a storage unit behind a fence and often has a truck unloading equipment. The idea that 84 cars are now going to use this alley as a way to get in and out of their house seems impossible and dangerous. It is going to create a major dangerous throughway adjacent to what is already a very dangerous intersection, the 2nd busiest in Santa Cruz, I believe, since it is just after Water and Soquel merge.

When I am coming home from work in my car, driving south on Trevathan almost always the car coming north from Hagemann is turning left onto Soquel, usually after coming from Wallgreens. They never register that I am driving straight and have the right away and usually I have to inch my way into traffic until a car stops, not realizing that I am just driving straight across this crooked intersection. I have had cars honk at me and almost hit me many times.

The idea of now having an additional 80 cars coming down the alley and using this light will create more accidents and is unsafe. The light is also only a few seconds long and it will create a back up of traffic that will lead into both the alley and into the exit from Wallgreens, causing more danger as cars driving south onto Hagemann from soquel to go to Wallgreens will now have trouble parking with possible backups from cars going in and out of the alley, waiting for bikers or trucks unloading, and other cars waiting to turn left onto soquel from Hagemann.

I understand that there is another planned development on Hagemann avenue which would further complicate this situation. There are at least 20 children who live on the Hagemann/Forest cul de sac, all of which bike on this street and walk in the alleyway. The alley is not a road and exit for 80 cars a day. It is an alley.

This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents and is unsafe not only for those living in the neighborhood, but for passing traffic and those going to Wallgreens.

Thank you,
Jacob Sackin

21.136

21.137
1 Luke Jones
From: Jeffrey Smedberg <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 12:31 AM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: [Neighbor's Reaction to 1800 Soquel Project
Dear Planning Commissioner,
I am deeply concerned about the project at 1800 Soquel Avenue and urge you to postpone approval until the project is safe for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles.

This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway.

The alley and intersection cannot safely accommodate this impact.

The alleyway is a one-lane road used for two-way traffic. It also has significant bicycle and pedestrian use, with many dog walkers and families using it to walk to Arana Gulch.

This project commandeers this public road as its personal driveway, disrupting the delicate balance of the one-lane road. The plan eliminates room to pull over when a car is coming the opposite direction, while at the same time, doubles the two-way traffic.

There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died recently on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Unlike the out-of-county developers, we live here and understand the impact of this project. Solutions exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets safe.

21.138
2 Thank you,
Jeffrey Smedberg
170 Hagemann Ave.

Santa Cruz 95062

21.139
1 Luke Jones
From: Jimmie Grimes <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 1:23 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: comment about 1800 Soquel Ave project.

Mr Bane
I have left messages over this issue and would also like to write you. I am not able to attend the hearing or I would be there.

This street already has parking issues for the people that live here at Hagemann ave.

I have been documenting with photos how there is a lack of parking as it is.

The fact that this project claims that there will be people living in these units in Santa Cruz and use Public transportation or bikes is ludicrous. The reality is, there will be more than 84 people living in the 84 units that already dont have sufficient parking spaces, and there will be more cars than units. Many people in this county own 2 cars. This is not unreasonable to assume will be the case.

This is already a dangerous intersection with the strange angled lanes that exist at Soquel and Hagemann. There is already an issue with people from Walgreens customers, Dodge dealership, neighbors, random people that see a big store, using our street to park.

I see this turning into a class action against the city if this is approved and it impacts our neighborhood significantly due to the overlooking of these concerns. I certainly hope that the city will address the concerns of the people who already live here and are invested in this community.
these out of town people do not care about a neighborhood they do not live in. They are in this to make money, period.

We are asking that the parking be increased on the project or less units are built.

I look forward to your reply.

James and marisa grimes

21.140
1 Luke Jones
From: KIM HILL <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, September 8, 2023 9:11 AM
To: City Council; Renee Golder; Sandy Brown; Sonja Brunner; Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson; Scott Newsome; Martine Watkins; Fred Keeley; City Plan; Ryan Bane Subject: 1800 Soquel Ave Proposed Development
RE: Public Hearing, Sept. 21, 2023
1800 Soquel Ave, CP22-0142
APN: 011-041-63, -64, -65
I am writing in regards to the Notice of Public Hearing regarding the pending permit for the above referenced project. I am not against new housing; however I dislike that the City of Santa Cruz is considering allowing developers to bypass codes, ordinances and development standards.

I attended the initial online meeting which the applicant, Mark Donahue, set up for the residents who surround the proposed development. We were shown the architectural drawing of the layout of the development and proximity to the alley way, sidewalks and streets. We were not allowed to speak, only listen to their ideas of what this development will bring to our area. Any questions we had were to be typed. Mr. Donahue and his partner where the only ones who could see the questions coming in and they picked the ones they wanted to answer.

This project was proposed and approved years ago by another developer for a smaller number of 67 residential units, also without ample parking. During the meeting with Mr. Donahue, we were informed that in order for his company to make this project financially feasible, they need to increase the number of residential units to 84. He also informed us that the units will not be for sale, but rented out by the developer/investors. There will be 14 units rented as low income and the remaining 70 units will be rented out at “market rate”. In addition, Mr. Donahue stated that there will be 73 vehicle parking spaces because the development is in very close proximity to the Santa Cruz Metro Transit Districts bus stop and they foresee the residents of this development utilizing the Santa Cruz Metro bus system and bicycles to commute to work.

Please find the following bullet points explaining my opposition to this development:
The 73 parking spaces for 84 living units is unacceptable. If married couples live in these units, more than likely there will be two (2) vehicles per unit. This could equate to 168 additional vehicles, which will overflow into our neighborhood. The developers boast about the number of bike spaces. Unfortunately, the residents of the 70 units paying “market rate” rent will be people who commute far distances for work and they will not be using their bikes to commute. This means Hagemann, Forest, and Mentel will have the overflow parking. There are already many residents’ cars which park on these streets. Given there is no outlet other than Soquel, I predict this will result in a cascade effect down Hagemann, Forest and Mentel. Because Park Ave is permit parking on the street, Mentel Ave is currently burdened with the high density street parking caused by the Medical Clinic and visitors to Arana Gulch.

We are left with minimal parking spaces close to our own homes.  I would like to know if a more current traffic impact study has been performed for the area surrounding this proposed development. I know one was done long ago when the first developer wanted to build 67 units. I would imagine this type of study would be mandatory in this situation as the traffic has increased significantly over the past few years. Soquel Avenue cannot sustain the impact of the additional cars it will incur from the added residents of this development. The infrastructure of Santa Cruz, especially this section of our town, is already overloaded throughout the entire day. This development is not about providing additional housing for our community members. It is about a developer making a huge profit for their investors on the rental income from a high density

21.141
2 housing development. I do not know of many residents that work and contribute to our community (teachers and employees at our local schools, employees at grocery stores, local shops, restaurants, etc.) who can afford “market rate” rent. The type of renters in this development will be the ones who work and commute over the hill in order to afford “market rate” rent. For that reason, I reflect back to my previous statement that the residents of this development will not be riding their bikes to work or taking the bus system.  I am extremely concerned with the “Density Bonus Request” that involves incentives, concessions and waivers to development standards, including exceeding height, and a reduction in open space requirements. I have been a resident of Santa Cruz my entire life. I remember after the 1989 earthquake, the City of Santa Cruz and City Council worked hard to keep the same type of architecture and appearance in our town when rebuilding. Unfortunately, I do not find that the City of Santa Cruz is directing the developers of this mixed use building to have the same intentions. The location of the mixed use building sits on a precarious corner, which jets out towards the street more than the other corners of this intersection. We have already had multiple bicycle accidents on this corner in the past. The developer is planning on building right up to the sidewalk line and going straight up four stories. I did not see any set-backs in the design during the online meeting with the developers. The design of the mixed use building does not include any open space and appears to be a gigantic box, which is I imagine is the developer’s intention so that they can maximize as many units as possible on the lot size and within the square footage. The request for exceeding height standards is too much for this area of Santa Cruz. Once you authorize the development of one project to exceed height standards set by the City of Santa Cruz, it is only a matter of time when the remaining buildings across the street pursue a development of equal height. Soquel Ave will become an area of high rises that do not fit with the infrastructure we have available to us.

In closing, I would like all of you to reflect on the impact of your decision in permitting the development of this mixed use project. This development is too large for the lot size and area of the proposed project; the architectural design and height does not follow the current design standards of our town; the impact on the traffic and parking in this area will suffer significantly with the amount of residents this development will house. I strongly oppose this project as it is currently designed. The developer is leaning on the Density Bonus law to build a project that will make money as quickly as possible for their investors. It is up to the City of Santa Cruz and the City Council members to have the community’s best interest in mind and ensure that this project fits in with the infrastructure of our town and does not impact our community negatively. This projected project will severely impact this area of town negatively. I request that you deny issuing the permit to build this project, as it does not belong in the proposed area of our city.

Sincerely,
Kimberly Hill
121 Mentel Ave
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

21.142
1 Luke Jones
From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2023 10:32 AM
To: Ryan Bane; Samantha Haschert
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue ‐ Significant Project
Date & Time: 04/29/2023 10:32 AM
Response #: 2
Submitter ID: 103756
IP address: 2601:647:c801:48d0:b0ce:d7b4:17b:503
Time to complete: 23 min. , 39 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a question(s).
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (831) 325‐4972

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) Concerns

4. Question/Comment:
1) How may resident parking spaces? Where are current and new residences suppose to park? The local streets/neighborhoods are already saturated with non‐residents parking in the surrounding neighborhoods. Employees from PAMF clinic, Ford dealership, and car wash already park in the nearby residential areas. Current homes owners can't part in front of their own homes now. 2) What is Density Bonus Request? What are the concessions being allowed in this proposal? 3) Why 4 stories? Aesthetically, two is sufficient. The height is ridiculous. It will overshadow/tower over the surrounding neighborhoods, not just Hageman and Forest. Even 3 stories is pushing it. 4) Concern regarding infrastructure: this neighborhood is an old neighborhood. Residents already have troubles with water and power. What will be done to improve sustainable resources for another 200+ regulate users in this neighborhood? We are not in support of this plan as presented. Thank you for your time.

21.143
2 Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz
This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.

21.144
1 Luke Jones
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2023 11:40 AM
To: Ryan Bane; Samantha Haschert
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue ‐ Significant Project
Date & Time: 04/30/2023 11:39 AM
Response #: 3
Submitter ID: 103760
IP address: 192.184.151.63
Time to complete: 1 min. , 22 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (650) 200‐8323

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) In Support

4. Question/Comment:

I am a frequent Santa Cruz visitor and would like to see the 1800 Soquel Mixed Use Project proceed.

I am considering buying a home such as what is being proposed. I would gladly relocate to a setting like this.

I am in the medical field and have a strong desire to be a full time resident in a home like this.

Thank you
Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz
This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.

21.145
1 Viviane Pearson
From: Line Skjelbred Fader <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 7:52 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: Regarding project 1800 Soquel
Dear Planning Commissioner,
You probably received many versions of this letter, which I also agree with, but please note I have edited this letter to share with you some important details you should be aware of.

We are living on the corner of 251 Forest ave and the alley-way. The alley-way is already congested with traffic including commercial heavy truck driving in both directions. Our garage entrance is on the alley-way.

The alley is only wide enough for one car, so where are we going to stop to yield for one another when the two existing spaces to yield will disappear in the building project? How do the Planning Department expect the traffic logistics to solve itself with all the existing traffic already in place?
We need to see what outcome you are expecting this traffic situation is going to look like after this project is accomplished.

This letter is sent to point out that there are real reasons to be concerned about the project planned for 1800 Soquel Avenue. We as a community urge you to postpone approval until the project has been deemed safe for bicycles, pedestrians Including handicapped and children, as well as vehicles.

This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway which is presently in terrible disrepair (and has been for over a year now).

Hagemann is a cul-de-sac, and is connected to Forest Avenue in a horseshoe shape. The only through-street is Soquel, and during most times of the day, turning left onto Soquel is impossible without the traffic light at Hagemann. Instead of putting the egress of the proposed development on Soquel, this development of 84 units doubles the traffic, and needlessly complicates our limited traffic options.

The alley and intersection will never safely accommodate this impact.

The alleyway is a one-lane road used for two-way traffic. It also sees significant bicycle and pedestrian use, with many dog walkers and families using it to walk to Arana Gulch. This project commandeers this public road as a personal driveway, disrupting the delicate balance of the one-lane road. The plan eliminates room to pull over when a car is coming the opposite direction, while at the same time, doubles the two-way traffic. There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces. Where are those future residents supposed to park? Hagemann's street parking is already full without the development, and there is no room for additional cars. Please do not grant this waiver, and postpone the approval of the project until

21.146
2 appropriate parking solutions can be addressed.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Our phone calls to the developer and architects went unanswered. Unlike these out-ofcounty developers, we live here and understand the impact this project will have on the community. Solutions exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets and community safe.

Regarding the architecture:

The drawings paint a glamorous and rosy picture of the pedestrians on Soquel, but the reality is that it's pretty bad along Soquel from a pedestrian experience. There aren't active uses, multiple pedestrian entries, and the things that make a pedestrian experience nice.

It is obvious that the planner is in it for the money, with so many units into one building. Additionally nonrecessed vinyl windows, non conforming paving in the alley etc etc.

Tiny rentals where there isn't even enough parking spaces for all in the garage!!! Some constructive ideas would be to:
- change garage entrance to Soquel ave where there's already traffic utilizing the pre-exciting entrance from the use car dealership on Soquel ave
- lessen the number of units to fit all the cars from the building into the garage - repaving the alley, it is a long time due!
- adding speed bumps on the alley,
- planting two or more trees in the alley for privacy and cleaner air.

Thank you for your consideration and effort on this issue.

Very best regards,
Line S. Fader
251 Forest ave
Santa Cruz
95062 CA
[email protected]
(831) 295-1168

21.147

21.148
1 Luke Jones
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2023 7:31 PM
To: Ryan Bane; Samantha Haschert
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue ‐ Significant Project
Date & Time: 04/30/2023 7:30 PM
Response #: 6
Submitter ID: 103769
IP address: 2601:205:c080:a0f0:59a:5f45:96a7:5bdc
Time to complete: 1 min. , 52 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (510) 320‐2969

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) In Support

4. Question/Comment:

I was a property/home owner in Santa Cruz on Hagemann Ave from 1995 until 2007.

I'm very familiar with 1800 Soquel Ave and the various businesses that have been there in the past and those that are there now.

Santa Cruz should go ahead with this project. There is a need, and the city will be better served by a CC zoned project such as this.

The existing businesses are not in line with CC zoned spaces and have been a nuisance.

Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz

21.149
2 This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.

21.150
1 Luke Jones
From: mandy spitzer <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2023 8:33 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: 1800 Soquel Project
Dear City Council and Planning Commission,
I am writing to express concerns regarding the proposed development for 1800 Soquel Ave.

This project shows no respect or consideration for the 75-100 households who live and drive on these strets daily.

We question the concessions of increased building height, decreased parking spaces and the waiver of required Open Space that results from the proposed Density Bonus.

With 84 tiny aparments, there will likely be upward of 100 adults, most of who will have a car. The proposed 75 parking spaces will not accommodate the people who live there, guests and those visiting the commercial space.

Also the study about bicycle use is always done in an urban setting. This is considered Rural by the state of California. And as many of us neighbors ride bikes here we also all own cars.

The Soquel/Hagemann intersection is one of the busiest stretches of Soquel Ave. All of Forest Ave. residents use the light at Hagemann to turn left as there is no way to do it on Soquel Ave.

There needs to be serious traffic studies first.

The parking spots are way too small as residents cars and trucks are much larger and there is very little room to turn around.

The Alley between Forest and Hagemann Aves is an important corridor that mitigates some of the worst traffic in the neighborhood. It is used heavily by pedestrians, bicyclists, disabled individuals and families with children in strollers to access Arana Gulch and heading to school without engaging the heavy traffic on Soquel. It is a one way street and there is no sidewalk nor does there appear to be one on your drawings.

Imagine the mornings with residents all leaving for work in their cars. The children all on their bikes with parents following with strollers and toddlers. Neighbors walking dogs to the Gulch. This is an accident waiting to happen.

It is an alternative emergency exit from the neighborhood in case of a disaster requiring evacuation.

Existing parking on both streets is already strained by workers from nearby auto dealers, shops and the health clinic. City residents coming to Arana Gulch often park on nearby streets.

21.151
2 Adding a permit system doesn't help if there are too few spaces available!
All the concessions that the city has given to the builder put our city at great risk. There is little consideration for the flavor of our neighborhood.

Thanks for your consideration,
Mandy Spitzer
152 Hagemann Ave.,
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

21.152
1 Viviane Pearson
From: Marcia Russell <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 8:58 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: Planning Commission Public Comment re: 1800 Soquel Ave Proposed Project Dear Commissioners,
I am writing to express my extreme concern with the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Ave. I am a renter in the neighborhood across from the proposed development with no immediate hope of being able to afford to buy anything in Santa Cruz. I currently spend almost 40% of my income on rent, and still, I strongly oppose the Commission recommending approval of the project at 1800 Soquel and the requested exceptions to existing code for the following reasons:
 Approving a four-story structure would be egregiously beyond existing limits which are in place for both safety and community well-being.
 There is no building anywhere near this area that is of this height, density and design. This area includes quiet neighborhood streets of small 1940s bungalows with many people who walk pets, bike for pleasure, and exercise. The area includes mostly single-story homes and single-story small businesses with parking lots, which makes even the businesses not very densely populated. Adding a four-story structure of almost 100 units with a parking garage completely changes the traffic density in the area and the quality of life for all in the community.

No building up or down Soquel Avenue is anywhere near this height.  Adding a large apartment complex here would add road traffic onto Trevethan and throughout the quiet neighborhood across Soquel Avenue. People already use part of the neighborhood as a shortcut when Hwy 1 traffic is backed up. This would bring cars coming off Hwy 1 through the neighborhood as Morrissey will become too busy for people to want to use to get to Soquel Ave. Instead, they will come onto Fairmount (a small neighborhood street) and then down Trevethan to drive right onto Hageman and enter the complex. This will also impact safety for the many children who ride bikes and play near the neighborhood streets and the people who walk throughout the neighborhood.
 This project is proposed and density exceptions requested under the guise of providing affordable housing. This building will not provide affordable housing. As an educator who moved to Santa Cruz just five months ago for a job, I found that ALL similar newer, modern-style small and studio units like the proposed development at 1800 Soquel were priced far above anything else available for rent in the area.  The retail/residential model has proven to not work time and time again in Santa Cruz and throughout California. Downtown Santa Cruz is filled with empty retail space below new developments of residential rental and condo units. Fremont, the city I moved from, is also filled with buildings that look identical to this structure, and the retail first floor units are empty. The retail floor is just an opportunity for a developer to try to sell the project to a Planning Commission and City Council when all it will leave is empty storefronts that attract problems. There are many existing empty retail spaces in the area, so adding more will not be viable.

We do need more rental housing in Santa Cruz. I would support a two-story apartment complex (no retail needed) of a different design and wider sidewalks, which would provide better egress and be more in keeping with the style and density of the existing neighborhood. Allowing developers to so grossly avoid existing requirements would damage the value and safety of the whole community. Allowing such extreme exceptions would also be well beyond what I believe

21.153
2 Commissioners and elected officials should do. I appreciate your careful consideration and look forward to the Commission making the right decisions and recommendations on this project.

Thank you,
Marcia Russell

21.154
1 Luke Jones
From: Maya Lev <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2023 3:59 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: 1800 Soquel ave project
Dear Mr. Bane,
I am another neighbor who is seriously concerned about the proposed housing project at 1800 Soquel Ave. To be clear, the size and scope of this project is simply not appropriate for the neighborhood with all our current traffic, parking, fire, and transportation issues. I join my many neighbors in urging you to postpone approval of this project until a traffic study has been completed, and sufficient parking is provided.

