Scotts Valley City Council
November 29, 2023

Notice regarding City Council Meetings:

The City Council meets regularly on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM in the City Hall Council Chambers located at 1 Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066, and via Zoom Webinar remote access.

Agenda and Agenda Packet Materials:

The City Council agenda and the complete agenda packet are available for review by 5:00 PM the Friday before the Wednesday meeting on the Internet at the City’s website:
www.scottsvalley.gov and in the lobby of City Hall at 1 Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley, CA.

Pursuant to Government Code §54957.5, materials related to an agenda item, submitted after distribution of the agenda packet, are available for public inspection in the lobby of City Hall during normal business hours, Monday-Friday, 8am-12 pm and 1-5 pm. In accordance with AB 1344, such documents will be posted on the City’s website at www.scottsvalley.gov.

Public Attendance:

The meeting will be available on Zoom and livestreamed to the City of Scotts Valley’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLNTBScelB4wTfidYHrocWA For those wishing to watch via Zoom you can join the following ways:

MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA PACKET MATERIALS
AGENDA
Special Meeting of the
Scotts Valley City Council
In-Person and Remote Access
Date: November 29, 2023
Time: 6:00 PM

CONTACT

INFORMATION

MEETING LOCATION POSTING
City of Scotts Valley City Council Chambers Agenda posted on 11-21- 1 Civic Center Drive 1 Civic Center Drive 2023 at City Hall, SV Scotts Valley, CA 95066 Scotts Valley, CA 95066 Senior Center, SV Public (831) 440-5600 OR Works Building, and on the
Zoom Video Conference Internet
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83295730901 at: www.scottsvalley.gov

ELECTED OFFICIALS CITY STAFF MEMBERS
Jack Dilles, Mayor
Randy Johnson, Vice Mayor
Donna Lind, Council Member
Derek Timm, Council Member
Allan Timms, Council Member
Mali LaGoe, City Manager
Kirsten Powell, City Attorney
Taylor Bateman, Community Development
Director
Cathie Simonovich, City Clerk

City Council Meeting Agenda
Date: November 29, 2023

CALL TO ORDER 6:00 PM
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE and MOMENT OF SILENCE

ROLL CALL
This is the opportunity for individuals to make and/or submit written or oral comments to the Council on any items within the purview of the Council, which are NOT part of the Agenda. No action on the item may be taken, but the Council may request the matter be placed on a future agenda.

PUBLIC COMMENT TIME

PUBLIC HEARINGS

ADJOURNMENT

1. Consideration of a Planning Commission recommendation that the City Council adopt the Scotts Valley General Plan update to replace the existing adopted General Plan, adopt a statement of overriding considerations for significant and unavoidable impacts, and certify the General Plan Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR).

2. Consideration of a Planning Commission recommendation that the City Council establish a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Policy inclusive of establishing VMT as the appropriate metric for evaluating transportation related impacts under CEQA, establishing VMT thresholds of significance, establishing screening criteria, and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies.

Zoom Webinar meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83295730901 Or dial one of these numbers: (669) 900-9128 or (669) 444-9171 Webinar ID: 832 9573 0901
Public Comment
Public comment may be provided in-person only at the appropriate times throughout the meeting. The time limit is up to 3 minutes for an individual, or 5 minutes for someone who is representing a group of three or more, at the discretion of the Mayor. Please note that this is not a question-and-answer time, but simply a time to provide comments to the Council. At the appropriate times during the meeting for public comment, on items not on the agenda, and on specific agenda items, the Mayor will announce that public comment will be accepted. Inperson attendees may proceed to the public comment podium when the Mayor opens the item for public comment. Alternatively, written public comment may be emailed to the City Clerk ([email protected]) by 5:00 PM on the day of the meeting.

City Council Meeting Agenda
Date: November 29, 2023

ADA NOTICE
The City of Scotts Valley does not discriminate against persons with disabilities. The City Council Chambers is an accessible facility. If you wish to attend a City Council meeting and require assistance such as sign language, a translator, or other special assistance or devices in order to attend and participate at the meeting, please call the City Clerk's office at (831) 440-5600 five to seven days in advance of the meeting to make arrangements for assistance. If you require the agenda of a City Council meeting be available in an alternative format consistent with a specific disability, please call the City Clerk’s Office. The California State Relay Service (TTY/VCO/HCO to Voice: English 1-800-735-2929, Spanish 1-800-855-3000; or, Voice to TTY/VCO/HCO:

English 1-800-735-2922, Spanish 1-800-855-3000), provides Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf and Disabled and will provide a link between the TDD caller and users of telephone equipment.