The project as it is currently being proposed will significantly negatively effect both. The use of the alleyway, which is a public access road, as a primary egress for the future residents of this project is untenable and dangerous. Although the city does not maintain this alley, it is used regularly by many people taking walks with their children and dogs, bicycling to Arana Gulch and the harbor, and going to and from Branciforte Middle School and Walgreens etc. The idea that potentially 84 more vehicles, and quite possibly more, would be utilizing this narrow road on a daily basis is completely irresponsible. Please imagine, on a weekday morning at 8am or afternoon at 5pm (when Soquel ave. is already backed up and often for more than one traffic light), that all these cars will need to exit Hagemann Ave onto Soquel and there is a pile up of cars waiting to turn. How far down Hagemann Ave will we be waiting for the light to change? Add to this scenario the potential for an emergency such as a fire, flood, or earthquake and we have a true disaster, as escape will be impossible.

Moreover, Soquel ave is a major thoroughfare for a large number of vehicles traveling constantly from Capitola and the south county regions to midtown, downtown, and the westside of Santa Cruz. Cars travel at 50mph or more at many times throughout the day. As a cyclist for many years, I can attest that it is not a safe road because there is almost no protection for bicycles and the intersections are also unsafe, making crossing Soquel a constant dangerous endeavor. The developers contend that many residents of this building will enjoy walking or biking along Soquel, but in the 20+ years I have lived here I have seen very little increase of pedestrian or bicycle traffic because Soquel is neither safe nor pleasant to walk or bike on.

Finally, another problem with this project is that at four stories high, it exceeds the height of all other buildings anywhere in the neighborhood, significantly altering the landscape and forever changing the neighborhood from a family oriented street to a denser city‐scape. If this project were a two story building it would be within the essence of the neighborhood and we would welcome it rather than feel imposed upon by developers looking to gain profits from the problem of homelessness in California, which this project will do nothing to alleviate.

Thank you for your attention and consideration of our grave concerns.

Maya Lev

21.155

21.156

21.157
1 Luke Jones
From: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2023 11:21 AM
To: Ryan Bane; Samantha Haschert
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue ‐ Significant Project
Date & Time: 08/15/2023 11:20 AM
Response #: 18
Submitter ID: 105963
IP address: 104.248.176.140
Time to complete: 15 min. , 54 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a question(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (408) 656‐7450

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) Concerns

4. Question/Comment:

Hello,
Are there any updates as of (8/15/2023) for the 1800 Soquel Ave project? Specifically, the timeline for demolition?
We are a group of neighbors near this project and we are being bombarded with Use Permit violations due to the auto Detailing Operation at this site. Sunset Auto (Mike) is the responsible owner. He has allowed the auto detailing to grow to an out of control mess that now sounds like a machine shop. They have no Use Permit or Business License for Javier Detailing on site. Code Compliance has told me that they have been trying to "get Javier in compliance". All we see are compressors (pulsing/vibrating), compressed air hoses (hissing), polish/buffing using chemicals pastes ect.

21.158
2 This is a mess. As a Santa Cruz Neighborhood group we cannot believe this is continuing. Just next door is Choice Motors, also residing in 1800 Soquel. They have adjusted and removed non‐compliant equipment.

We need some movement in the Javier/Sunset Auto mess.

We are in favor of the 1800 project but are extremely frustrated and considering retaining an attorney for Demand Letter directed to the property owner.

Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz
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21.159
1 Luke Jones
From: Nell Newman <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2023 2:23 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: 1800 soquel
Dear planning commission,
As a longtime resident of Forrest Avenue I am deeply concerned about the project at 1800 Soquel Ave. , particularly after learning that the alleyway between Hagerman, and Soquel will be used as the main thoroughfare for all of the units in that project!
Forest Avenue is connected to Hagaman via two streets and a cul‐de‐sac with a total of approximately 90 homes. As such, nobody travels down either road unless they live in this neighborhood. I would say that the majority of the residents on these two streets walks daily, utilizing the alleyway as a thoroughfare.

We also utilize the alleyway to access the light on Hagaman for an easy left‐hand turn. The addition of the traffic from the vehicles from 84 units traveling through the alley, light, and residential streets is incomprehensible.

Presently we are all able to travel back‐and‐forth down that alley with several spots to pull over, which allows a polite, neighborly, flow of bicycles, walkers, dogs, and cars. Your plan eliminates the room to pull over, and as I understand, turns it completely into a one‐way option.

Thankfully, today we have not had any more fatalities in the neighborhood between bicycles and cars, but I expect this to change with the increase of vehicles.

We are also concerned that the Hagerman project, combined with the 1800 Soquel project will add more cars parking in our neighborhood than the street can possibly accommodate. Please do not allow the waiver to allow 10% fewer parking spaces as the residence already in existence will have no place to park. I urge you to postpone approval into the project is safe for residents, bicycles, and pedestrians.

Sincerely,
Elinor Newman

21.160
1 Luke Jones
From: Paul Bouwsma <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 1:46 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: 1800 Soquel Dr
Hi,
I find the project at 1800 Soquel Avenue extremely worrisome and urge you to postpone approval until the project is safe for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles.

This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway.

The alley and intersection cannot safely accommodate this impact.

There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Unlike the out-of-county developers, we live here and understand the impact of this project. Solutions exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets safe.

21.161
2 Thank you~
Paul Bouwsma
Frances Keating

21.162
1 Luke Jones
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, May 1, 2023 7:14 PM
To: Ryan Bane; Samantha Haschert
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue ‐ Significant Project
Date & Time: 05/01/2023 7:14 PM
Response #: 9
Submitter ID: 103803
IP address: 63.249.94.57
Time to complete: 46 min. , 40 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a question(s).
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (831) 332‐3674

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) Concerns

4. Question/Comment:

Hello,
I live on Forest Ave and have concerns about this project as designed in regards to the alleyway.

My concerns are two‐fold:
1) This is a public alleyway, and I do not see how we residents can continue to use it with this design. Why isn't the entrance to the parking garage on Hagemann (or even Soquel)? The alleyway is used constantly by residents of Hagemann, Forest, Mentel, and Park Avenues. We use it multiple times a day via walking, bike, and/or car. It is a one‐lane, two‐way little neighborhood alley, equipped with potholes, kids on bikes, strollers, dog walkers, and cars going both directions. The traffic is just about at maximum to keep pedestrians, cyclists, and kids safe. As designed, the entrance to the parking garage,

21.163
2 especially with its need to turn to/from Hagemann, will be accident prone. It will have too much traffic around a corner and someone will get hurt. Even the residents of the building will have an accident with this design, as the alley is ONE LANE yet the egress is for both entry and exit. This is a PUBLIC alleyway, not a driveway for a multi‐residential apartment building.

Please retain our public access and move the egress to the parking garage. It is not right to expect pedestrians to have to walk on Soquel. I have been followed home by creeps in cars and the alley kept me safe more than once. (I have also had to duck into Walgreens, but that's another story.) If you are on a bike going into Santa Cruz, it is unsafe to try to cross Soquel at Forest ... you need the alleyway to meet the light at Hagemann. Otherwise you are riding the wrong direction in the bike lane or riding on the sidewalk. It is also very difficult to turn left onto Soquel at Forest, so I pretty much always use the alleyway so I have the light at Hagemann to make a left. The idea of adding 84 new residents coming and going on this little corner is bad design.
2) I am wondering if the designers live in Santa Cruz? If so, they should know we have a huge homeless predicament. I believe in designing for reality vs what we wish to be true. I have had no other recourse but to call the police at least three times due to people camping right in the middle of the alley or otherwise being belligerent and unwilling to move out of the way. Placing extra day‐use only parking spaces as well as "green spaces" abutting a dark alleyway is an invitation for more people to camp on my neighborhood. Walk along Soquel as I do and you will pass people sleeping in the sidewalk...they like sleeping in the alleyway, too. They try, but the only thing preventing them is that there is not enough space. Please change the design so you are using more of the property line, and move the empty parking spaces to inside the garage. We are a nice little neighborhood already struggling with living next to Arana Gulch open space. It's been better the last two years, but a design like this is just asking for camping and drug deals right next to my house. I want the "green space" to be designed as an unsleepable camping spot, the day‐use parking spaces moved, and a robust lighting plan to light up the alleyway to keep it less hospitable.

Thank you!
Rena
Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz
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21.164
1 Luke Jones
From: Raven Lang <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 12:48 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: 1800 Soquel Ave
September 13, 2023
Dear Planning Commissioner,
My property is on Forest Ave, on the east side of the Hagemann tract. When I read your proposal for 1800 Soquel I was deeply concerned. For years now, one cannot get onto Soquel Ave--even when making a right turn--during the entire day. This makes going around the block and using the traffic light necessary. For the moment, this is doable, but if this proposal for development of an apartment containing so many inhabitants is approved, when and if a future fire or earthquake were to occur for those living on this tract, especially for those living on Forest Ave or deeper into the cul-di-sac of Hagemann, an impossibility to get to safety is a strong probability. If this were to occur, I foresee unnecessary tragedies. For those of you who are making decisions regarding this possible plan, I urge you to consider the wisdom of this proposal.

I am enclosing the following letter which has been drafted from the Hagemann/Forest Ave neighbors. I fully approve of their concerns, and hope you also will.

September 13, 2023
To the Planning Commissioner:

I am deeply concerned about the project at 1800 Soquel Avenue and urge you to postpone approval until the project is safe for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles.

This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway.

The alley and intersection cannot safely accommodate this impact.

21.165
2 There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Unlike the out-of-county developers, we live here and understand the impact of this project. Solutions exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets safe.

Thank you,
Raven Lang

21.166
1 Luke Jones
From: Rena & Harlan <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 11:22 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: For Planning Commission Re: 1800 Soquel
Dear Planning Commissioner,
I am deeply concerned about the project at 1800 Soquel Avenue and urge you to postpone approval until the project is safe for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles.

This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway.

The alley and intersection cannot safely accommodate this impact.

There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Unlike the out-of-county developers, we live here and understand the impact of this project. Solutions exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets safe.

Thank you~

21.167
2 Rena Dubin

21.168

21.169

21.170

21.171

21.172
1 Luke Jones
From: Ryan Bane
Sent: Tuesday, May 2, 2023 6:51 PM
To: Vince Sosnkowski
Subject: FW: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2023 2:10 PM
To: Ryan Bane <[email protected]>; Samantha Haschert <[email protected]> Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue ‐ Significant Project
Date & Time: 04/30/2023 2:09 PM
Response #: 4
Submitter ID: 103763
IP address: 2600:1700:3bd0:baf0:446c:a821:a903:802f
Time to complete: 18 min. , 38 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (408) 406‐1012

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) In Support

4. Question/Comment:

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2 I am a long time Seagate (Scotts Valley and Global) employee. In the past year I managed a manufacturing site for a medical device manufacturer in Soquel. In both cases, we have truly enjoyed the entire Santa Cruz area. Providing more housing would be beneficial to the local economy since so many of our employees navigate the challenging commute from Watsonville and beyond.

My family would like an option such as you are proposing with this project. It makes sense for our family and the city in general. We have actually looked at housing options for our own retirement AND we have looked at local private schools for our grandson. This kind of project can provide viable alternatives to those of us who live in cost‐prohibitive Silicon Valley.

Local Santa Cruz businesses could use the boost from this project as well (example of Walgreens and local restaurants within walking distance). This drives local business market without adding more traffic.

This entire project has so many positives. It' a sure winner.

Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz
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21.174
1 Luke Jones
From: Sky & Kristina Quinn <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 7:11 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: 1800 Soquel- Very Concerned!
Dear Planning Commission,
My fellow Hagemann and Forest neighbors and I are very concerned about this proposed development.

Please do not move forward with approving as is.

Concerns:
‐ Not enough parking!!!
‐ Dangerous Intersection
‐ Safety Risk‐ Walkers/Pets!
‐ Lower House Values
I have lived on Hagemann for 36 years. This, along with the other proposed multi unit housing development on Hagemann will DRASTICALLY change the quality of our neighborhood we call home.

Please do not let this happen!
Not enough parking!!!! Not even close. We do not want permit parking.

It is a dead end street! Not a proper location for doubling the number of households.

Keep our streets safe‐ we cannot safely double the number of vehicles using Forest/Hagemann and our already dangerous intersection. Many residents walk and we have a lot of community walking through to reach Arana Gulch.

Very unfair to lower the value of the neighboring homes.

Please add more housing in a location that can handle it. Especially in a space that doesn’t impact the neighborhood as much as this would.

Thank you for asking for feedback. We really hope you take our neighborhood qualify of life/safety impact seriously when making this decision.

Take care,
Kristina Quinn

21.175

21.176
1 Luke Jones
From: Tony Fader <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 5:11 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Cc: Line Skjelbred Fader
Subject: Comment on the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Dear Planning Commissioner,
This leƩer is sent to point out that there are real reasons to be concerned about the project planned for 1800 Soquel Avenue. We as a community urge you to postpone approval unƟl the project has been deemed safe for bicycles, pedestrians Including handicapped and children, as well as vehicles.

This project significantly changes traffic paƩerns on the intersecƟon of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway which is presently in terrible disrepair (and has been for over a year now).

Hagemann is a cul‐de‐sac, and is connected to Forest Avenue in a horseshoe shape. The only through‐street is Soquel, and during most Ɵmes of the day, turning leŌ onto Soquel is impossible without the traffic light at Hagemann. Instead of puƫng the egress of the proposed development on Soquel, this development of 84 units doubles the traffic, and needlessly complicates our limited traffic opƟons.

The alley and intersecƟon will never safely accommodate this impact.

The alleyway is a one‐lane road used for two‐way traffic. It also sees significant bicycle and pedestrian use, with many dog walkers and families using it to walk to Arana Gulch. This project commandeers this public road as a personal driveway, disrupƟng the delicate balance of the one‐lane road. The plan eliminates room to pull over when a car is coming the opposite direcƟon, while at the same Ɵme, doubles the two‐way traffic. There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with beƩer planning.

AddiƟonally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces. Where are those future residents supposed to park? Hagemann's street parking is already full without the development, and there is no room for addiƟonal cars. Please do not grant this waiver, and postpone the approval of the project unƟl appropriate parking soluƟons can be addressed.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, aƩending the community meeƟng and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Our phone calls to the developer and architects went unanswered. Unlike these out‐of‐ county developers, we live here and understand the impact this project will have on the community. SoluƟons exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets and community safe.

Thank you and very best regards,
Tony J. Fader
[email protected]
(831) 295‐1703

21.177
1 Luke Jones
From: Victor Schiffrin <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 7:47 PM
To: Ryan Bane
Subject: Comment about 1800 Soquel Ave. project
Hello Planning Commissioner,
The project changes traffic patterns at the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel Ave as well as the public alleyway.This project does not address safety concerns for pedestrians, bicycles and cars. The current configuration of the Soquel Hagemann intersection and the alleyway is problematic now, and with car traffic increasing by a huge amount, I fear that unsafe conditions will lead to serious accidents.

Hagemann Ave. is not a through street and traffic will back up significantly when turning left onto Soquel Ave.to head towards downtown or the freeway entrance on Morrissey Blvd.

Additionally, I don't see any reason to grant the developers any waivers.

Please do not approve the plans as they are now until our concerns are addressed.

Thank you,
Victor Schiffrin
[email protected]

21.178
1 Luke Jones
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2023 2:10 PM
To: Ryan Bane; Samantha Haschert
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (408) 406‐1012

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) In Support

4. Question/Comment:

I am a long time Seagate (Scotts Valley and Global) employee. In the past year I managed a manufacturing site for a medical device manufacturer in Soquel. In both cases, we have truly enjoyed the entire Santa Cruz area. Providing more housing would be beneficial to the local economy since so many of our employees navigate the challenging commute from Watsonville and beyond.

This entire project has so many positives. It' a sure winner.

21.179
2 Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz
This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.

21.180
1 Luke Jones
From: Ryan Bane
Sent: Tuesday, May 2, 2023 6:50 PM
To: Vince Sosnkowski
Subject: FW: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2023 5:11 PM
To: Ryan Bane <[email protected]>; Samantha Haschert <[email protected]> Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue ‐ Significant Project
Date & Time: 04/30/2023 5:10 PM
Response #: 5
Submitter ID: 103765
IP address: 2601:647:c800:a110:3c9d:697f:9a:8a57
Time to complete: 1 min. , 38 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: Not answered
Phone: Not answered

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) In Support

4. Question/Comment:

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2 This project is directly in front of where I currently live. My partner and I own a home at 184 Hagemann Ave, SC 95062. We have been hoping something like this would come along. The situation at the current location (1800 Soquel) and its 2 car lots should be replaced with a more useful purpose (housing our citizens). I also understand the old Napa Auto Supply is empty, so this is a great time and place to build something useful and beautiful. We have not been happy with the Community Commercial usage at 1800 Soquel and what appears to be constant violations of the noise restrictions that are in the Municipal Code.

Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz
This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.

21.182
1 Luke Jones
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2023 5:11 PM
To: Ryan Bane; Samantha Haschert
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: Not answered
Phone: Not answered

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) In Support

4. Question/Comment:

This project is directly in front of where I currently live. My partner and I own a home at 184 Hagemann Ave, SC 95062. We have been hoping something like this would come along. The situation at the current location (1800 Soquel) and its 2 car lots should be replaced with a more useful purpose (housing our citizens). I also understand the old Napa Auto Supply is empty, so this is a great time and place to build something useful and beautiful. We have not been happy with the Community Commercial usage at 1800 Soquel and what appears to be constant violations of the noise restrictions that are in the Municipal Code.

Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz

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2 This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.

21.184
1 Luke Jones
From: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, May 3, 2023 5:55 PM
To: Ryan Bane; Samantha Haschert
Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue ‐ Significant Project
Date & Time: 05/03/2023 5:54 PM
Response #: 11
Submitter ID: 103841
IP address: 2601:647:c800:19c0:61ed:6471:eaa0:f2de
Time to complete: 2 min. , 59 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a question(s).
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

Email: Not answered
Phone: Not answered

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) Concerns

4. Question/Comment:

I do not believe this is practical as there is not enough infrastructure for such a large project. What about parking? There isn't enough parking as it is on my street, Hagemann Ave. It seems very unrealistic and detrimental to the existing neighborhood.

Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz
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21.185
1 Viviane Pearson
From: Mike Dougherty <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 7:03 AM
To: Ryan Bane
Cc: Allison Lasser
Subject: Soquel project concerns
Dear Planning Commissioner,
We are deeply concerned about the project at 1800 Soquel Avenue and urge you to postpone approval until the project is safe for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles.

This project significantly changes traffic patterns on the intersection of Hagemann and Soquel as well as the public alleyway.

The alley and intersection cannot safely accommodate this impact.

There will be decreased visibility for cars turning onto the alleyway and also on Hagemann, making the area dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and cyclists.

A cyclist tragically died on the corner of Soquel and Hagemann. This project will increase the likelihood of future accidents, which are preventable with better planning.

Additionally, the project asks for a waiver to allow for ten percent fewer parking spaces.

The neighborhood has acted in good faith, attending the community meeting and giving feedback. Our reasonable concerns were not addressed. Unlike the out-of-county developers, we live here and understand the impact of this project. Solutions exist that can accommodate this new development while keeping our streets safe.

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2 We moved here a few years back and our small boys cherish riding their bikes in front of our house and up and down the street but with this much increased traffic we aren’t sure our boys will be able to continue to be safe when trying to have fun.

Please keep our streets and neighborhoods safe and welcoming! Thank you~
Sent from my iPhone

21.187
From: Alexis Konevich
To: City Plan
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel (CP22-0142)
Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 2:39:40 PM
Santa Cruz Planning Commissioners,
I am writing to you today to urge approval of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

These homes would be in a great location, within walking and biking distance of amenities, jobs, and transit. Currently, four METRO lines stop across the street from this address (69A, 69W, 66, 71) and with the ongoing Reimagine METRO process, 15 minute service is imagined on this section of Soquel within the first phase. Additionally, there is a BCycle station on Hagemann Ave which provides convenient access to bike share. Between transit, bike share, and ease of walking to nearby shops, future residents won't have to rely on cars for most of their daily tasks.

Homes like those proposed in this project help us move towards a community which is more sustainable, affordable, and walkable. Santa Cruz is in the midst of a housing crisis and this project is just the type of dense, multifamily, infill development we need to address it. Please vote yes on this proposal.

Alexis Konevich
[email protected]
5455 Entrance Drive
Soquel, California 95073

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21.189
From: Bennett Williamson
To: City Plan
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel (CP22-0142)
Date: Thursday, September 21, 2023 10:53:07 AM
Santa Cruz Planning Commissioners,
What a great location for housing! This is truly a 15-minute neighborhood with walking access to parks, grocery stores, schools, and healthcare. Four METRO lines stop across the street from this address (69A, 69W, 66, 71) and with the ongoing Reimagine METRO process, 15 minute service is imagined on this section of Soquel within the first phase. Additionally, there is a BCycle station on Hagemann Ave which provides convenient access to bike share. Between transit, bike share, and ease of walking to nearby shops, future residents won't have to rely on cars for most of their daily tasks.

In the past few years we have seen thousands of applications for every affordable unit of housing created in the county. The demand is clear. I urge you to approve of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Bennett Williamson
[email protected]
24 Grandview Ave
Felton, California 95018

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21.191
From: Branden Khan
To: City Plan
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel (CP22-0142)
Date: Thursday, September 21, 2023 10:36:22 AM
Santa Cruz Planning Commissioners,
I am writing to you today to urge approval of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Branden Khan
[email protected]
2001 hickory ct
Hollister, California 95023

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21.193
From: Ryan Bane
To: Tess Fitzgerald
Cc: Samantha Haschert
Subject: FW: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 10:28:19 AM
Hi Tess,
A letter of support for 1800 Soquel.

Thanks,
Ryan
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 10:26 AM
To: Ryan Bane <[email protected]>; Samantha Haschert <[email protected]> Subject: 1800 Soquel Avenue Question/Comment Received
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.

Form Name: 1800 Soquel Avenue - Significant Project
Date & Time: 09/20/2023 10:25 AM
Response #: 21
Submitter ID: 106783
IP address: 97.65.191.18
Time to complete: 11 min. , 46 sec.

Survey Details

Page 1 ends

1. Select what applies:
[×] I have a comment(s).

2. If you have a question that needs a response, please enter your email address or phone number.

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Email: [email protected]
Phone: (650) 222-4110

3. Please select one of the following regarding the nature of your comment:
(○) In Support

4. Question/Comment:

The proposed mixed-use development at 1800 Sequel Avenue in Santa Cruz, California is an exciting and transformative project that has the potential to greatly benefit both the local community and the environment. This development represents a significant step forward in addressing the pressing need for more housing in the area, all while prioritizing sustainability and accessibility. With its prime location along a major transportation corridor, its proximity to essential amenities, and its thoughtful design, this project promises to be a model for future developments.

One of the most pressing challenges facing Santa Cruz County, like many other regions across the nation, is the shortage of affordable housing. The proposed mixed-use development at 1800 Sequel Avenue directly addresses this issue by introducing a substantial number of housing units into the area. This will help alleviate the housing crisis that has been a concern for both long-term residents and newcomers to Santa Cruz. In a time when affordable housing is increasingly hard to come by, this development is a beacon of hope for individuals and families looking to establish roots in this beautiful coastal community.

Furthermore, the emphasis on maximizing the footprint for sustainability is a commendable aspect of this project. Sustainability is no longer a mere buzzword; it's a necessity for the health of our planet and the well-being of future generations. By prioritizing sustainability, this development not only meets current environmental standards but also sets a precedent for responsible construction practices. It incorporates green building materials, energy-efficient systems, and innovative water management techniques, which will help reduce its environmental footprint. This commitment to sustainability demonstrates a responsible approach to development, and it is a testament to the developers' dedication to creating a better future for Santa Cruz.

The location of this mixed-use development is nothing short of ideal. Situated along a major transportation corridor, it offers convenient access to the highway, making it easier for residents to commute to work or travel to neighboring cities. This connectivity is not only convenient for the future residents but also advantageous for the entire county. Reduced traffic congestion and improved transportation options can have a positive ripple effect on the local economy and overall quality of life.

Additionally, the project's central location provides residents with easy access to essential amenities.

Nearby schools ensure that families have quality education options for their children, making this development an attractive choice for families. Moreover, the proximity to the beach and parks allows residents to enjoy the natural beauty that Santa Cruz is known for. The opportunity for outdoor recreation and a beach lifestyle is right at their doorstep. This enhances the overall quality of life for those who call this development home.

Furthermore, the surrounding area is brimming with retailers, restaurants, and grocery stores. This means that residents won't have to travel far to fulfill their daily needs or enjoy a night out on the town. The presence of these businesses not only adds convenience to residents' lives but also supports the local economy by creating jobs and fostering a vibrant commercial scene.

One of the most commendable aspects of this proposed development is its commitment to community

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engagement. Developers have actively sought input from local residents, taking their concerns and suggestions into account throughout the planning process. This inclusive approach fosters a sense of ownership and pride among the community members, ensuring that the development truly meets the needs of Santa Cruz residents.

In addition to providing much-needed housing, the mixed-use development at 1800 Sequel Avenue is set to generate economic benefits for the entire region. The construction phase alone will create jobs, injecting capital into the local economy. Once completed, the development will continue to stimulate economic growth by attracting new businesses and residents to the area. This can lead to increased property values, improved infrastructure, and a higher overall standard of living for Santa Cruz residents.

Furthermore, the design of the development is aesthetically pleasing and harmonious with the existing character of Santa Cruz. Care has been taken to ensure that the architecture complements the natural beauty of the area, and green spaces and landscaping are incorporated to create a visually appealing environment. The result is a development that enhances the overall appeal of the neighborhood, making it an attractive destination for both residents and visitors.

In conclusion, the proposed mixed-use development at 1800 Sequel Avenue in Santa Cruz, California, is a visionary project that addresses the urgent need for housing while prioritizing sustainability, accessibility, and community engagement. Its prime location along a transportation corridor, proximity to essential amenities, and commitment to environmental responsibility make it a shining example of responsible urban development. This project promises to bring significant benefits to Santa Cruz County, from economic growth and job creation to enhanced quality of life for its residents. As we look to the future, this development serves as a beacon of hope and progress, demonstrating that it is possible to meet the challenges of housing shortages while also protecting our environment and fostering vibrant communities.

Santa Cruz is on the brink of an exciting transformation, and the mixed-use development at 1800 Sequel Avenue is leading the way toward a brighter and more sustainable future.

Thank you,
City of Santa Cruz
This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.

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From: Justin Burks
To: City Plan
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel (CP22-0142)
Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 7:38:25 PM
Santa Cruz Planning Commissioners,
I am writing to you today to urge approval of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Justin Burks
[email protected]
135A Kennan St.,
Santa Cruz, California 95060

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From: KIM HILL
To: City Council; Renee Golder; Sandy Brown; Sonja Brunner; Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson; Scott Newsome; Martine Watkins; Fred Keeley; City Plan; Ryan Bane
Subject: 1800 Soquel Ave Proposed Development
Date: Friday, September 8, 2023 9:10:54 AM
RE: Public Hearing, Sept. 21, 2023
1800 Soquel Ave, CP22-0142
APN: 011-041-63, -64, -65
I am writing in regards to the Notice of Public Hearing regarding the pending permit for the above referenced project. I am not against new housing; however I dislike that the City of Santa Cruz is considering allowing developers to bypass codes, ordinances and development standards.

Please find the following bullet points explaining my opposition to this development:
· The 73 parking spaces for 84 living units is unacceptable. If married couples live in these units, more than likely there will be two (2) vehicles per unit. This could equate to 168 additional vehicles, which will overflow into our neighborhood. The developers boast about the number of bike spaces. Unfortunately, the residents of the 70 units paying “market rate” rent will be people who commute far distances for work and they will not be using their bikes to commute. This means Hagemann, Forest, and Mentel will have the overflow parking. There are already many residents’ cars which park on these streets. Given there is no outlet other than Soquel, I predict this will result in a cascade effect down Hagemann, Forest and Mentel. Because Park Ave is permit parking on the street, Mentel Ave is currently burdened with the high density street parking caused by the Medical Clinic and visitors to Arana Gulch. We are left with minimal parking spaces close to our own homes.
· I would like to know if a more current traffic impact study has been performed for the area surrounding this proposed development. I know one was done long ago when the first developer wanted to build 67 units. I would imagine this type of study would be mandatory in this situation as the traffic has increased significantly over the past few years. Soquel Avenue cannot sustain the impact of the additional cars it will incur from the added residents of this development. The infrastructure of Santa Cruz, especially this section of

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our town, is already overloaded throughout the entire day. This development is not about providing additional housing for our community members. It is about a developer making a huge profit for their investors on the rental income from a high density housing development. I do not know of many residents that work and contribute to our community (teachers and employees at our local schools, employees at grocery stores, local shops, restaurants, etc.) who can afford “market rate” rent. The type of renters in this development will be the ones who work and commute over the hill in order to afford “market rate” rent. For that reason, I reflect back to my previous statement that the residents of this development will not be riding their bikes to work or taking the bus system.
· I am extremely concerned with the “Density Bonus Request” that involves incentives, concessions and waivers to development standards, including exceeding height, and a reduction in open space requirements. I have been a resident of Santa Cruz my entire life. I remember after the 1989 earthquake, the City of Santa Cruz and City Council worked hard to keep the same type of architecture and appearance in our town when rebuilding. Unfortunately, I do not find that the City of Santa Cruz is directing the developers of this mixed use building to have the same intentions. The location of the mixed use building sits on a precarious corner, which jets out towards the street more than the other corners of this intersection. We have already had multiple bicycle accidents on this corner in the past. The developer is planning on building right up to the sidewalk line and going straight up four stories. I did not see any set-backs in the design during the online meeting with the developers. The design of the mixed use building does not include any open space and appears to be a gigantic box, which is I imagine is the developer’s intention so that they can maximize as many units as possible on the lot size and within the square footage. The request for exceeding height standards is too much for this area of Santa Cruz. Once you authorize the development of one project to exceed height standards set by the City of Santa Cruz, it is only a matter of time when the remaining buildings across the street pursue a development of equal height. Soquel Ave will become an area of high rises that do not fit with the infrastructure we have available to us.

Sincerely,
Kimberly Hill
121 Mentel Ave
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

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From: Lola Quiroga
To: City Plan
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel (CP22-0142)
Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 11:20:49 AM
Santa Cruz Planning Commissioners,
I am writing to you today to urge approval of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Lola Quiroga
[email protected]
416 Dufour St
Santa Cruz, California 95060

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From: Ryan Meckel
To: City Plan
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel (CP22-0142)
Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 11:03:31 AM
Santa Cruz Planning Commissioners,
I am writing to you today to urge approval of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

These homes would be in a great location, within walking and biking distance of amenities, jobs, and transit. Currently, four METRO lines stop across the street from this address (69A, 69W, 66, 71) and with the ongoing Reimagine METRO process 15 minute service is imagined on this section of Soquel within the first phase. Additionally, there is a BCycle station on Hagemann Ave which provides convenient access to bike share. Between transit, bike share, and ease of walking to nearby shops, future residents won't have to rely on cars for most of their daily tasks.

Ryan Meckel
[email protected]
180 DAKOTA AVE UNIT K
SANTA CRUZ, California 95060

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From: Tanya Villalpando
To: City Plan
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel (CP22-0142)
Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 7:43:24 PM
Santa Cruz Planning Commissioners,
I am writing to you today to urge approval of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Tanya Villalpando
[email protected]
135A kennan st
Santa Cruz , California 95060

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From: Janine Roeth
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 4:30:07 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.
1800 Soquel Ave is a prime location for new housing. We used to live near there and know that it is close to amenities and Arana Gulch, which is a great bike connector to Santa Cruz and Live Oak. The ReImagine METRO process will bring 15 minute service to this section of Soquel.
1800 Soquel is one of the sites in the Housing Element. The Soquel Avenue Corridor is described in the Housing Element as "an important east-west arterial corridor that is predominantly made of up single-story commercial buildings and some multi-story mixeduses. This corridor has experienced significant redevelopment interest over the past few years." In fact, the Housing Element has identified 3.59 acres along Soquel Ave with the potential to accommodate new residential units.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Janine Roeth
[email protected]
407 ocean view ave
santa cruz, California 95062

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From: Joe De Meo
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 4:34:19 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Joe De Meo
[email protected]
132 calvin
Santa Cruz , California 95060

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From: Richard Gallo
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 4:45:31 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Richard Gallo
[email protected]
2355 Brommer Street Spc 41
Santa Cruz , California 95062

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From: Jaelyn Bos
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 4:49:19 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Jaelyn Bos
[email protected]
515 Dufour St
Santa Cruz, California 95060

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From: Henry Hooker
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 4:49:25 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
Please deny the appeal of the 1800 Soquel Avenue development, which provides 84 homes - 14 of which are deed restricted affordable - in a location that is perfect for more neighbors in Santa Cruz. The area is walkable, bikeable, and right on the Santa Cruz Metro transit line.

Many living in this project will not need to rely on automobiles for their day to day lives.

This is exactly the kind of new housing that Santa Cruz needs to move toward a sustainable future.

Henry Hooker
Henry Hooker
[email protected]
407 Ocean View Ave
Santa Cruz, California 95062

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From: Andrew Ow
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - Please DENY the Appeal Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 4:55:31 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to respectfully request that you DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

This is a perfect location for more housing. It is well served by multiple bus lines and there already is a bike share station nearby. It is also near retail, restaurants and medical services so residents will be able to walk, ride, or roll to accomplish many important tasks. They won't have to rely on cars for most of their daily tasks.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Andrew Ow
[email protected]
151 Estates Dr
Santa Cruz, California 95060-2620

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From: Grace Stetson
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 5:01:17 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Grace Stetson
[email protected]
1769 Esperanza Ct
Santa Cruz, California 95062

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From: Seán Olszewski
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 5:27:34 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Seán Olszewski
[email protected]
121 Sylvar St 5
Santa Cruz, California 95060

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From: Stacey Croft-Patterson
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 10:34:50 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I know you get alot of form letters. But please take my voice into account. I have tried to live as close to Santa Cruz as I can, first in Soquel, and now in Ben Lomond. I am lucky, and I have many friends in the county who are not, and all the homes we can built in our urban areas the better.

I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. We need these homes for students, families, and those trying to stay in our county.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Stacey Croft-Patterson
[email protected]
730 Mountain View Dr
Ben Lomond , California 95005

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From: Erin Lee
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Friday, November 17, 2023 11:27:09 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Erin Lee
[email protected]
323 Lincoln St
Santa Cruz, California 95060

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From: Cory Matsui
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - Please Deny the Appeal Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023 7:16:35 AM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to deny the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

These homes would be in a great location, within walking and biking distance of amenities, jobs, and transit. Between transit, bike share, and ease of walking to nearby shops, future residents won't have to rely on cars for most of their daily tasks.

Please deny the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Cory Matsui
[email protected]
1547 Pacific Avenue 319
Santa Cruz, California 95060

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From: Ben Eisenpress
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023 7:23:55 AM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Ben Eisenpress
[email protected]
728 PINE ST
SANTA CRUZ, California 95062

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From: Kris Younggren
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023 8:08:16 AM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Kris Younggren
[email protected]
43 Costanzo St
Watsonville, California 95076

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From: Paul Koehler
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023 8:44:25 AM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Paul Koehler
[email protected]
3309 Kempton Ave
Oakland, California 94611

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From: Evan Siroky
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023 9:47:05 AM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Evan Siroky
[email protected]
111 Bean Creek Road, Unit 101
Scotts Valley, California 95066

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From: Bennett Williamson
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023 2:04:09 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
These kinds of dense multifamily housing projects along our transit corridors are exactly what the city needs to meet it's RHNA goals and help reduce car use and greenhouse gasses. I feel that adding this housing, especially the affordable units, is more important to the community at large than the perceived impacts for drivers nearby the project.

I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Bennett Williamson
[email protected]
24 Grandview Ave
Felton, California 95018

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From: Felix Vayssieres
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023 5:58:54 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Felix Vayssieres
[email protected]
1957 Encina Dr Apt B
Santa Cruz, California 95062

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From: Ajay Shenoy
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Sunday, November 19, 2023 7:53:26 AM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the decision to approve the 1800 Soquel Avenue development. This is an excellently placed project that would create lots of housing near good public transit (METRO, Bcycle) and not far from jobs downtown. It's the type of housing our city needs. As a faculty member at the university I've heard countless stories of students, staff, and faculty struggling to find housing. It's a travesty that many of the people we rely on to run our city--service workers, teachers, government employees---have to live miles away from their jobs. Our city needs this housing--please let the proposal proceed! Ajay
Ajay Shenoy
[email protected]
722 Nobel Drive, Unit A
Santa Cruz, California 95060

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From: Katayun Salehi
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Sunday, November 19, 2023 9:29:53 AM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Katayun Salehi
[email protected]
1412 7th Ave Unit 8
Santa Cruz, California 95062

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From: Hope Armstrong
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Sunday, November 19, 2023 9:38:35 AM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to advocate for the rejection of the appeal regarding the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project has the potential to provide a much-needed infusion of 84 homes into Santa Cruz, with 14 of them designated for very-low and low-income households.

My husband and I have experienced firsthand the challenges faced by many of our friends who have been compelled to move away from California due to the increasingly unaffordable housing situation. As things stand, there are not sufficient housing options available to us, leaving our long-term future in Santa Cruz uncertain. We believe that it is crucial to have housing options that cater to a wide range of income levels in order to create a more diverse and inclusive county.

The strategic location of these homes is a compelling factor, as they are situated within convenient walking and biking distance of essential amenities, employment opportunities, and public transportation. Currently, four METRO lines (69A, 69W, 66, 71) make stops directly across the street from this address. Moreover, the ongoing Reimagine METRO process envisions 15-minute service on this section of Soquel within its initial phase. Additionally, the presence of a BCycle station on Hagemann Ave offers easy access to bike sharing, further reducing the reliance on cars for daily tasks.

These homes, as proposed in this project, contribute significantly to our collective efforts to create a more sustainable, affordable, and pedestrian-friendly community. Santa Cruz faces a pressing housing crisis, and this project embodies the kind of high-density, multifamily, and infill development needed to address this challenge effectively.

I implore you to DENY the appeal and let these essential homes move forward.

Hope Armstrong
[email protected]
1547 Pacific Avenue 319
Santa Cruz, California 95060

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From: Ryan Meckel
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Monday, November 20, 2023 12:57:01 AM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Ryan Meckel
[email protected]
180 Dakota Ave
Santa Cruz, California 95060

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From: Emily Kelsey
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Monday, November 20, 2023 3:32:49 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue.

I am a home owner on Forest Ave., two blocks from this proposed development. I have been appalled by how resistant others in my neighborhood have been to this development. Those who put in this appeal may be the loudest voices, but they do NOT speak for the majority in our neighborhood. The majority of residents in our neighborhood, especially those with young children such as myself, are more acutely feeling the housing crisis and the need for progress in this town, and thus support development such as this.

This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Thank you,
Emma Kelsey
158 Forest Ave.

Emily Kelsey
[email protected]
158 Forest Avenue
Santa Cruz, California 95062

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From: Joel Steinberg
To: Bonnie Bush
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Monday, November 20, 2023 6:20:23 PM
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Joel Steinberg
[email protected]
114 Laguna St.

Santa Cruz, California 95060

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From: Bonnie Bush
To: City Council
Subject: FW: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 10:45:23 AM
Attachments: image001.png
Bonnie Bush
City Clerk
City of Santa Cruz
809 Center St., Room 8, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: 831-420-5035
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.cityofsantacruz.com
Public Records Requests may be submitted online via the Public Records Request form, by email, or by hard copy form available at the City Clerk’s Office located at 809 Center Street, Room 9, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

Please note: Public Record Act Requests submitted via email, fax, USPS, or dropoff after 5:00 p.m. on a business day, Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays will be processed as received on the next open business day. The 10-day response period begins when the request is received.

From: Alexis Konevich <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 10:01 AM
To: Bonnie Bush <[email protected]>
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

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it.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Alexis Konevich
[email protected]
5455 Entrance Dr
Soquel, California 95073

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From: Bonnie Bush
To: City Council
Subject: FW: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 12:15:01 PM
Attachments: image001.png
Bonnie Bush
City Clerk
City of Santa Cruz
809 Center St., Room 8, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: 831-420-5035
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.cityofsantacruz.com
Public Records Requests may be submitted online via the Public Records Request form, by email, or by hard copy form available at the City Clerk’s Office located at 809 Center Street, Room 9, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

From: Megan Kilmer <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 11:33 AM
To: Bonnie Bush <[email protected]>
Subject: Support for 1800 Soquel - DENY the Appeal
City Clerk Bonnie Bush,
I am writing to urge you to DENY the appeal of the proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue. This project would bring 84 much needed homes to Santa Cruz, 14 of which will be set aside for very-low and low income households.

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it.

Please DENY the appeal so these homes can move forward.

Megan Kilmer
[email protected]
442 Winchester Dr
Watsonville, California 95076

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1 Rosemary Balsley
From: Judi Grunstra <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, November 25, 2023 12:55 PM
To: City Council
Subject: Item 21
Dear Mayor and City Council:

I have read the public correspondence about this project and hope you will listen to the neighbors who have spelled out several very valid concerns. Please require the developer to address the problems with the Alley, and other concerns regarding the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, youth, seniors, etc. The inadequate amount of parking is another real issue that cannot be "wished away." I don't live near there but sympathize with the neighbors whose lives will be negatively impacted by this taller structure and increased density. Please LISTEN to them! Interestingly, several of the letters in support of this project come from people who live well away from the project (Gilroy, Felton, etc.).

Thank you.

Judi Grunstra

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1 Rosemary Balsley
From: Fred Malouf <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2023 5:51 PM
To: City Council
Subject: 1800 Soquel
This project is being voted on Tuesday and I am unable to attend the meeting.

I do not feel like the planning commission (except for one person) seriously considered the residents' concerns. One of them snidely suggested that by driving through the neighborhood, he knew the area.

We are very concerned about congestion and safety. All residents must get on Soquel to go anywhere and the only safe left turn is the light at Hagemann street (Walgreens). We are not against housing however we feel the new state rules do not take individual projects into consideration. It would be better if this building were across the street where there are more outlets for traffic. It is basically doubling the number of cars entering and leaving on Hagemann and Forest Ave.

I have already experienced being 10 cars back at the Hagemann light, therefore blocking not only the Walgreen's traffic, but also traffic into and out of the alley.

There are not consistent sidewalks in the neighborhood, therefore people walk their children and dogs in the street. Although the developer has kindly included parking spaces, there will be more cars looking for places to park. Increased traffic leads to a higher chance of accidents. Please note that employees of Ford, Sutter, and other businesses already park on these streets. I recommend you drive through the neighborhood at different times of the day and look for yourself.

Is the city ready for a lawsuit when the first accident happens? Are you going to make sidewalks consistent? These are the questions you ought to consider.

There is another project coming with 7 homes/adus. Is this the trend for the neighborhood? Are you deliberately trying to create a pressure cooker where people will lose their cool? I ask that you delay approval based on these safety concerns. ‐Fred Malouf
148 Forest Avenue

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1 Rosemary Balsley
From: Candace Brown <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2023 4:58 PM
To: City Council
Subject: Nov 28th - 1800 Soquel Appeal - Item #
Dear City Council,
Please note that while this is a "streamlined" application, considerations of health and safety are still in the purview of the City Council. The developer has given notice that he expects 3 people per unit and that traffic impacts are not his responsibility. However, safety issues are the concern and obligation of the City of Santa Cruz.

Below are original conditions added in 2016 when it was 32 units, one Commercial space and 49 parking spaces and now it is 84 units, two Commercial spaces and 79 parking spaces.

Other conditions that were added at the original April 2016 City Council:

56. The applicant will contribute $10,000 to the city towards the development of a future residential permit parking program for the residents south of the project site.

57. The applicant will design and install up to two speed pillows in the alley south of the project that will address Fire and bicycle access, and surface drainage. They will work with the immediate neighborhood on need and location.

58. The applicant will work with Public Works to develop and install “pedestrians and bikes have priority” signage in the alley.

59. Public Works will develop and install warning signage at the intersection of Soquel and Hagemann Avenue.

60. The applicant will explore offsite parking if a restaurant use is proposed that exceeds the available parking on site.

61. The applicant shall provide additional architectural detailing on the sides and rear of the two buildings consistent with the north elevations.

62. The applicant shall explore ways to move the trash enclosure, or reduce its size, at the rear of Building A to improve sight distance for vehicles entering and exiting the property.

While the appeal is focused on the impacts in the Arana Gulch neighborhood. There are also real concerns for those passing through the intersection of Hagemann and Trevethan which is a very misaligned intersection.

Car accidents regularly occur when people go straight on Hagemann and cut through East Morrissey to the freeway. There is cut through traffic going down Trevethan and turning left to avoid the traffic jams at Morrissey and Frederick Streets. The cars turning left from Trevethan to Soquel think they have the right away as they are to the right of those going straight from Hagemann. Avoiding accidents would mean discouraging those going straight.

Secondly the crosswalks are very misaligned and not at right angles and set back which means cars bump and hit pedestrians and those on bicycles on the crosswalk. I expect many will be crossing Soquel to go to the bus stop into town. This is another very dangerous zone because per the note from a Vision Zero expert below, and I personally witnessed, cars are hourly going 45‐60 mph through that intersection. Down the hill there is a 25 mph sign.

Third, people do not feel safe using the bike lane on Soquel and so use the alley. The alley is now being heavily used and one‐way for the 1800 Soquel Development.

If we are going to encourage alternative transportation and Soquel is an important Corridor, then consideration of the safety of cyclists within several feet of those going 45‐60 mph is a huge problem. We do not allow people on the freeway and yet we are allowing those speeds on Soquel next to an inadequate bike lane.

21.238
2 The original 1800 Soquel project had landscaping and could be a stepped back but this project has no tolerance with zero setback. Therefore, the City has a once in a lifetime opportunity to establish a safe Corridor and ensure that the building does not prevent a safe passage of everyone in that intersection.

There is a serious need and request therefore for a Transporation / Traffic Study as a result of this 1800 Soquel project of 84 units and potentially 252 people / 79 parking spaces and the cumulative impact of the 164 Hagemann project of 35 bedrooms (7 townhouses and 7 ADUs).

It is your duty to address health and safety issues even in streamlined projects. Will you take the initiative to do so and follow Vision Zero guidelines approved by the City in 2019?
I finally submit the input from Quinton Roland who took the time to seriously study these issues and his letter is below and submitted with his permission. I personally also witnessed they regularly high speeds that he was clocking from 45‐60 mphs hour through the third most trafficked intersection of Santa Cruz‐‐Soquel/Hagemann‐Trevethan.

Sincere regards, Candace Brown
East Morrissey Resident
Transportation and Public Works Commissioner
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Good morning 1800 Soquel Ave Project team,
I've heard and read many voices declaring that there are current pre‐project traffic hazards at the Soquel Ave/Hagemann Ave/Trevethan Ave intersection; and that the 1800 Soquel Ave project proposal will worsen the hazards.

Soquel Ave is a 4‐lane street carrying 25,000 motor vehicles per day (9 million per year), serving every type of land use, experiencing a motor vehicle level of service between A or B (which is exceptional, given the intensity of mixed land uses in that zone). There are no speed limit signs anywhere near the project site. The current hourly high speeds passing the project site are 45‐60mph. Pedestrian mode share is roughly 5%. Bicycle mode share is roughly 5%. According to international best practice, levels of service for pedestrians, cyclists, and commerce near the project area are an F.

Improving the alignment and adding motor vehicle turning lanes will likely increase the number of motor vehicle trips and speeds, whether the project gets built or not. Widening the substandard width bicycle lanes will not significantly effect speeds or improve safety, if the rest of the street and intersection design remains unmodified.

According to all the city's ambitious planning, policy, and program documents and commitments (Vision Zero, economic development, climate action, general plan, active transportation, safe routes to school complete streets, corridor plan, etc), all new projects must enable more walking and cycling and less driving to the greatest degree.

One elephant in the room is the absence of a modern Vision Zero Soquel Ave multimodal corridor plan to achieve the city's ambitious goals and harmonize the cumulative impacts of all the anticipated projects?
The other elephant in the room is the 45‐60mph hourly high speeds. Without establishing a DESIRED SPEED for the project area and intersection, there is no way to design an effective solution. We risk repeating a century‐old pattern of spending a lot of time and money without any significant, measurable improvements.

The first step to solving the problem, is understanding the problem. Public officials, advisory board members, and interest groups must first meet at the project site to learn about and experience what the residents, drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and businesses who use the street are currently experiencing. We are making life and death decisions regarding the new development and the new residents (families, children, seniors, people who might not own a car) that we are inviting to inhabit the project area and to cross the intersection in all directions every day. Meeting at the project site is the least we could do.

Teamwork. Have officials, board members, and residents observe together, and cross the intersection on foot in all directions, many times (not just once), with the sun in their eyes, and after dark, during peak hour traffic and off‐peak hour traffic. Record and discuss mutual visibility, reaction time/space, conflict zones, turning movements, speed differences, signage, stress levels, noise levels, fumes and smells, delays, detours, experienced by all traffic participants.

21.239
3 Ask officials and board members to stand on the edge of the sidewalk/curb while 4,000lb armored vehicles roar by at 45‐60mph speeds.

Invite officials and board members to stand in the bicycle lane ‐ first facing oncoming traffic, then facing away from oncoming traffic (like cyclists do). With a $120 speed radar gun (you can use mine) measure the speeds that are being experienced and determine which speeds feel safe while standing in the bikeway ‐ 25mph? 30mph? 35mph? 40mph? 45mph? In 2019 Santa Cruz declared itself a Vision Zero City, with the goal of zero traffic fatalities by 2035.

The leading Vision Zero nations and cities begin by determining what is a safe speed for city life (for the new residents populating the project, as well as for existing neighbors and land uses). Do any of us agree on what a safe speed for city life is? Then we determine the desired hourly high speeds through the project area (the intersection). Then we set about sketching a corridor plan and designing the intersection and project to generate the desired speeds. There are affordable, cost‐effective, quick‐build solutions that can dramatically improve safety, eliminate the scary speeds, reduce delays, and maintain traffic flow.

We are all unscientific amateurs unless we measure project performance. Traffic safety and multimodal mobility system performance is always a function of speed. To avoid amateurism regarding life or death decisions, we measure pre‐project hourly high speeds through the project area; and then later measure post‐project hourly high speeds through the project area. Then we compare post‐project speeds with desired speeds. Measure. Learn. Make corrections. Improve. Teamwork.

I cannot emphasize enough the value of measuring and communicating "hourly high speeds." The five or ten highest individual speeds recorded per hour is the data that have the greatest influence over our decisions as traffic participants ‐ where, when, and how we cross the street, or whether we walk or cycle at all, which affects foot traffic volume, congestion, emissions, and prosperity. Hourly high speeds have the highest impact on the safety, mobility freedom, and prosperity of all traffic participants.

I have done my homework. I have walked all sides of that intersection in the dark, and with sun in my eyes. I've observed the most common movements by all participants. I stood in the bikeway while traffic roared by, only a few feet away, protected only by a white stripe. I observed texting drivers zooming through the intersection with the sun in their eyes. I've witnessed numerous red‐light runners, and many more drivers accelerating toward the intersection to beat the light. High school kids cycling to school in a sub‐standard width bikeway, partially obstructed by debris and pooling water. Seniors walking their dogs across a vast distance of uninterrupted asphalt ‐ ultimately sprinting in fear to the curb. Bus riders hurrying across the street midblock hoping to catch the bus. Joggers listening to music while crossing against the light, thinking the cars are distant enough. Parents nervously pushing baby strollers only inches from impatient bumpers en route to Arana Gulch Park. No crossing islands to provide physical protection, horizontal deflection, and visual friction. Crosswalks located too close to the intersection, creating complex conditions and blind spots for all participants. Primitive, unsafe "diagonal" ADA ramps.

Drivers weaving from lane to lane at lethal speeds, due in part to chaotic speed differentials. Drivers waiting to turn at the traffic light, despite no oncoming traffic. Waiting for nothing. Drivers waiting much too long for a sufficiently large gap to enter the Soquel Ave stream, because the speeds are too high, requiring much larger gaps/space/time. Delay. Stress. Delay. Stress. For all participants.

I used all my project area experiences, observations, speed and traffic count data, and my training in the Netherlands (the world's leading Vision Zero multimodal mobility system) to inform my Vision Zero design of the project area. I'm happy to share my design, if anyone is interested. Call me any time to arrange a meeting. The design requires a face‐to‐face explanation. City life is complex. The good news is that a paradigm shift is within our grasp. Bringing order and harmony to a chaotic space requires patience and time.

I'm also happy to meet any interested parties at the project area. Let me know if I can help in any way. Thank you all for your dedication, caring, and enthusiasm.

Kind regards,
Quinton Roland
Vision Zero specialist and mobility freedom lover
Tel 831‐233‐8454

21.240
1800 Soquel Ave – Appeal of Planning Commission Approval City Council
November 28, 2023 21.241
Site Location

21.242
Project Proposal
Four story mixed-use project
At grade parking (78 spaces)
Street level retail space
84 Flexible Density Units

21.243
Permit Approvals
Nonresidential Demolition
Authorization Permit
Boundary Adjustment
Design Permit
Special Use Permit
Density Bonus

21.244
Density Bonus
Base density (67 units)
Percentage of affordable
units/level of affordability
determine increased density
7 very-low income (50% AMI) units
provided
7 low income (80% AMI)
14 units meets City inclusionary

21.245
Design Permit

21.246
Soquel Ave (North) Elevation

21.247
Northwest Elevation

21.248
Level 2

21.249
Planning Commission
 September 21, 2023
 Project Revisions
 Retail along Soquel Ave increased from 1,928
to 2,889 square feet
 Storage reduced from 17,250 to 14,244 cubic
feet
 Open space reduced from 7,113 to 6,766
square feet
 200 square feet of indoor common space
removed

21.250
Planning Commission
Approved 4-1
Community Commercial General
Plan Designation & Policies
Eastside Business Area
Improvement Plan
Density Bonus Waivers

21.251
Waivers

1. Exceed maximum height
CC – 3 stories/40 feet
DB – 4 stories/46 feet

2. FAR
CM - .25-1.75
DB – 2.45

3. Bike Parking
Required - 84 Class 1
Provided - 73 Class 1

21.252
Waivers

4. Usable Open Space
Required – 12,600 square feet
Provided – 6,766 square feet

5. Storage
Required – 16,800 cubic feet
Provided – 14,244 cubic feet

6. Indoor Common Space
Required – 200 square feet
Provided – 0 square feet

21.253
Revised Conditions of
Approval
 26. Prior to issuance of the demolition permit, the applicant shall obtain a building permit for the construction of the new mixed-use development. Issuance of the demolition
permit may be made prior to building permit issuance at the discretion of the Planning Director.
 29. Bike Parking. Plans submitted for building permit issuance demonstrate that 73 bike parking spaces will be provided pursuant to a density bonus waiver requested by the Applicant. The plans shall include specifications for the Class 2 bike parking racks including manufacturer,
dimensions, and design, and a description of the access privileges to any proposed secure bike parking areas.

21.254
Revised Conditions of
Approval
 47. Final colors shall be approved by the Director
of Planning and Community Development prior
to application for building permits, provided
there are no substantial deviations from the final
colors as proposed in the Project submittal and
application materials

21.255
Added Conditions of
Approval

65. Management Plan – Applicant shall submit a finalized management plan that provides the criteria specified in Zoning Code Section

24.12.1040, which shall be subject to approval by the Planning Director prior to building permit issuance.

67. Prior to submittal of building plans the owner shall work with the city to identify possible safety improvements on the private property portion adjacent to the alley for pedestrians, cyclists, strollers, and other nonvehicle uses in the alleyway. Improvements shall be installed prior to building occupancy.

68. Two additional street trees shall be added to the Soquel Ave. street frontage if determined to be feasible by all city departments.

21.256
Appeal
Transportation Study
Requirement
Mobility Goals
Alley Access

21.257
Transportation Study
Requirements
 Traffic Impact Study (TIS) required for project that
generates 50 or more net vehicle trips during PM peak
hour
 Transportation Screening Memo concludes that
project does not exceed 50 gross PM peak hour trips
 With credits for existing auto dealer – net 40 PM peak hour trips
 With credits for vacant restaurant – net 10 PM peak
hour trips

21.258
Mobility Goals
 Dedication of 1,645 sq ft of ROW
 Relocation of new traffic signal
poles/equipment
 Dedicated left turn lane
 Sidewalk expansion
10’ Soquel Ave
 8’ Hagemann Ave
 Underground utilities
 15-foot alleyway repaved
 Two new street lights
 Three new street trees 21.259
Mobility Goals
 Safer intersection at Hagemann and Soquel
Avenues
 More livable streets with widened sidewalks
 Level of Service improvements at intersection
 New Condition Recommended:
 In coordination with and subject to the approval of
Public Works, the applicant shall refine the
Hagemann northbound left-turn lane design at the
Building Permit stage and provide new lane striping
in the street to ensure proper queue storage and
circulation.

21.260
Alley Access

21.261
Alley Access
 Diagonal to perpendicular parking spaces
 Driveway approach widened to 20-feet
 Loading Zone
 Striping/wider drive aisles to garage entrance

21.262
Recommendation
 Adopt the Resolution to deny the appeal and uphold
the Planning Commission’s acknowledgement of the
environmental determination (Categorical Exemption
Section 15332, Class 32) and approval of the
Nonresidential Demolition Authorization Permit; Boundary Adjustment; Density Bonus request, including for waivers to exceed height and FAR and reduce bike parking, open
space, storage, and indoor common space requirements;
and Design and Special Use Permits, based on the findings listed in the draft resolution and the Conditions of
Approval attached as Exhibit “A.”

21.263
Arana Gulch
Neighborhood

21.264

21.265 2

21.266 3
4 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.267
5 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.268
6 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.269
7 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.270
8 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.271
9 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.272
10 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.273
11 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.274
12 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.275
13 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.276
14 UPCOMING SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

21.277

21.278 15

21.279 16

21.280 17
18 21.281
Soquel Soquel
1800 Soquel Development
Trevethan
Hagemann

21.282 19
Soquel Soquel
1800 Soquel Development
Trevethan
Hagemann

21.283 20
Reduce the proposed ten-foot
sidewalk and add a protected
bike lane instead.

21.284 21
22 21.285
Soquel Soquel
1800 Soquel Development
Trevethan
Hagemann

21.286 23
Soquel Avenue -->
Hagemann Court
Forest Ave
Hagemann
alley
24 About 90
homes

21.287
Soquel Ave
Walgreens
Parking Lot
Hagemann Ave
Forest Ave
alley
25 alley alley
alley

21.288
26 alley

21.289
27 21.290
15 feet
Hagemann
28 alley

21.291
Soquel Avenue -->
Hagemann Court
Forest Ave
Hagemann
alley
29 About 90
existing
homes
84 units

21.292
Soquel Ave
Walgreens
Parking Lot
Hagemann Ave
Forest Ave
alley
30 21.293
Soquel Ave
Walgreens
Parking Lot
Hagemann Ave
Forest Ave
alley
31 21.294
32 21.295
Keep our alley a public
alleyway, not a private
driveway.

21.296 33
Soquel Ave
Walgreens
Parking Lot
Hagemann Ave
Forest Ave
alley
34 21.297
Soquel Ave
Walgreens
Parking Lot
Hagemann Ave
Forest Ave
alley
35 21.298
Soquel Ave
Walgreens
Parking Lot
Hagemann Ave
Forest Ave
alley
36 21.299
Soquel Ave
Walgreens
Parking Lot
Hagemann Ave
Forest Ave
alley
37 21.300
Soquel Ave
Walgreens
Parking Lot
Hagemann Ave
Forest Ave
alley
38 21.301
Soquel Ave
162 Hagemann
Walgreens

21.302 39
Soquel Ave
Walgreens
Parking Lot
Hagemann Ave
Forest Ave
alley
40 21.303
41 21.304
Make the turn lanes longer so that
cars on Hagemann can go onto
Soquel in one light cycle.
42 21.305
43 21.306
Soquel Soquel
1800 Soquel Development
Trevethan
Hagemann

21.307 44

21.308 45

21.309 46
Larger setback and alignment
on the corner to protect
pedestrians

21.310 47
48 Soquel Ave
Walgreens
Parking Lot
Hagemann Ave
Forest Ave
alley

21.311

21.312

21.313
City Council

AGENDA REPORT
DATE: 11/06/2023
AGENDA OF: 11/28/2023
DEPARTMENT: Finance
SUBJECT: 10-year Citywide Long Range Financial Plan (FN) RECOMMENDATION: Receive an update from Baker Tilly on the development of a 10-year Citywide Long Range Financial Plan (CWLRFP).

BACKGROUND: The City had a financial forecast and model prepared by Baker Tilly (formerly Management Partners) that was presented to the City Council at its special meeting on August 18, 2020, to understand the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic could cause in future years. The forceast was used during the budget process in the following years. In Fiscal Years (FY) 2021 through 2023, the City had to reduce expenditures, thereby reducing services, returning to a fundamentally status quo budget in FY 2024.

While the City’s financial position appears to be improving compared to the original forecast, the City still expects to face a significant structural deficit in its General Fund over time. This structural budget deficit results from a fundamental imbalance, where expenditures exceed revenues. In recent years, the City adopted budgets to meet the primary goal of preservation of services, but in FY 2024 this necessitated reducing the General Fund investment in the Capital Investment Program (CIP).

Updating and maintaining a CWLRFP will provide more clarity and consistency in the City’s budgeting process. Baker Tilly has worked with City staff to develop short and long-term options for fiscal sustainability:
 Reviewing and analyzing the City’s long-term financial forecast  Developing a matrix of revenue, service, and expenditure budget strategies designed to address an anticipated structural deficit
 Providing a real-time decision-making model that can help the City evaluate various budget strategies based on different revenue and expenditure assumptions DISCUSSION: Baker Tilly has completed its independent analysis of the City’s financial forecast, obtaining updated information from City staff. Based on their independent professional experience in financial forecasting for cities in California, they have updated the analysis by:
 Updating revenues and expenditures based on the latest staff projections  Improving the assumptions to reflect more realistic outcomes based on the City’s actual experience as well as the latest economic indicators and projections  Refining the forecast that allows for analysis of various key assumptions such as:

22.1 o Revenue estimates for property tax, sales tax, utility users’ tax, business license tax, and real property transfer tax
o Cost increases for service delivery initiatives
o Personnel cost assumptions relative to cost-of-living adjustments and health benefits
o Impacts of future CalPERS discount rate changes
o Recessionary impacts for estimated future recessions
o Impacts of budget strategy options identified for City Council consideration (e.g., revenue enhancements, cost containment, service modifications) The 10-year analysis shows that the City faces a long-term fiscal gap that averages over $10 million annually and will deplete reserves if not addressed. The City must implement structural budget solutions that result in sustainable adjustments in revenue or expenditures.

Receiving this update and exploring solutions to the structural deficit supports the Health in All Policies (HiAP) key elements of promoting health, equity, and sustainability. In particular, it supports the Collective of Results and Evidence-based (CORE) Conditions for health and wellbeing that residents have healthy environments (natural and built), a safe and just community, and stable, affordable housing and shelter. This connection exists because when the City can make informed decisions that are based on a long-range financial plan, it is empowered to make budget decisions that preserve its essential services, vital Capital Investment Program projects, and its investment in affordable housing and public safety.

FISCAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact to receiving this presentation; however, the CWLRFP can help demonstrate the financial impacts of future budget options and the overall outcome of this process will help the entire City determine solutions for both current and longterm financial issues and opportunities.

Prepared By:

Marisol Gómez
Assistant Director of Finance
Submitted By:

Elizabeth Cabell
Director of Finance
Approved By:

Matt Huffaker
City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:

None.

22.2 Santa Cruz Fiscal Sustainability Planning
Budget Strategies for Consideration
Baker Tilly Project Team
Led by:

Steve Toler, Director
Bob Leland, Special Advisor
City Council Presentation
November 28, 2023

22.3 • Baseline financial forecast maintains homelessness response at $8M in costs, with the General Fund replacing lost federal and state funding in FY 2025 and beyond • Without corrective action, General Fund available reserves would fall below the City’s minimum reserve threshold of ~17% of annual expenditures by FY 2025, and would be depleted by FY 2027 • The ongoing annual fiscal gap averages $10.5M from FY 2025 to 2034 3 General Fund Financial Forecast

22.4 Key Assumptions in Forecast
• Revenues
 Moderate recessions every 7 years
starting FY 2025
 Assessed value growth averages 3.8%
(includes 80 new units/year and $25M
new non-residential value/year)
 Sales Tax growth averages 2.9%
 TOT includes new La Bahia hotel in FY
2025 ($1.4M) & Cruz hotel in FY 2028
($1.4M)
• Reserves
 Minimum reserve goal of two-months
annual operating expenditures (16.7%)
• Expenditures
 Existing service and staffing levels
 Unfunded capital needs & new
initiatives (e.g., climate action) are not
included
 Placeholder assumption of 2.5% cost- of-living adjustments (30-year historical regional average), plus merit increases
& savings from employee turnover
 Annual capital contribution of $5M
 General Fund backfill of $5.5M lost
federal (ARPA) & state (CA14)
homelessness response funding
 Continued support of ED Trust, IT fund,
Children’s fund, Wharf fund

22.5 4
Long-Range Financial Planning – An Overview
5 • Comprehensive set of fiscal policies and action steps to provide services in the long term without the threat of insolvency or default of promised expenditures or liabilities
• Customized to the requirements and priorities of the City • In-depth analysis of fiscal strategies
 Fiscal impact
 Feasibility Expenditure
controls and
cost shifts
Service delivery
alternatives
Revenue
enhancements
Service level
reductions
Maintain service levels Reduce
services
Long-Range Budget Strategies

22.6 Summary of Budget Strategies Identified
• The fiscal sustainability plan
should include budget strategies
that yield at least $10.5 million in
annual fiscal impact for
conservative planning purposes
to address operating needs
• Identified strategies exceed the
recommended goal threefold and
provides options to City Council
and management
9 Category # of
Strategies
Estimated Annual
Fiscal Impact
Expenditure controls/cost
shifts 4 $3,450,000
Service delivery changes 4 $4,000,000
Revenue enhancements 14 $25,150,000
Total 22 $32,600,000
Other strategies identified
with minimal fiscal impact1 14 ~ $2,000,000
Goal to address fiscal gap $10,500,000
1 – Individual strategies with an estimated fiscal impact of less than $500,000 annually

22.7 Expenditure Controls
and Cost Shifts
• Implement operational
efficiencies, streamlined
operations, and/or
strategic filling of vacant
positions1
• Invest in CIP Manager
• Full cost recovery in grants
• Implement technology2
Budget Strategies Identified
10 Notes:
1 – Strategy could require discussions and/or agreement with affected bargaining units 2 – Project is currently in the planning stages by City staff 3 – Strategy impacts enterprise funds, but reduces burden on taxpayers that may necessitate increase in parking taxes to cover costs of parking operations *High (Over $1,500,000), Moderate ($1,000,001 - $1,500,000), Low ($500,001 -$1,000,000) Total: $3,450,000
Service Delivery
Changes
• Explore regional shared
service models (e.g.,
fire/EMS services)
• Share homeless response
with County
• Diversify investment
portfolio/allocation
• Reassess some
maintenance functions1,2
Revenue Enhancements
• Increase sales tax
• Create a community facilities
district (parcel tax)
• Increase Parks and Recreation cost
recovery to 50%
• Modernize business license tax
methodology
• Increase admissions tax
• Increase utility user tax
• Increase transient occupancy tax
• Increase cost recovery for GF fees2
• Increase landfill tipping fees
• Initiate disc golf program
• Resume audits of taxable entities2
• Diversify investment
portfolio/allocation
• Increase parking fees and permit
requirements3
Total: $4,000,000 Total: $25,150,000

22.8 • Requires $10.5M in budget strategies starting in FY 2025, to maintain reserves at or above the minimum reserve goal of ~17% and to eliminate the fiscal gap in every fiscal year of the forecast • Assumes Pension Trust reserves are fully utilized by FY 2028 • Operating budget is balanced at existing service levels; provides additional fiscal capacity beyond FY 2027 to partially address underfunded/unfunded capital investments or other service needs 16 Solving the Fiscal Gap – Maintaining Reserves
At or Above Minimum Reserve Policy

22.9 • Assumes voter-approval of 0.5% local sales tax rate on Mar 2024 ballot, to take effect 9/1/2024 • Raises $7.7M in FY 2025 & $8.3M in FY 2026 (first full year) • Sales tax measure alone does not fully solve the fiscal gap and maintain reserves at or above reserve goals; additional budget strategies would be required to meet reserve goal in all years • Still does NOT address underfunded/unfunded capital investments 17 Budget Scenario Example – Relying Exclusively
on 0.5% Sales Tax Measure

22.10 Spectrum of Budget Strategy Scenarios
Strong Revenue
Enhancements
• Primary focus on
revenue strategies
to solve the fiscal
gap
Blended Approach
(revenue leaning)
• Focus on revenue
enhancements with
minor expenditure
efficiencies and/or
service delivery
changes
Blended approach
(expenditure leaning)
• Blend of revenue
enhancements and
expenditure
reductions to solve
the gap attempting
to mitigate service
level reductions as
much as possible
Strong Expenditure
Reductions
• Reliant primarily on
expenditure
reductions with
significant cuts to
service levels
18 Revenue Enhancements Expenditure Reductions

22.11 19
Budget Strategy Scenarios – Three Sample Options
Scenario 1 – RevenueCentric Approach
(includes sales tax)
• Local sales tax
increase by 0.5%
• General Fund (GF)
fees and charges full
cost recovery
• Parks & Recreation
services cost recovery
to 50%
• Diversified investment
portfolio/investment
allocation
Scenario 2 – Balanced
Approach
(includes sales tax)
• Local sales tax
increase by 0.5%
• Fire shared services
model
• Operating
efficiencies and
reductions through
attrition
Scenario 3 – Expenditure-Centric Approach
(excludes sales tax)
• No local sales tax increase
• GF fees and charges full cost recovery
• Parks & Recreation services cost recovery to 50%
• Professionally managed investment portfolio/
shift interest allocation to General Fund
• Resume audits for Business License Tax/TOT
• Grant management full cost recovery
• Fire shared services model
• Technology improvements/cost reductions
• Operational efficiencies/attrition cuts
• Reduce annual CIP investment or homelessness
investment by $2 million

22.12 Strategy Description (Fiscal Impact)
Ballot
Measure
Timing
(Phase In)
Local sales tax Increase by 0.5%
($8.4 million) Yes
March 2024
(implement
9/1/2024)
Park & Rec
fees/charges
Increase to 50% cost recovery
($3 million) No
FY 2025
(over 2 years
starting 7/2024)
Other GF
fees/charges
Increase to 100% cost recovery
($1 million) No FY 2025(starting Jul-24)
Investment
portfolio
Diversify investments through
professionally managed
portfolio, increase interest
allocated to GF ($0.5 million)
No FY 2025
(starting Jul-24)
Capital
investment
Capacity to increase annual
capital investment or other
initiatives (e.g., climate action)
($5 million increase)
No
FY 2028
(over 2 years
starting Jul-27)
20 Scenario 1 – Revenue Centric Approach
(sales tax measure approved)

22.13 Strategy Description (Fiscal Impact)
Ballot
Measure
Timing
(Phase In)
Local sales tax Increase by 0.5%
($8.4 million) Yes
March 2024
(implement
9/1/2024)
Operational
efficiencies
Implement operational
efficiencies, reduce positions
through attrition
($1.2 million)
No
FY 2025
(over 4 years
starting Jul-24)
Fire shared
services
Implement shared services model
for fire and EMT services
($1.5 million)
No
FY 2027
(over 2 years
starting Jul-26)
Capital
investment
Capacity to increase annual capital
investment or other initiatives
(e.g., climate action)
($2 million increase)
No
FY 2029
(over 2 years
starting Jul-28)
21 Scenario 2 – Balanced Approach
(sales tax measure approved)

22.14 Strategy Description (Fiscal Impact)
Ballot
Measure
Timing
(Phase In)
Park & Rec
fees/charges
Increase to 50% cost recovery
($3 million) No FY 2025 (over 2
years start Jul-24)
Other GF
fees/charges
Increase to 100% cost recovery
($1 million) No FY 2025
(start Jul-24)
Investments Portfolio diversification through professional manager, increase interest allocation to GF ($0.5 million) No FY 2025 (start Jul-24)
Grants cost
recovery
Include project management and overhead cost
recovery in grants ($0.75 million) No FY 2025
(start Jul-24)
Business tax
audits
Resume audits of entities for tax remittance
($0.5 million) No FY 2025
(start Jul-24)
Operational
efficiencies
Implement operational efficiencies, reduce positions
through attrition ($1.2 million) No FY 2025 (over 4
years start Jul-24)
Technology Implement technology tools and reduce ongoing operating costs ($0.5 million) No FY 2026
(start Jul-25)
Fire shared
services
Implement shared services model for fire and EMT
services ($1.5 million) No FY 2027 (over 2
years start Jul-26)
Other cost
reductions
Reduce investment in capital projects, homelessness
response and/or other operating costs ($2 million) No FY 2025 (start Jul-24)
22 Scenario 3 – Blended Approach
(sales tax measure not approved)

22.15 24
Other Budget Strategies with Greatest Potential to
Provide Fiscal Capacity for Capital Investments
Budget Strategy Description
Estimated
Annual Fiscal
Impact
Voter
Approval
Create community facilities district
(parcel tax)
Tailored to infrastructure funding (e.g., streets,
parks, facilities)
Based on
identified need
Yes
(2/3rd majority)
Increase admissions tax rate to 8% Dedicate incremental revenues toward parks/recreation amenities $1,400,000 Yes
(majority vote)
Debt financing (e.g., GO bonds) Debt financing tools funded through excess fiscal capacity from other strategies
Based on
identified need
GO Bond –
Yes
(2/3rd majority)

22.16 Thank you!
25 Steve Toler, [email protected]
Bob Leland, [email protected]

22.17 City Council

AGENDA REPORT
DATE: October 20, 2023
AGENDA OF: November 28, 2023
DEPARTMENT: City Council
SUBJECT: Resolution Requesting the Placement of a Sales and Use Tax Ballot Measure on the March 2024 California Statewide Primary Election (CN) RECOMMENDATION: Motion to:
1) Accept a report regarding the recent work of the City Council Budget and Revenue Ad Hoc Committee;
2) Adopt a resolution requesting that the consolidated March 2024 California Statewide Primary Election include a general purpose one-half of one percent retail transaction and use tax measure; and
3) Support the measure for the purpose of authorizing arguments; provide direction regarding the authors; directing the City Attorney to prepare the impartial analysis; and providing direction to the City Manager regarding the preparation of the fiscal analysis, as appropriate.

BACKGROUND: Santa Cruz is committed to delivering quality services to its community.

With a vision for a vibrant, healthy and resilient community for all, the Council encourages and supports seeking improved methods for service delivery, modernizing the organization, and keeping up with changing community needs. Santa Cruz employees are dedicated to the pursuit of these objectives and continue to passionately execute their work to deliver a high standard of services. However, a rapidly growing, dynamic community often means that revenues cannot keep pace with expenditures needed for essential services such as wildfire resilience, homelessness response and connection to services, protection of natural resources such as waterways, maintenance and repair of streets and neighborhood parks, and affordable and workforce housing.

To do focused work on the above, the City Council created the Budget and Revenue Ad Hoc Committee (Committee) to explore revenue enhancement opportunities, long-term budgetary plans, and capital project needs. The current Committee includes the Mayor and Councilmembers Brown and Newsome, and has been meeting to review the City’s long-range financial plan (LRFP) and explore possible additional revenue sources. The LRFP plan recommendations will be shared at the Council’s November 28th meeting, and this agenda report focuses on a specific revenue recommendation from the Committee to place a City transaction and use tax (sales tax) measure on the March 2024 California statewide primary election.

23.1 Fiscal Situation
The City continues to deliver baseline essential services to the community but also faces many situations where the services must be provided to more and more users, where new services are needed, or where resource intensive changes are necessary for an existing service. There are also many unprecedented emergencies arising. While many of these include generous one-time state and federal disaster related funding support, that funding support does not backfill for lost staff time in delivering the baseline essential services, or the rapid increase in deferred projects that need funding and staffing. Another factor is the substantial increase in costs for vendor services, parts, and general inventory for City operations – e.g., fuel, computer chips, lumber, engineering design services, personal protective equipment, vehicles, etc.

The net impact of these factors shows a forecast where the City’s General Fund will, if nothing else is done, fall below its minimum reserve threshold (~17%) by FY 2025, and be depleted by FY 20271.

Over time, General Fund expenditures have structurally outstripped revenue. The City has launched a LRFP to address the gaps, and, in the midst of this, the City and its staff supported (in FY 2022):
- 9,386 fire emergency calls from 4 stations
- 1,215 fire inspections
- 3,710 recreational facility rentals of 12 facilities
- 86,634 police calls for service from 1 station
- 24,674 active water accounts, using 294 miles of water distribution mains - 290 potholes filled
- 15,000 street cans emptied
In early 2022, the City recognized the lack of timely funding for city-level services for those without homes in Santa Cruz. The three-year Homelessness Response Action Plan (HRAP) formalized funding streams, developed new organizational units and positions, and made conscious decisions to fill key service gaps, including case workers to help connect those experiencing homelessness to services and support, emergency shelter, and cleaning-up and addressing the impacts of encampments.

For the first two years, the City was able to use one-time California funding ($14 million from an earmark via the offices of Senator Laird and former Assemblymember Stone, and federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding). For FY 2025 and beyond, the City needs funding 1 The current ongoing annual fiscal gap averages $10.5M from FY 2025 to FY 2034.

23.2 to continue the compassionate, on-target work that has resulted in the following 2023 accomplishments:

Addressing Employee Compensation, Attraction, and Retention Over the last year, the City has also worked closely with its labor groups to make meaningful progress in addressing employee compensation, attraction, and retention challenges. As a service-based organization, it is imperative that the City remains competitive in the labor market and continues to retain and attract a high caliber workforce. While recent labor agreements help to address these challenges in the near-term, keeping pace with cost of living over time and increasing demands for city services will require additional revenue streams.

High Yield Revenue Option – Sales Tax
To continue to deliver the City’s services, the Committee has been exploring several revenue options for consideration by the Council and community at-large via ballot measures. Several other efforts, as outlined in the LRFP update, are also in process. The revenue-focused options include:
- Citywide fee study
- Modernization of business license taxes
- Future ballot measures such as affordable and workforce housing, sugar-sweetened beverage, a community facilities district, and disposable cup tax.

23.3 Of the revenue options, a potential sales tax measure could yield approximately $8 million per year to the General Fund to support a myriad of essential services that City staff provides. This is one of the largest yields of all the potential revenue enhancements and has the potential to significantly improve the City’s financial position over the long-term.

Thus, the Committee determined that a sales tax measure should be explored and directed staff to do a community poll. To gauge the feasibility of increasing sales tax by 0.5 percent, the poll ran in October 2023 and found the following:
- The community’s top concerns are the cost of housing, cost of living, and the impacts of homelessness.
- Serious concerns about wildfires remain consistent, with a related high increase regarding concerns for the effects of climate change in the forms of coastal erosion, extreme weather, drought, and flooding.
- The poll did two sample measures:
o Split A included a stronger emphasis on the details of homelessness response services, along with many other essential services, while Split B included more general homelessness response services and many other essential services. o Split A garnered 61% approval and Split B had 57%, both of which support that the recommendation for a sales tax measure should move forward. o After opposition statements in the poll, Split A was at 55% and Spilt B at 54%.

DISCUSSION: Given the above, the Committee determined to recommend that the City pursue a sales tax revenue ballot measure for inclusion in the March 2024 California statewide primary election.

Sales tax has been a traditional funding source for municipalities. Sales tax is comprised of a

7.25 percent base rate. In addition, the State Revenue and Taxation Code authorizes an additional transaction and use tax that can be added to the base rate up to 2.5 percent for a maximum of

9.75 percent. The City currently receives 1.00 percent of the 7.25 percent base rate and 0.75 percent of additional transaction and use tax for a total of 1.75 percent of the total current tax rate of 9.25 percent.

23.4 The current combined 9.25 percent sales tax rate in the City of Santa Cruz is equal to or below other cities. Local rates as of now:
- Unincorporated portions of Santa Cruz County - 9.00 percent - Capitola - 9.00 percent
- City of Scotts Valley - 9.75 percent
- Watsonville - 9.75 percent
The proposed increase would put the City at the statutory cap of 9.75 percent. The table below illustrates the different components of the City’s current 9.25 percent sales tax rate.

Jurisdiction Purpose Rate
State Goes to State's General Fund 3.6875%
State Goes to State's General Fund 0.25%
State Goes to Local (Non-City) Public Safety Fund to
support local criminal justice activities (1993)

0.50%
State Goes to Local (Non-City) Revenue Fund to support
local health and social services programs (1991
Realignment)

0.50%
State Goes to Local (Non-City) Revenue Fund 2011 1.0625% County Goes to county transportation funds 0.25%
City Goes to City operations 1.00%
Total: Total Statewide Base Sales and Use Tax Rate 7.25% Add-on:

Library Santa Cruz Library System 0.25%
County-wide Transportation Funding (Measure D) 0.50%
Metro SC Santa Cruz Metro Transit District 0.50%
City Measure H and Measure S 0.75%
Grand Total: 9.25%
Graphically, summary components from the table are as follows:

If the sales tax measure passes, for every $1 paid in sales tax, the City of Santa Cruz share would change from $0.19 to $0.23.

23.5 Should the County increase its sales tax, the two sales taxes would work together and those paying it would not have to pay both (would pay one rate only). Just as today, an unincorporated taxable purchase costs the purchaser 9 percent in sales tax, while the same purchase in Scotts Valley would be at 9.75 percent, not additively.

Additionally, City proceeds would stay here in Santa Cruz. No funds could be taken away by the state. Those who visit and shop in Santa Cruz would pay their fair share. Essential purchases such as groceries, prescription medicine, diapers and feminine hygiene products are exempt from sales tax.

If the Council decides to proceed, it must take two actions:
1) The first action is for the Council to adopt a resolution ordering the placement of a general purpose one half of one percent sales tax ballot measure on the March 2024 election ballot. Included in this action is the proposed ballot measure language and ordinance. This ordinance meets the legal requirements of State law for a local general sales tax to be administered by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. 2) The other action is to take a position supporting the measure; to authorize the Mayor, or provide additional direction regarding authors, to lead a written argument in support of the measure; to direct the City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis of the measure; and to direct the City Manager to prepare the fiscal analysis.

Proposed Ballot Measure Language
“To protect and maintain essential services including homelessness response/prevention, emergency shelters, case management/connection to services; cleaning up/addressing the impacts of encampments; keeping pollution out of local rivers, creeks, and streams; supporting local food programs; preparing for wildfires; maintaining/repairing streets/potholes; and improving/ maintaining neighborhood parks, beaches, and public safety, shall the City of Santa Cruz measure to enact a one-half of one percent sales tax be adopted, raising about $8,000,000 annually for general government use until ended by voters?” Health in All Policies (HiAP) – This potential ballot measure supports the City’s ability to positively impact Santa Cruz’s integral values of equity, public health, and sustainability (from the City’s Health in All Policies program). Critically important existing services, potential new services, and capital programs can all offer equity, health, and sustainability value to community members. Examples include: homelessness services to connect to care and for providing emergency sheltering; wildfire prevention, along with equipment and training for firefighters to fight wildfires; and implementation of housing for low and very low income levels, as well as workforce housing.

FISCAL IMPACT: Based on the existing trends of the City’s portion of sales tax, voter approval of the proposed revenue tax ballot measure would generate approximately $8 million annually in additional revenue to partially stabilize the City’s General Fund. The cost of the election is estimated to be in the range of $110,709 to $184,515 based on figures from the Santa Cruz County Elections Department. This amount may fluctuate, based on the number of registered voters at the time of the election and the number of items the City places on the ballot.

Prepared by Laura Schmidt, Assistant City Manager

23.6 Submitted by:

Fred Keeley
Mayor
Submitted by:

Sandy Brown
Councilmember
Submitted by:

Scott Newsome
Councilmember
ATTACHMENTS:

1. EMC Research – City of Santa Cruz Polling Summary for Sales Tax (2023)

2. Resolution

23.7 2024 Sales Tax Measure
City of Santa Cruz Voter Survey
October 2023

23.8 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 2
Methodology
 Survey of likely March 2024 voters in the City of Santa Cruz  Survey conducted October 4 – 11, 2023
 450 interviews; overall margin of error ±4.62 percentage points  Multimodal live telephone, email- and text-to-web methodology • Phone interviews conducted by trained, professional interviewers in English and Spanish; landlines and mobile phones included
• Email and text invitations were sent to complete the survey online  Where applicable, results compared with previous City polling:

Dates Sample Size Margin of Error Pollster
September 5-11, 2023 400 ±4.9 percentage points EMC Research May 15-21, 2023 460 ±4.6 percentage points FM3 Research January 2022 300 ±5.7 percentage points Gene Bregman & Assoc.

April 2021 400 ±4.9 percentage points Gene Bregman & Assoc.

September 2019 404 ±4.9 percentage points Gene Bregman & Assoc.

Please note that due to rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%. 23.9 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 3
Key Findings
 The cost of living/housing and homelessness are top concerns for voters.

Public safety, parks, and streets are not as top-of-mind in the current environment.
 Voters don’t perceive much progress on homelessness; however, most are still willing to consider a tax increase to protect progress addressing it.  Initially, a sales tax measure focused on addressing homelessness receives more support than one where it is less central. However, both are vulnerable to opposition and end up in same place.

23.10 Issue Environment

23.11 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 5
74%
67%
67%
67%
65%
50%
19%
23%
25%
19%
26%
32%
1%
6%
7%
7%
6%
7%
11%
1%
3%
1%
7%
2%
6%
93%
89%
92%
85%
91%
82%
7%
10%
8%
14%
9%
17%
The cost of housing
Need for more housing that is affordable
The cost of living
Need for more housing and shelters for homeless people
Impact of homelessness on city neighborhoods, parks,
and businesses
Effects of climate change here in Santa Cruz, such as
coastal erosion, extreme weather, drought, and flooding Very
serious
Somewhat
serious
(Don't
Know)
Not too
serious
Not at all
serious
Top Issues in Santa Cruz
Q5-15. Now I’d like to read you some issues facing the City of Santa Cruz that some other people have mentioned. For each one I read, please tell me whether you think it is a very serious issue, somewhat serious, not too serious, or not at all a serious issue in Santa Cruz today.

Issues related to the cost of housing and cost of living rise to the top as the most serious issues facing Santa Cruz, followed by homelessness and its impact on the City.

Serious
Not
Serious

23.12 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 6
Perception of Homelessness in Santa Cruz
Q17/18.

Few voters see progress on homelessness, with almost half saying it has gotten worse over the last year. The City receives correspondingly negative job ratings on its handling of the issue. n=XXX
How would you rate the job being done by the Santa Cruz City government managing homelessness in the last year? Would you say the Santa Cruz City government is doing an excellent, good, only fair, or poor job? Excellent 1%
Poor 35%
Good 20%
Only Fair 43%
Positive
20%
Negative
78%
Positive Negative
12%
40%
48%
Date 1
Worse
Stayed the same/
(Don't Know)
Better
Would you say that homelessness in the City of Santa Cruz has gotten better, gotten worse, or stayed about the same over the past year?

23.13 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 7
45%
28%
28%
32% 1%
13%
13%
14%
26%
72%
60%
28%
39%
+45
+20
I am concerned about people experiencing homelessness
being able to find services and a place to live in the City of Santa Cruz
I am willing to raise my taxes to protect recent progress that has been made to address the impacts of
homelessness in the City of Santa Cruz
Strongly
Agree
Somewhat
Agree
(Don't
Know)
Somewhat
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Homelessness Sentiment
Q21-22. Please tell me whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements.

Concern about those experiencing homelessness is high, with strong intensity. Although relatively few voters acknowledged progress has been made on homelessness, over half are willing to raise taxes to protect gains in addressing its impacts.

Total
Agree
Total
Disagree
Net
Agree

23.14 Potential Sales Tax Measures

23.15 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 9
Measure Vote
Initially, a sales tax measure that is more focused on addressing homelessness receives more solid support than a measure with less emphasis on it.

Q16.
58%
38%
53%
40%
Lean 2%
Lean 4%
Yes
61%
No
38%
(Undecided)
1%
Yes
57%
No
40%
(Undecided)
3%
Yes No (Undecided) Yes No (Undecided)
Split A: Emphasis on Homelessness
(n=225)
Split B: Limited Homelessness
(n=225)
To protect and maintain essential services including homelessness response/prevention, emergency shelters, case management/outreach; cleaning up and addressing the impacts of encampments; supporting local food programs; preparing for wildfires; maintaining streets and repairing potholes; preventing crime; and improving and maintaining neighborhood parks, beaches, and open space, shall the City of Santa Cruz measure to enact a one-half of one percent sales tax, raising about $8,000,000 annually for general government use until ended by voters, be adopted?
To protect and maintain essential services including homelessness response/prevention; supporting local food and senior programs; preparing for wildfires; maintaining streets and repairing potholes; improving public safety and preventing crime; improving/ maintaining neighborhood parks, beaches, and open space with safety upgrades to playgrounds and park facilities, shall the City of Santa Cruz measure to enact a one-half of one percent sales tax, raising about $8,000,000 annually for general government use until ended by voters, be adopted?

23.16 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 10
82%
70%
66%
66%
64%
64%
62%
59%
58%
16%
22%
23%
22%
31%
25%
27%
26%
26%
1%
1%
1%
2%
1%
6%
7%
6%
4%
6%
7%
6%
6%
1%
2%
3%
6%
1%
5%
4%
8%
8%
98%
92%
89%
87%
95%
88%
89%
85%
84%
2%
7%
10%
13%
5%
11%
11%
15%
14%
Keeping pollution out of local rivers, creeks, and streams Ensuring city firefighters have the training and equipment needed to fight wildfires
Providing affordable housing for local workers
Connecting people experiencing homelessness with
services and support
Preparing for wildfires
Cleaning up and addressing the impacts of encampments
Supporting local food programs
Providing emergency shelter to get people off the streets Mitigating the effects of climate change
Strongly
Support
Somewhat
Support
(Don't
Know)
Somewhat
Oppose
Strongly
Oppose
Top Measure Components
Q23-39. I’m going to read you some policy elements that could be funded as part of this measure. For each one, please tell me if you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose that element.

Keeping pollution out of local waterways, ensuring firefighters are equipped to fight wildfires, affordable housing, and connecting homeless individuals with services are the top components tested.

Total
Support
Total
Oppose

23.17 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 11
Additional Information
Q40-46. Next I’d like to read you statements from people who support this measure. After each one, please tell me how convincing that statement is as a reason to support this measure: very convincing, somewhat convincing, not too convincing, or not at all convincing.

Equipping firefighters, continuing homelessness response and prevention programs, and highlighting the encampment assessment team’s successes are compelling reasons to support a potential measure. 42%
37%
36%
33%
36%
30%
36%
33%
78%
67%
72%
67%

FIREFIGHTERS

CONTINUE PROGRAMS

SUCCESSES

FAIR SHARE
Very Convincing Somewhat Convincing Total Convincing
(FIREFIGHTERS) This measure will help make sure that local firefighters have the training and equipment they need to ensure that our city is ready for future wildfires. With the environmental impacts of climate change occurring more and more frequently, we need to act now to ensure our firefighters and our local community are prepared. (CONTINUE PROGRAMS) To get serious about homelessness, we need to get people off the streets and into emergency shelters and eventually permanent, stable housing. But some of the most successful local homelessness response and prevention programs are at risk of losing state funding. This measure will help make sure those programs continue. (SUCCESSES) The City’s encampment assessment team has seen success at moving people from areas like the San Lorenzo River and into emergency shelters such as the Armory, significantly reducing unsheltered homelessness in the last two years. This measure will allow the city to continue these successful programs connecting those experiencing homelessness with the mental health and supportive services they need to get back on their feet.
(FAIR SHARE) This small increase will ensure that people visiting and shopping in Santa Cruz will pay their fair share for using local services like streets, parks, and public safety and reinvest that money directly in our community.

23.18 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 12
Additional Information
Q40-46. Next I’d like to read you statements from people who support this measure. After each one, please tell me how convincing that statement is as a reason to support this measure: very convincing, somewhat convincing, not too convincing, or not at all convincing.

Statements emphasizing a potential measure’s impact on parks, public safety, and roadways resonate with less intensity. 27%
27%
24%
40%
38%
46%
67%
65%
70%

PARKS/OPEN SPACE
SAFETY

STREETS
Very Convincing Somewhat Convincing Total Convincing
(PARKS/OPEN SPACE) Our neighborhood parks, beaches, and great public facilities are what makes Santa Cruz such a great place to live, but many of our parks are starting to show their age. This measure will allow the city to invest in new lighting and playground equipment, and other upgrades, to keep our parks and open spaces clean, safe, and open to everyone.
(SAFETY) This measure will keep crucial public safety and emergency response services fully funded and invest in crime prevention, protecting current residents and keeping local small businesses secure.
(STREETS) This measure will help make much needed upgrades to some of our dilapidated public infrastructure including filling potholes, repaving streets, and repairing damage from last winter’s historic rain.

23.19 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 13
Split A: Emphasis on Homelessness
(n=225)
Vote Progression
After an opposition statement centered around rising inflation and the lack of progress on homelessness, both measures drop to around 55% support.

Q16/47/48. Given what you’ve heard, if the election were held today, would you vote yes to approve or no to reject the measure enacting a one-half of one percent sales tax in the City of Santa Cruz? 61% 61%
55%
38% 37%
45%
1% 2% 0%
Initial Vote After Information After Opposition
Yes
No
(Undecided)
3% 0% 1%
57%
64%
54%
40%
35%
45%
Initial Vote After Information After Opposition
Opponents of this measure say that after over a year of historic inflation, the last thing the City should be doing is raising the sales tax to nearly 10%—one of the highest in the state. The government has asked for more money to address housing and homelessness plenty of times and there’s been no progress, so why should we trust them to manage our tax dollars properly now?
Split B: Limited Homelessness
(n=225)

23.20 23-9061 City of Santa Cruz DRAFT | 14
Conclusions
 While voters don’t acknowledge that the City has gained much ground on homelessness, it remains a high priority, and they are open to a sales tax that would address homelessness along with other needs for the City.
 While there is no significant difference in overall support between the splits, the slight initial edge for the “emphasis on homelessness” measure aligns with homelessness as a top-of-mind issue for voters, and information about the City’s successful programs and need for continued funding resonate. This suggests that emphasizing this continuing work while incorporating other popular elements from a more general measure—particularly fire preparedness and keeping local waterways clean—is likely to be effective.  A more compassionate approach to talking about homelessness appears to resonate more with voters, e.g. cleaning up encampments vs clearing them, connecting people with services vs getting them off the streets.
 The tone will be important—communicating there is more to do vs. overconfidence in what the City has already accomplished.

23.21 Emily Kirby Goodman
[email protected]
817-501-8157
Sianna Ziegler
[email protected]
510.550.8934
Ben Larson
[email protected]
512-774-6313

23.22 RESOLUTION NO. NSRESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ ORDERING AN

ELECTION, REQUESTING COUNTY ELECTIONS TO CONDUCT THE ELECTION, AND REQUESTING CONSOLIDATION WITH THE PRIMARY ELECTION ON MARCH 5, 2024,

FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCLUDING A BALLOT MEASURE FOR THE CITY OF SANTA

CRUZ TO IMPOSE A RETAIL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX
WHEREAS, pursuant to Elections Code Section 10002, the governing body of any city may by resolution request the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz to permit the county elections official to render specified services to the city relating to the conduct of an election; and
WHEREAS, the resolution of the governing body of the city shall specify the services requested; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Elections Code Section 10002, the city shall reimburse the county in full for the services performed upon presentation of a bill to the city; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Elections Code Section 10400, whenever two or more elections, including bond elections, of any legislative or congressional district, public district, city, county, or other political subdivision are called to be held on the same day, in the same territory, or in territory that is in part the same, they may be consolidated upon the order of the governing body or bodies or officer or officers calling the elections; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Elections Code Section 10400, such election for cities and special districts may be either completely or partially consolidated; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Elections Code Section 10403, whenever an election called by a district, city or other political subdivision for the submission of any question, proposition, or office to be filled is to be consolidated with a statewide election, and the question, proposition, or office to be filled is to appear upon the same ballot as that provided for that statewide election, the district, city or other political subdivision shall, at least 88 days prior to the date of the election, file with the Board of Supervisors, and a copy with the elections official, a resolution of its governing board requesting the consolidation, and setting forth the exact form of any question, proposition, or office to be voted upon at the election, as it is to appear on the ballot acknowledging that the consolidation election will be held and conducted in the manner prescribed in Section 10418. Upon such request, the Board of Supervisors may order the consolidation; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Elections Code Section 10418, if consolidated, the consolidated election shall be held and conducted, election boards appointed, voting precincts designated, candidates nominated, ballots printed, polls opened and closed, voter challenges determined, ballots counted and returned, returns canvassed, results declared, certificates of election issued, recounts conducted, election contests presented, and all other proceedings incidental to and connected with the election shall be regulated and done in accordance with the provisions of law

23.23 RESOLUTION NO. NSregulating the statewide or special election, or the election held pursuant to Section 1302 or 1303, as applicable; and
WHEREAS, the resolution requesting the consolidation shall be adopted and filed at the same time as the adoption of the ordinance, resolution, or order calling the election; and WHEREAS, various district, county, state, and other political subdivision elections may be or have been called to be held on March 5, 2024.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ORDERED by the City Council of the City of Santa Cruz that an election be called and consolidated with any and all elections also called to be held on March 5, 2024, insofar as said elections are to be held in the same territory that is in part the same as the territory of the City of Santa Cruz and hereby requests the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz to order such consolidation under Elections Code Section 10401, 10403, 10406 and 10418.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that the City Council of the City of Santa Cruz hereby requests the Board of Supervisors to permit the Santa Cruz County Elections Department to provide any and all services necessary for conducting the election and agrees to pay for said services; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that the Santa Cruz County Elections Department shall conduct the election for the following measure to be voted on at the March 5, 2024 election:

Measure to be voted on:

Ballot Question:

Measure “___” City of Santa Cruz Half-Cent Sales Tax Measure Yes
“To protect and maintain essential services including
homelessness response/prevention, emergency shelters,
case management/connection to services; cleaning
up/addressing the impacts of encampments; keeping
pollution out of local rivers, creeks, and streams; supporting local food programs; preparing for wildfires;
maintaining/repairing streets/potholes; and improving/
maintaining neighborhood parks, beaches, and public
safety, shall the City of Santa Cruz measure to enact a onehalf of one percent sales tax be adopted, raising about $8,000,000 annually for general government use until ended by voters?”
No
The City Council of the City of Santa Cruz submits to the qualified electors said Ballot Measure Question as set forth above and designates and refers to said measure as the measure to be set

23.24 RESOLUTION NO. NSforth on the ballots for use in said election. The full text of the measure is as set forth in Exhibit A.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 9280 of the California Elections Code, the City Attorney is hereby directed to prepare an impartial analysis of this measure.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 9212 of the California Elections Code, the Finance Director is hereby directed to prepare a fiscal impact statement of this measure.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that Santa Cruz County Elections Department is requested to print the attached measure text exactly as filed or indicated on the filed document in the Voter's Information Guide for the March 5, 2024 election. Cost of printing and distribution of the measure text will be paid for by the city.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that the City Clerk Administrator of the City of Santa Cruz is hereby ordered and directed to cause said proposed ordinance (Exhibit A) and notice of election to be published in accordance with the provisions of the California State Election Code.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this 28th day of November, 2023 by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

DISQUALIFIED:

APPROVED: __________________________
Fred Keeley, Mayor
ATTEST: ______________________________
Bonnie Bush, City Clerk Administrator

23.25 RESOLUTION NO. NSEXHIBIT A
“ORDINANCE NO. 2024-___

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ AMENDING
SECTION 3.18.056 OF THE SANTA CRUZ MUNICIPAL CODE

PERTAINING TO ADDITIONAL TRANSACTIONS TAX RATE

THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Chapter 3.18 – TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX of the City of Santa Cruz Municipal Code is hereby amended to add Section 3.18.056 “ADDITIONAL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX” to read as follows:
“3.18.056 ADDITIONAL TRANSACTIONS TAX RATE.

For the privilege of selling tangible personal property at retail, an additional tax is hereby imposed upon all retailers in the incorporated territory of the City at the rate of one-half of one percent (0.50%) of the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail in said territory on and after the operative date of this ordinance codified in this section.”
Section 2. Chapter 3.18 – TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX is hereby further amended to add Section 3.18.076 “ADDITIONAL USE TAX RATE” to read as follows:
“3.18.076 ADDITIONAL USE TAX RATE.

An additional excise tax is hereby imposed on the storage, use or other consumption in the city of tangible personal property purchased from any retailer on and after the operative date of the ordinance codified in this section for storage, use or other consumption in said territory at the rate of one-half of one percent (0.50%) of the sales price of the property.

The sales price shall include delivery charges when such charges are subject to state sales or use tax regardless of the place to which delivery is made.” Section 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

This ordinance relates to the levying and collecting of the City transactions and use taxes and shall take effect immediately if the tax imposed is approved by a simple majority of voters voting on the question at the March 5, 2024 statewide primary election and shall become operative on the first date of the first calendar quarter commencing more than 110 days after the adoption of this ordinance, the date of such adoption being as set forth below.

PASSED AND ADOPTED by a majority vote of the electorate of the City of Santa Cruz on at the March 5, 2024 statewide primary election. Pursuant to Section 3, above, the ordinance became effective immediately upon such adoption.

23.26 RESOLUTION NO. NSAttest: _______________________________ (Signature)
_______________________________
(Title)

23.27 1
Rosemary Balsley
From: Garrett <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, November 24, 2023 4:17 PM
To: City Council
Subject: 11/28/23 Agenda Item #23 Jacking Sales Taxes II 11/28/23 Agenda Item #23 Jacking Sales Taxes II
Since Measure F failed the last time you tried to raise sales taxes to the highest in the nation a rational person might assume the people have spoken and don't want more taxes, and you would "get it" that they want you to curb spending among other things to achieve a balanced budget.

They would be wrong, the city doesn't act rationally in that way. It wants to grow, to spend, and to grow government and spend more and more regardless of population, the economy, or what the people want.
"Maintaining/repairing streets/potholes; and improving/ maintaining neighborhood parks, beaches, and public safety," are things YOU ARE ALREADY SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDING AS A PRIORITY". Perhaps your priorities are misguided if they need additional funding. Perhaps by mentioning so many issues shotgun style you hope one may catch a persons fancy? Perhaps you should say how much funding for each will occur to be transparent? Never mind this is a regressive tax that falls mostly on the poorest, never mind the new tax level is the highest in the nation, never mind we have little to show in California for these high taxes with sky high homelessness, crime, and all the odious and costly regulations that are driving people and business out of the state like never before,
never mind our population has not grown in three years ("strange" how so many bad trends started around then when Biden was elected),
never mind sales taxes and property taxes do grow by themselves especially in inflationary times without increasing the rates.

Do you think the size and expense of government doesn't matter? Just a question, if/when this one fails, are you going to just come back in November with the same story "we need money" again and again?
Show me ONE thing where you ever meaningfully tried to cut spending, or reduced personnel yr/over year.

What makes you think the "take" out of peoples income should continue to go up and up? Is this the last tax measure you will ever suggest?

I see this a massive failure to manage. I missed the part where you asked the public if they would prefer you cut spending and perhaps even lower taxes.

Garrett Philipp - Westside

23.28 2

23.29 Council Budget & Revenue
Ad Hoc Committee
Sales Tax Measure for March 2024
1 Mayor Fred Keeley
Councilmembers Sandy Brown and Scott Newsome
1 23.30
Agenda
• Background
• Summary Poll Results
• March 2024 Sales Tax Measure
2 23.31
Background

23.32 3
Vibrant Healthy Resilient
Our Community
Our Employees = Service Delivery
Our Focus
High Quality Essential Services for All
4 23.33
• Essential services ➢ More users of services ➢ New services ➢ Changes to existing services • Unprecedented emergencies • Cost increases – examples: ➢ Fuel ➢ Computer chips ➢ Engineering design services ➢ Lumber ➢ Vehicles Context
5 23.34
General Fund Projections – Reserves and Budget
The City’s General Fund will fall below minimum reserve threshold in FY 2025, and be depleted by FY 2027.

The current forecasted ongoing annual fiscal gap averages $10.5M from FY 2025 to FY 2034; the gap must be addressed via revenue enhancements, expenditure controls and service delivery changes.
6 23.35
7 7
Our Challenge
We must continue to deliver our
high quality essential services to our
community
Explore a top revenue opportunity
(sales tax)

23.36 7
A Poll for a Potential Sales Tax Measure
8 23.37
• Traditional Funding Source
• Current Maximum: 9.75%
• City current rate – 9.25%
• Other Local Agency Rates:
➢ Unincorporated portions of Santa Cruz
County - 9.00%
➢ Capitola - 9.00%
➢ City of Scotts Valley - 9.75%
➢ Watsonville - 9.75%
Sales Tax
9 23.38
• Not additive: if County and City increase, consumer
pays the applicable rate one time, based upon
location of purchase
• Exclusions: groceries, prescription medicine, diapers, and feminine hygiene products
• Visitors who shop in Santa Cruz pay their fair share
• Required public disclosure of all spending
• All funds must stay local in Santa Cruz and no funds
can be taken away by the State
Fiscal Accountability
and Local Control
10 23.39
Estimated annual proceeds: $8 million
$0.23 to City general uses if sales tax measure passes
11 Sales Tax

23.40 • Survey of likely March 2024 voters in the City of Santa Cruz
• Survey conducted from October 4-11, 2023
• 450 interviews; overall margin of error ±4.62
percentage points
➢ Multimodal live telephone, email- and text-to-web
methodology
➢ Phone interviews conducted by trained, professional
interviewers in English and Spanish; landlines and mobile phones included
➢ Email and text invitations were sent to complete the
survey online
Sales Tax Poll
Methodology
12 23.41
Bulleted List
13 13 23.42
Bulleted List
14 23.43
Bulleted List
15 23.44
Bulleted List
16 23.45
Next Step – Ballot Measure
17 23.46
18 Our Response
Our essential services very much align with
community feedback, and
fiscal need is significant
Recommendation for sales tax to move forward on
March 2024 ballot
18 23.47
Passionate Pursuit of More Affordable and Workforce Housing 19 ✓ City Meets 5th Regional Housing Needs Allocation
targets in every income category
✓ Only 6% of jurisdiction in state achieved targets
➢ 6
th Cycle – 5x number of units as 5th Cycle
Front / River Fon
19 23.48
50 Units,
All
Affordable,
Supportive
Housing
(314 Jessie St)
20 Affordable Housing Projects

23.49 21
Affordable Housing Projects
70 Units,
100%
Affordable,
25%
Supportive
(Pac Station
South)

23.50 21
Homelessness Response Results - 2023
22 Filling desperately needed housing voids,
organizing targeted efforts on clean-up, and
planning for a navigation center

23.51 Homelessness Response Results - 2023
23 Connecting our unhoused directly to emergency
shelter, and to resources who can help with
longer-term assistance

23.52 Homelessness Response Results - 2023
24 Being a community resource and partner across
the board - for clean-ups, severe weather
emergency shelter, and affordable housing

23.53 Downtown Litter Abatement Crew
(Hope Services – 24+ Years Strong)
25 23.54
Vegetation Management
26 23.55
Wildfire Safety
27 23.56
Safety and Maintenance
28 23.57
Proposed Measure
“To protect and maintain essential services including homelessness response/prevention, emergency shelters, case
management/connection to services; cleaning up/addressing the impacts of encampments; keeping pollution out of local rivers, creeks, and streams; supporting local food programs; preparing for wildfires; maintaining/repairing streets/potholes; and improving/ maintaining neighborhood parks, beaches, and public safety,
shall the City of Santa Cruz measure to enact a one-half of one percent sales tax be adopted, raising about $8,000,000 annually for general government use until ended by voters?”
29 23.58
Recommended Motion

1. Accept a report regarding the recent work of the City Council Budget and Revenue Ad Hoc Committee;

2. Adopt a resolution requesting that the consolidated March 2024 California statewide primary election include a general purpose one-half of one percent retail transaction and use tax measure; and

3. Support the measure for the purpose of authorizing arguments; provide direction regarding the authors; directing the City Attorney to prepare the impartial analysis; and providing direction to the City Manager regarding the preparation of the fiscal analysis, as appropriate.
30 23.59
31 31
What questions do you have?

23.60 City Council

AGENDA REPORT
DATE: 11/08/2023
AGENDA OF: 11/28/2023
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
SUBJECT: San Lorenzo River Levee Letter of Map Revision Application Submittal Update (PW)
RECOMMENDATION: Receive information on the progress of San Lorenzo River Levee Certification and Letter of Map Revision Application Submittal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

BACKGROUND: In 2020, the City received notification from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that the San Lorenzo River flood control project had been officially deemed “complete”. At that time the City transitioned into the lead agency for continued operation and management. As part of the transition process the City assumed responsibility for routine FEMA certification of the flood control project and levee system. The FEMA certification of the levee system will ensure stable flood insurance rates currently required for the majority of downtown property owners and reduces the City’s liability risk should a failure occur.

On November 27, 2018, City Council authorized a contract with MBK Engineers (MBK) to provide program management and certify the San Lorenzo River levee system by ensuring FEMA evaluation criteria was met. The FEMA certification effort primarily entailed establishing an updated base flood elevation, conducting all necessary engineering evaluations, and identifying deficiencies in operation and maintenance activities as required per the conditions outlined in in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 44, Section 65.10. MBK was the certifying engineer and managed the levee certification team and subconsultant coordination of evaluations pertaining to geotechnical conditions, hydrology and hydraulics, erosion and vegetation encroachments. MBK identified two maintenance activities that must be addressed before the submission of the City’s certification package to FEMA. The City’s Vegetation Management Project and Burrowing Rodent Mitigation Project addressed the identified maintenance issues.

With completion of the two projects, the levee was brought into compliance for the FEMA certification effort and meet the city’s operational needs for continued maintenance throughout the accreditation period (10 years).

In November 2023, the City submitted an application for a Letter of Map Revision (map revision) with MBK certifying documentation and updated flood risks maps associated with the San Lorenzo River. The supporting hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, mapping, and annotated rate maps have been provided to FEMA for approval for revisions to the FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zones AE and A99) and Base-Flood (100-year) Elevations for the San Lorenzo River. As result of the requested changes 1,492 parcels are proposed to be removed

24.1 from the any form of flood risk zone. This change is broadly expected to be a benefit to those properties as they will no longer be required to maintain flood insurance as part of the loan if one is in place. Staff are continuing to explore the potential insurance implications for another subset of parcels that are being converted from Zone A99 to Zone AE. As with other forms of insurance, property characteristics, ownership/use, and other factors are all taken into account for insurance purposes and insurance needs and rates may vary parcel to parcel.

DISCUSSION: Over the next several months, FEMA will review the submitted application and supporting documentation. FEMA will notify the City when it has reviewed the hydraulic modeling and verified the proposed changes to the FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zones AE and A99) and Base-Flood (100-year) Elevations for the San Lorenzo River.

The City will then notify property owners in City limits whose parcels are expected to be affected by the updated flood insurance rate maps and change in flood hazard designation. The City will coordinate with the County of Santa Cruz staff to provide similar notifications for County residents whose parcels are expected to be affected by the updated rate maps.

After allowing a period for public comment, FEMA will issue the Letter of Map Revision (expected around December 2024).

FISCAL IMPACT: There is no impact to the General Fund.

Prepared By:

Kevin Crossley
Assistant Director of Public
Works/City Engineer
Submitted By:

Nathan Nguyen, P.E.

Director of Public Works
Approved By:

Matt Huffaker
City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:

None.

24.2 San Lorenzo River Levee
FEMA Accreditation Update
Letter of Map Revision - Application Submittal
Public Works Director, Nathan Nguyen

24.3 Background
1950s – Levees
Constructed
Following devastating floods
in the 1950s the San
Lorenzo River Levees were
constructed in partnership
with the US Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) to
protect the City of Santa
Cruz.

July 2020
USACE hands over certification
responsibility to the City.

Starts a 3-year timeline for the
City to achieve FEMA
Accreditation or risk losing
“Community Rating System”
15% discount for flood
insurance policies through
FEMA.

December 2022 –
July 2023
City conducts Vegetation
Management Plan and
Burrowing Rodent
Management Plan projects
to bring levees into
compliance with
USACE requirements.
2020 - 2023
City prepares for FEMA
Accreditation of SLR Levee

24.4 • Operation, Maintenance, Repair, Replacement and Rehabilitation (OMRR&R) – Including Burrowing Rodent Management Plan and Vegetation Management Plan
• Surveying the levee, floodplain, and downtown stormdrain system
• Hydraulic modelling
• Determine the new limits of flood hazard zoning
FEMA Accreditation Effort (2020-2023)

24.5 Letter of Map Revision
 The Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) is a document issued by FEMA which acknowledges the accreditation of the levee and the updates flood hazard mapping (Flood Insurance Risk Maps)  Once issued, the flood hazard zones updates go into effect immediately.
 This figure shows the proposed flood risk changes resulting from the draft LOMR.
 A significant number of parcels will be removed from any flood hazard map.

24.6 Lookahead:

FEMA’s Letter of Map Revision Timeline
November 2023
Letter of Map Revision
application submitted to
FEMA
June 2024
(Estimated)
FEMA accepts hydraulic
modelling. Notifications are
sent to all property owners
affected by changes to
floodway and floodplain
limits.

September 2024
(Estimated)
FEMA issues Letter of Map
Revision. Flood hazard zone
changes go into effect.

July-September 2024
(Estimated)
90 day public appeal and
comment period

24.7 Questions?
 More information available at the City’s San
Lorenzo River Levee Projects & Resources website
https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/publicworks/engineering/public-works-projects/san-lorenzo-river-levee-projects

24.8 City Council

AGENDA REPORT
DATE: 11/15/2023
AGENDA OF: 11/28/2023
DEPARTMENT: City Council
SUBJECT: An Ordinance Requiring Delivery Companies to Provide a Service Enabling Customers to Tip Delivery Drivers (CN)
RECOMMENDATION: Introduce for publication an ordinance adding Chapter 5.11 to the Santa Cruz Municipal Code to require delivery companies to offer tipping option to residential delivery customers.

BACKGROUND: Delivery drivers provide an essential service to our community. They deliver food, medicine and other packages in bad weather and busy traffic. However, there is no option for residents to economically reward these workers with a tip; this stands in stark contrast to other delivery drivers, such as those that deliver meals and passenger rides, where tipping is a standard customary practice.

DISCUSSION: In December, 2022, Amazon added a temporary feature to its website that enabled customers to tip their delivery drivers over the Holidays, and thereby demonstrating that technology enabling customers to tip delivery drivers is already in place and workable. This proposed ordinance would require delivery companies to provide residential customers the ability to tip their delivery drivers. Under the proposed ordinance, this option could be provided to customers when ordering the product at check out, through a hyperlink attachment in an SMS or e-mail notifying the customer the delivery was completed, or on printed materials (like a QR code) either affixed to the delivery box or within the package supplying instructions on how to leave a tip.

The requirement for delivery companies to provide the option to tip would not apply to delivery companies with six or fewer employees, delivery drivers who are independent contractors, delivery companies or drivers who are subject to a valid collective bargaining agreement, the United States Postal Service, or to Business-to-Business delivery drivers.

The delivery drivers at UPS and DHL are unionized and are subject to a valid collective bargaining agreement. Currently, FedEx residential drivers are employees of logistics companies that contract with FedEx to deliver packages. Amazon has two tracks of delivery drivers, Amazon Flex and the Delivery Service Partner Program. Currently, Amazon Flex is not available in Santa Cruz. The Delivery Service Partner Program drivers, like FedEx, are employees of logistics companies. The companies then contract with Amazon to deliver packages. The proposed ordinance would apply jointly to delivery companies like Amazon and FedEx, and to logistics companies that contract with them.

25.1 The City currently does not have access to information or the resources to implement an enforcement program for this ordinance. Accordingly, it is anticipated that enforcement would entail providing delivery drivers with a legal basis or cause of action to seek damages and/or injunctive relief against companies that fail to adhere to the ordinance’s requirements, along with a provision enabling a successful plaintiff to recover their respective attorneys’ fees and costs.

Based on preliminary research by the City Attorney, it did not appear that such an ordinance would be preempted by state or federal law. Based on more recent communications by the parcel delivery industry, however, further research into potential preemption issues is warranted.

As written, however, the proposed ordinance would not take effect until six months after its final adoption, during which time the City will conduct outreach to affected companies, and potentially bring back to Council any necessary revisions or refinements.

Health in All Policies (HiAP) – The proposed ordinance is consistent with the HiAP framework, particularly equity and sustainability.

FISCAL IMPACT: No significant fiscal impact anticipated.

Submitted By:

Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson
Councilmember
Submitted By:

Martine Watkins
Councilmember
Submitted By:

Sonja Brunner
Councilmember
ATTACHMENTS:

1. ORDINANCE.DOCX

25.2 ORDINANCE NO. 2023-XX
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ ADDING CHAPTER 5.11 TO THE

SANTA CRUZ MUNICIPAL CODE REQUIRING DELIVERY COMPANIES TO OFFER

TIPPING OPTION FOR DELIVERY CUSTOMERS
BE IT ORDAINED by the City of Santa Cruz as follows:

WHEREAS, the City of Santa Cruz recognizes the significant contributions made by delivery drivers who deliver goods or packages to customers at residential addresses within the City of Santa Cruz.

WHEREAS, the City of Santa Cruz believes it is important to ensure fair compensation for these delivery drivers, who often provide exceptional service to the residents of our city; and WHEREAS, tipping is a common practice in many service industries and provides customers with an opportunity to show appreciation for outstanding service; and WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the City of Santa Cruz to encourage and promote fair compensation for delivery drivers while fostering a positive working relationship between customers and delivery companies;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Santa Cruz as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 5.11 (Delivery Driver Tipping) is hereby added to the Santa Cruz Municipal Code, and it shall read as follows:
“CHAPTER 5.11 – DELIVERY DRIVER TIPPING

5.11.010 – DEFINITIONS.
(a) "Delivery company" shall refer to parcel delivery services engaged in the business of shipping and/or delivering a minimum average of twenty-five packages per week to customers at residential addresses within the City of Santa Cruz. (b) "Delivery driver" shall refer to an individual employed by a delivery company for the purpose of delivering goods or packages to customers at residential addresses.

5.11.020 – TIPPING OPTION REQUIREMENT.
(a) All delivery companies, as defined in Section 5.11.010, operating within the City of Santa Cruz shall offer a tipping option to their customers, either through their website, mobile application, or other means of electronic communication. Companies engaged in the shipping or delivery of products or packages on their own behalf or on behalf of third parties from the point of origin to the final residential destination shall, jointly and

25.3 severally, be responsible for compliance with this Chapter including, but not limited to third-party contractors such as, for example, Amazon Delivery Service Partners. (b) The tipping option shall be prominently displayed and easily accessible to the customer by one or more mechanisms that may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
a. During the checkout or order placement process;
b. Through a hyperlink in an SMS or e-mail notifying the customer of the delivery status; c. On printed material affixed to the delivery box or within the package with instructions on how to leave a tip;
d. On an order/delivery tracking page that a customer has access to; or e. A generally available website that customers are directed to at which a tip can be given for a specific delivery by providing a tracking number or other unique identifier to the delivery company. This website must be easily accessible and discoverable such as, for example, by including its web address and instructions on the delivery company’s packing label.

5.11.030 – EXCEPTIONS.
(a) This ordinance shall not apply to:
a. Delivery companies with six (6) or fewer employees;
b. Delivery drivers who are independent contractors;
c. Delivery companies or delivery drivers who engage in regular face-to-face interactions with customers including, but not limited to, furniture and appliance deliveries, service calls, installation services and similar transactions.
d. Delivery companies or delivery drivers who are subject to a valid collective bargaining agreement;
e. The United States Postal Service; or
f. Business-to-Business deliveries.

5.11.040 – CIVIL ENFORCEMENT.
(a) Any aggrieved person may enforce the provisions of this chapter in a civil action filed in Santa Cruz Superior Court for injunctive relief and damages. (b) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter or who aids in such a violation is liable for each violation. Whoever is found to have violated this chapter shall be subject to appropriate injunctive relief and shall be liable for one hundred dollars ($100) per day per driver in damages, plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees as determined by the Court. (c) Any person who commits, or proposes to commit, an act in violation of this chapter may be enjoined therefrom by any court of competent jurisdiction. An action for equitable relief under this subsection may be brought by any aggrieved person. (d) In any civil action brought pursuant to this Chapter, it shall be an affirmative defense if the defendant delivery company establishes that the failure to comply was due to short-term technical outages (malfunctions, outages, or integration issues) that prevented the option

25.4 to tip from being delivered to customers, provided such outage was resolved within five (5) business days, and the delivery company has otherwise made good faith efforts to maintain the tipping service generally.”
SECTION 5. Severability.

If any section or portion of this chapter is found to be invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such finding shall not affect the validity of the remainder of the chapter, which shall continue in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Effective Date
This ordinance shall be in force and take effect one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of its final adoption.

PASSED FOR PUBLICATION this 28th day of November, 2023, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

DISQUALIFIED:

APPROVED: __________________________
Fred Keeley, Mayor
ATTEST: ________________________________
Bonnie Bush, City Clerk Administrator
PASSED FOR FINAL ADOPTION this ___ day of ______, 2023 by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

DISQUALIFIED:

APPROVED: _____________________
Fred Keeley, Mayor
ATTEST: ___________________________
Bonnie Bush, City Clerk Administrator

25.5 This is to certify that the above
and foregoing document is the
original of Ordinance No. 2023-______
and that it has been published or
posted in accordance with the
Charter of the City of Santa Cruz.
___________________________
Bonnie Bush, City Clerk Administrator

25.6 CITY COUNCIL

AGENDA REPORT
DATE: 11/9/2023
AGENDA OF: 11/28/2023
DEPARTMENT: Planning & Community Development
SUBJECT: Municipal Code Amendments Relating to Flexible Density Units (FDUs) Responding to Modifications Requested by the California Coastal Commission (PL)
RECOMMENDATION: Motion to:
1) Adopt a resolution acknowledging receipt of the resolution of certification from the California Coastal Commission, including the suggested modifications, and 2) Introduce for publication an ordinance amending Part 16 of Chapter 24.12 of the Municipal Code related to Flexible Density Units in response to action by the California Coastal Commission.

BACKGROUND: The City of Santa Cruz adopted ordinance 2022-02 creating a unit type called a Flexible Density Unit (FDU) in March of 2022. The FDU replaced and expanded the previously existing unit type known as a Small Ownership Unit (SOU). FDUs are small housing units between 220 and 650 square feet in size that may be created for sale or rent and are allowed only in the primary commercial zone districts (C-C Community Commercial, CBD Central Business District, CBD-E Central Business District Subdistrict Lower Pacific Avenue, and R-T(C) Beach Commercial). They can be built either in an exclusively FDU development (in the same manner as an SRO development), or they can be included as part of a development project with other larger units. All zone districts where FDUs are allowed are governed by site standards that limit the size of new buildings. FDUs are not subject to any specific limitation on density and can even be used to fill out an allowable building volume if the maximum density for other types of units has been reached. Overall, this policy is intended to promote more efficient use of land and support the development of smaller units.

Ordinance 2022-02 is also an amendment to the City’s Local Coastal Program Implementation Plan (LCP IP) and requires approval from the California Coastal Commission (CCC) prior to taking effect inside the Coastal Zone portions of the City. Following adoption of the ordinance, City staff submitted it to the CCC for review and approval in February of 2023. At their meeting on October 13, 2023, the CCC passed a motion approving the LCP amendment conditional upon the City accepting minor modifications requested by Commission staff and incorporating them into the City’s ordinance and LCP IP.

DISCUSSION: The modifications requested by the CCC relate to the way FDUs interact with State Density Bonus Law and the City Density Bonus. The CCC staff suggested and staff agreed

26.1 that clarifying the interaction of the two policies would benefit all parties. Staff worked collaboratively with local CCC staff to draft the following language, which is proposed to be added to Santa Cruz Municipal Code (SCMC) Section 24.12.1520:

9. FDUs in Density Bonus Projects. When FDUs are proposed as part of a density bonus application, sections (a) and (b) below shall be used to calculate the allowable residential density, for both the conforming base project (upon which the density bonus application is based) and the resultant density bonus project. Both of the following conditions shall apply to such units:
a. The average unit size for the base project must be equal to or greater than the average unit size for the density bonus project.
b. The percentage of units in the base project that are FDUs must be equal to or less than the percentage of units in the density bonus project that are FDUs.

There was a concern that a base housing project could be made up of smaller units whereas its Density Bonus units are larger, improperly adding to the overall building size. While SCMC Section 24.16.255(6) and similar provisions in state law require that the average size of units in the density bonus project be equal to or less than the average size of the units in the base project, these provisions 1) are not a part of the LCP IP and 2) do not require that FDUs continue to be provided in the Density Bonus project. For those two reasons, staff supported the addition. The added language affirms that smaller FDU units cannot be used to inflate a Density Bonus project that is then made up of larger units, consistent with state and local law. The language also clarifies that if FDUs are present in the base project, they must also be present in the Density Bonus project at a similar ratio.

Next Steps. Should the City Council introduce the CCC’s changes for publication on November 28, a second reading of the ordinance will take place at the next available Council hearing. As summarized in the attached CCC Action Notice, the ordinance will take effect inside the coastal zone as soon as “the Commission’s Executive Director reports to the Commission his determination that the City’s actions are legally adequate, and the Commission does not object to the Executive Director’s determination.” If the City Council moves to adopt the modifications as shown in the attached ordinance, City staff will submit to the Coastal Commission for review at the next available meeting, which will likely be the February 2024 hearing. The ordinance will take effect inside the Coastal Zone the same day the adoption of the modifications is certified by the Coastal Commission.

Should the City Council disagree with the requested modifications, the ordinance would not take effect in the Coastal Zone. Staff would need to coordinate with the Coastal Commission regarding alternative revisions, and those revisions would need to be approved by both the City Council and Coastal Commission. If the changes represented substantive modifications, they would need to return to the Planning Commission for a formal recommendation to Council, Council would need to approve them, and then they would be resubmitted to the Coastal Commission as a new LCP amendment, triggering a new round of review.

Health in All Policies. The proposed amendments support the production of FDUs throughout the commercial areas in the Coastal Zone. FDUs can provide relatively lower cost housing options by allowing households to purchase fewer square feet of housing, based on their needs. They also support efficient use of land, which supports sustainability. The proposed amendments meet the Health in All Policies pillars by encouraging more sustainable development and a greater variety of housing options in the City of Santa Cruz.

26.2 Environmental Review. The zoning code amendment falls within the analyzed development potential in the City’s existing 2030 General Plan EIR using the existing zoning and General Plan. The proposed amendment would not result in increased intensification of uses because FDU developments would be permitted only in zoning districts that already allow Single Room Occupancy (SRO) developments of equal or greater intensity.

FISCAL IMPACT: The fiscal impact of these amendments varies given their indirect impact on the development of housing. The goal of this proposal is to support the production of housing and support the production of a greater variety of housing types. New housing can create greater demand for City services, which can have a negative fiscal impact over the long term, given Proposition 13 property tax implications. Higher density development, which this amendment supports, has been shown to have less fiscal impact per unit than lower density housing. The services associated with the increased demand will be located in more central areas that are already well served, so that will have lower costs to the City as compared to development in the periphery of the City. Furthermore, development fees are collected to cover short term permit processing and inspection service demands, as well as some capital improvements, such as those associated with Transportation Impact Fees.

Prepared by:

Sarah Neuse
Senior Planner
Matt VanHua, AICP
Principal Planner
Submitted by:

Lee Butler, AICP, LEED AP
Director of Planning and
Community Development
Approved by:

Matt Huffaker
City Manager

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Resolution

2. Proposed Ordinance, Clean Copy

3. Proposed Ordinance, track changes Copy

4. California Coastal Commission Staff Report and modifications discussion

5. California Coastal Commission Action Notice

26.3 RESOLUTION NO. NSRESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ ACCEPTING

CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION MODIFICATIONS TO AMENDMENTS TO MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 24.12.1520 RELATING TO FLEXIBLE DENSITY

UNITS, AND DIRECTING THE PLANNING DIRECTOR TO TRANSMIT THE

ACCEPTANCE TO THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION
WHEREAS, pursuant to authority delegated to the City of Santa Cruz by the California Coastal Commission, the City of Santa Cruz regulates development in the portion of the coastal zone that lies within the City Limits and that is outside of the original jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission; and
WHEREAS, City of Santa Cruz Municipal Code Chapter 24.12 is an implementing ordinance of the Local Coastal Program; and
WHEREAS, on March 8, 2022, the Santa Cruz City Council adopted Ordinance 2022-02 amending Muni Code Chapters 21.06, 24.10, and 24.12, among other sections to amend existing regulations related to various types of small housing units , and directed City Staff to submit those amendments to the California Coastal Commission for certification; and WHEREAS, on October 13, 2023, the California Coastal Commission held a public hearing on the amendments to the Local Coastal Program implementing ordinance adopted by the City Council and certified the amendments to the Municipal Code with modifications; and WHEREAS, the modifications proposed by the California Coastal Commission to Municipal Code Sections 24.12.1520 were submitted to the City by correspondence dated October 18, 2023, and
WHEREAS, insofar as the proposed changes to the Municipal Code are amendments to the Local Coastal Program Implementation Plan, the application of the proposed amendments in the coastal zone is statutorily exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15265 and the California Public Resources Code Section 21089.9;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ORDERED that the Santa Cruz City Council hereby accepts the California Coastal Commission’s suggested modifications to Municipal Code Section 24.12.1520 as shown in City of Santa Cruz Ordinance 2023-____ and incorporated herein by reference.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AND ORDERED that the Santa Cruz City Council hereby directs the Director of the Planning & Community Development Department or their designee to transmit this acceptance and any adopted ordinance that incorporates these modifications to the California Coastal Commission for concurrence by its Executive Director.

26.4 PASSED AND ADOPTED this 28th day of November, 2023, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

DISQUALIFIED:

APPROVED: _________________________
Fred Keeley, Mayor
ATTEST: ___________________________
Bonnie Bush, City Clerk Administrator

26.5 ORDINANCE NO.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ AMENDING CHAPTER 24.12 OF THE

CITY OF SANTA CRUZ MUNICIPAL CODE AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM TO

CLARIFY CERTAIN REGULATIONS FOR FLEXIBLE DENSITY UNITS
BE IT ORDAINED by the City of Santa Cruz as follows:

Section 1. Section 24.12.1520 of the Santa Cruz Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:

24.12.1520 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.

1. Density. FDU units shall comply with the underlying development standards of the zoning district in which they are located, except that requirements for minimum lot area per dwelling unit shall not apply to FDU units.

2. Unit Size. The floor area of FDU units may range from a minimum of two hundred twenty square feet to a maximum of six hundred fifty square feet.

3. Minimum Dwelling Units Requirement. Residential or mixed-use projects shall contain at least three dwelling units to qualify for use of the FDU unit type. FDU units can count towards this requirement.

4. Open Space. FDU units shall comply with the underlying development standards of the zoning district in which they are located, except that requirements for minimum open space per dwelling unit shall not apply to FDU units. In lieu of the district regulations for open space, minimum usable open space per dwelling unit for FDU units shall be defined by Section

24.12.1530.

5. Storage Facilities. All FDU units shall have access to private usable storage space containing a minimum of two hundred cubic feet. The required storage space may be incorporated into private garages or carports; provided, that the garage or carport has adequate space for a vehicle, as required by Part 3, Chapter 24.12.

6. Bicycle Parking. One Class 1 bicycle storage facility shall be provided for each FDU unit.

The required private usable storage space provided for each FDU unit may be utilized to meet this requirement.

7. Covered Parking. Covered parking is not required.

8. Zoning. In addition to the permitted land use districts in Chapter 24.10, FDUs shall be permitted in the Central Business District (CBD) pursuant to the Development Standards and Design Guidelines section of the Downtown Plan.

26.6 9. FDUs in Density Bonus Projects. When FDUs are proposed as part of a density bonus application, sections (a) and (b), below, shall be used to calculate the allowable residential density, or conforming base project, upon which the density bonus application is based. Both of the following conditions shall apply to the units in the density bonus application:
a. The average unit size for the base project must be equal to or greater than the average unit size for the density bonus application.
b. The percentage of units in the base project that are FDUs must be equal to or less than the percentage of units in the density bonus project that are FDUs.

Section 2. For areas of the City outside the Coastal Zone this ordinance shall take effect and be in force thirty (30) days after final adoption, and for areas of the City located inside the Coastal Zone this ordinance shall take effect and be in force thirty (30) days after final adoption but only following verification by the Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission that the approved ordinance conforms to the modifications requested by the California Coastal Commission.

PASSED FOR PUBLICATION this 28th day of November, 2023, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

DISQUALIFIED:

APPROVED: __________________________
Fred Keeley, Mayor
ATTEST: ___________________________
Bonnie Bush, City Clerk Administrator
PASSED FOR FINAL ADOPTION this ____ day of December, 2023 by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

DISQUALIFIED:

APPROVED: ___________________________
Fred Keeley, Mayor
ATTEST: ___________________________

26.7 Bonnie Bush, City Clerk Administrator
This is to certify that the above
and foregoing document is the
original of Ordinance No. 2023-___________
and that it has been published or
posted in accordance with the
Charter of the City of Santa Cruz.
___________________________
City Clerk Administrator

26.8 Proposed Modifications to Flexible Density Unit Ordinance – Strikeout/Underline 1 24.12.1520 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.

2. Unit Size. The floor area of FDU units may range from a minimum of two hundred twenty square feet to a maximum of six hundred fifty square feet.

24.12.1530.

6. Bicycle Parking. One Class 1 bicycle storage facility shall be provided for each FDU unit.

The required private usable storage space provided for each FDU unit may be utilized to meet this requirement.

7. Covered Parking. Covered parking is not required.

9. FDUs in Density Bonus Projects. When FDUs are proposed as part of a density bonus application, sections (a) and (b), below, shall be used to calculate the allowable residential density, or conforming base project, upon which the density bonus application is based. Both of the following conditions shall apply to the units in the density bonus application:
a. The average unit size for the base project must be equal to or greater than the average unit size for the density bonus application.
b. The percentage of units in the base project that are FDUs must be equal to or less than the percentage of units in the density bonus project that are FDUs.

26.9 STATE OF CALIFORNIA — NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY GAVIN NEWSOM, GOVERNOR

CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION

CENTRAL COAST DISTRICT
725 FRONT STREET, SUITE 300
SANTA CRUZ, CA 95060
PHONE: (831) 427-4863
FAX: (831) 427-4877
WEB: WWW.COASTAL.CA.GOV
F13a
Prepared September 22, 2023 for October 13, 2023 Hearing To: Commissioners and Interested Persons
From: Kevin Kahn, Central Coast District Manager
Kiana Ford, Coastal Planner
Subject: City of Santa Cruz LCP Amendment Number LCP-3-STC-23-0005-1-Part A (Small Housing Units)

SUMMARY OF STAFF RECOMMENDATION
The City of Santa Cruz is proposing to amend portions of its Local Coastal Program (LCP) Implementation Plan (IP) to update provisions related to small housing types, specifically modifying existing provisions applicable to single room occupancy units (SROs) and small ownership units (SOUs), and adding a new small housing type, namely flexible density units (FDUs), and adding provisions pertaining to FDUs. The City’s intent in all of these changes is to facilitate the production of these smaller housing types as a means of fostering additional more ‘naturally affordable’ housing options in the City.

In terms of SROs, historically, the City has seen fairly consistent production of SRO housing projects, and the amendment proposes some changes to SRO standards based on lessons learned so as to continue to improve upon their implementation as a more ‘affordable by design’ housing type. In contrast, SOU housing development projects have rarely been proposed, which the City sees as indicative of a disconnect between SOU provisions and the real estate housing market. Thus, SOU changes are proposed in hopes of facilitating more of the SOU-type of small housing opportunities, including renaming them as FDUs, and allowing for more flexibility in ownership/rental status (e.g., removing the current requirement that such units be at least 50% owneroccupied, thus allowing for more rental opportunities); lowering the minimum unit size from 400 square feet to 220 square feet, and removing the one bedroom per unit maximum (thereby allowing for a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom FDUs); and allowing for a mix of uses and residential unit types (whereas the IP currently requires an SOU project to be all-SOU, the proposed amendment would allow FDUs in mixed-use projects and combined with other types of residential units). The City does not, however, propose to change where these small housing units would be allowed, which within the coastal zone is generally limited to near downtown and near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

26.10 LCP-3-STC-23-0005-1-Part A (Small Housing Units)

Page 2 ends

Santa Cruz City CouncilNovember 28, 2023

Santa Cruz City Council
November 28, 2023