City Council Meeting Agenda
Date: November 29, 2023

The City of Scotts Valley does not discriminate against persons with disabilities. The City Council Chambers is an accessible facility. If you wish to attend a City Council meeting and require assistance such as sign language, a translator, or other special assistance or devices in order to attend and participate at the meeting, please call the City Clerk's office at (831) 440-5602 five to seven days in advance of the meeting to make arrangements for assistance. If you require the agenda of a City Council meeting be available in an alternative format consistent with a specific disability, please call the City Clerk’s Office. The California State Relay Service (TTY/VCO/HCO to Voice: English 1-800-735-2929, Spanish 1-800-855-3000; Voice to TTY/VCO/HCO: English 1- 800-735-2922, Spanish 1-800-855-3000; or, from or to Speech-to-Speech, English & Spanish 1- 800-854-7787), provides Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf and Disabled and will provide a link between the TDD caller and users of telephone equipment.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE PROCEDURE COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE IN
APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION:

1. Move the Resolution number for approval.

2. Second the motion.

3. Vote by body, a roll call vote is not required.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE PROCEDURE COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE IN
INTRODUCTION/ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE:

1. Move the Ordinance number for introduction (or adoption).

2. Move the Ordinance be introduced by title only and waive the reading of the text.

3. Read the Ordinance title.

4. Second the motion.

5. Vote by body, a roll call vote is not required.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE PROCEDURE COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE IN
PUBLIC COMMENT/PUBLIC HEARINGS:

Unless otherwise determined by the presiding officer of the meeting:

1. Three minutes allowed per individual to speak.

2. Five minutes allowed per individual representing a group of three or more. ❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖

PROCEDURAL INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC

AGENDA ITEM 1.

DATE: 11/29/2023
City of Scotts Valley

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: 11/29/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Taylor Bateman, Community Development Director
APPROVED: Mali LaGoe, City Manager
SUBJECT: Consideration of a Planning Commission recommendation that the City Council adopt the Scotts Valley General Plan update to replace the existing adopted General Plan, adopt a statement of overriding considerations for significant and unavoidable impacts, and certify the General Plan Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR).

SUMMARY OF ISSUE
Background:

The Scotts Valley General Plan is the City’s fundamental governance document that guides decision making, actions, programs, and crafting of more specific policies. It embodies community values and sets general direction for achieving broader visions identified in this document. The topics it addresses are wide-ranging, influencing many aspects of Scotts Valley. It establishes goals, policies, and actions that will guide future land use and environmental protection decisions in Scotts Valley over the next 20+ years.

The General Plan is used by the City Council, Planning Commission, and City staff on a regular basis to make decisions with direct and indirect land use implications. It also provides a framework for inter-jurisdictional coordination of planning efforts among officials and staff of the City and other government agencies such as the County of Santa Cruz and State and Federal agencies.

Scotts Valley’s current General Plan was last comprehensively updated in 1994. In 2014, the City embarked on a multi-year pros to comprehensively update its General Plan. In coordination with the City’s consultant (Kimley Horn & Associates), staff has prepared the proposed update to the City’s General Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for City Council review and approval.

Organization and Contents:

The General Plan is organized into four main categories. These categories and their respective General Plan element(s) are shown below:

Each element, within the four categories, contains a brief background section, followed by a set of goals, policies, and actions.

The General Plan Update Process – Community Engagement:

Preparation of the General Plan update was led by the Scotts Valley General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC). The GPAC held 14 meetings over the course of three years. Their volunteer time was instrumental in the process and very much appreciated. All GPAC meetings were open to the public, who were afforded an opportunity to provide comments at each meeting. A full list of GPAC members can be found in the Planning Commission Staff Report (Attachment 4).

Additional Community Outreach included:
• A community workshop was held June 3, 2017 at the Scotts Valley Community Center.

The event was facilitated by the GPAC, with support from City staff and consultants.

Over 100 participants recorded 250+ comments that were organized into five broad topics (Built Environment, Natural Environment, Mobility, Community, and Looking to the Future)
• A web-based community survey was also conducted. Questions addressed a range of topics including land use and future development, aesthetics and urban design, mobility, parks and recreation, public services, and quality of life. 813 people responded to the survey.

Complete documentation of the workshop and survey can be found in the Envision Scotts Valley – Community Outreach Report (September 2017). The Community Outreach Report, and additional documents and reports related to the General Plan update process can be found on the General Plan update website (http://www.scottsvalleygeneralplan.com/)

Community Values:

Based on the workshop and survey, the following is a summary of the community’s values.

These values help shape the General Plan’s vision statement, goals, policies, and actions that are found in each of the updated General Plan elements. • The community places a high value on the small-town character of Scotts Valley and want to retain this quality of life into the future.
• Maintaining the valley’s natural resources and visual character is a high priority for the community.
• Development of the Town Center into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly project is a high priority.
• The pace of future development should be done carefully, with a focus on more highquality restaurants and retail options. • More housing choices (types), that are also affordable, is a very important issue to the community.
• The expansion of pedestrian sidewalks and bike paths, as well as trails through open space, is a high priority.
• Residents frequently use the City’s parks and other public facilities and are generally very pleased with the facilities and programs.
• Aesthetic improvements through landscaping and building design guidelines were recommended along the Mt. Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive corridors.

Vision Statement:

Surrounded by hillsides and forests, Scotts Valley is an energetic City that values a mix of natural and built environments. The residents and business owners will always benefit from a balanced mix of housing, employment, and commercial and services, and foster community interaction, which is the foundation of a family-oriented way of life.

CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT REVIEW (CEQA)
Chapter 8 Environmental Review, in combination with other elements of the General Plan document, serves as the Draft EIR (DEIR) for the project and provides the environmental information and analysis and primary California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation necessary to adequately consider the effects of the updated General Plan.

The update did not incorporate major changes in land use (i.e., General Plan Land Use designations) and brought the City’s General Plan in compliance with current State Law. It also incorporated policies designed to minimize environmental impacts (i.e., “self-mitigating).

Draft and Final EIR:

The DEIR (Attachment 4) was circulated to the State Clearinghouse, all relevant agencies, and interested parties for a 45-day public comment period, beginning on August 7, 2023 and ending on September 21, 2023. The City received two written comments on the DEIR, which are included in the Final EIR (FEIR), along with written response from the City. A FEIR was prepared and attached for consideration (Attachment 4).

Significant and Unavoidable Impacts:

Due to a cumulatively considerable net increase of criteria pollutants for which the project

region is non-attainment under an applicable federal or state ambient air quality standard, the Final EIR concluded there would be a significant and unavoidable air quality impact.

Similarly, while the update includes new policies and programs designed to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to a reasonable extent, new roadways and increased use of the City’s and regional transportation system would result in a significant and unavoidable transportation impact.

To certify the FEIR, the City Council of the City of Scotts Valley, as the CEQA lead agency, complete and adopt the following:
• Make written findings when approving a project for which an EIR was certified; and • Identify overriding considerations for significant and unavoidable impacts identified in the EIR.

Pursuant to Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 21081(b) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15093, the City has balanced the benefits of the Project against these unavoidable adverse impacts as described in Exhibit A: Scott Valley General Plan Statement of Overriding Considerations.

PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEW
On November 16, 2023, the Planning Commission reviewed the General Plan update, DEIR, and FEIR and recommended the City Council adopt the General Plan update and associated FEIR.

PUBLIC NOTICE & COMMENT
On November 17, 2023, public hearing notices were posted at City Hall, the Scotts Valley Branch Library, and the Scotts Valley Senior Center, consistent with State law. Staff also sent electronic (e-mail) public hearing notice to all individuals who have requested to receive notice of action taken by the City relative to the General Plan update (Public Hearing Subscribers and General Plan interest List). The public hearing notice was also uploaded to the City’s website. In addition, the meeting agenda was posted at various designated posting locations in the City.

FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
The Planning Commission recommends that the City Council:

1. Adopt Resolution No. 1119.33 to adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations for the significant and unavoidable impacts of the Project and certify the General Plan Final EIR; and

2. Adopt Resolution No. 1119.34 approving the updated General Plan to replace the existing adopted 1994 General Plan.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Resolution No. 1119.33 - Adopting a Statement of Overriding Considerations and Certifying FEIR

2. Exhibit A: Statement of Overriding Considerations

3. Resolution No. 1119.34 - Adopting Scotts Valley General Plan

4. Planning Commission Staff Report (11/16/2023) - includes Scotts Valley General Plan Public Review Draft, Draft EIR, and Final EIR

RESOLUTION NO. 1119.33

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SCOTTS VALLEY CITY COUNCIL CERTIFYING A

FINAL ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, AND ADOPTING A STATEMENT OF

OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS FOR SIGNIFICANT AND UNAVOIDABLE

IMPACTS FOR THE SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
WHEREAS, Government Code section 65300 requires the City of Scotts Valley ("City") to adopt and maintain a General Plan that contains certain elements, describes the City's long-term goals for growth and development, and identifies policies and programs to achieve those goals;
WHEREAS, in 2012, the City began the process of comprehensively updating the City's General Plan, and since this time City officials, employees, and community members have been actively involved in the preparation of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan; WHEREAS, the updated Scotts Valley General Plan applies to all lands within the City limits and also certain lands outside the City limits, which comprise the City’s Planning Area;
WHEREAS, the City is the lead agency for the General Plan update (“Project”) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”);
WHEREAS, the City has completed the General Plan update and analyzed potential environmental impacts in compliance with CEQA. The General Plan update and corresponding environmental review documents are now before the City's decisionmaking bodies for consideration, certification, and adoption; WHEREAS, on (July 16, 2020), the City filed a Notice of Preparation ("NOP") with the State Office of Planning and Research (OPR") to determine the scope of environmental review for the General Plan update. The NOP was circulated to the relevant state and local public agencies, as well as to interested organizations and members of the public between July 17, 2020 to August 17, 2020;
WHEREAS, the City prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report ("Draft EIR") (SCH No.2020070330) for the General Plan update;
WHEREAS, on August 7, 2023, the City filed the Notice of Completion ("NOC") informing OPR that the City had completed the Draft EIR. and recommending distribution of the Draft EIR to certain state agencies for review;
WHEREAS, prior to circulating the Draft EIR for public review, the City distributed and published the Notice of Availability ("NOA") on August 7, 2023 for the Draft EIR to all interested groups, organizations, and individuals;
WHEREAS, the Draft EIR was available for public review and comment for forty- five (45) days, between August 7, 2023 and September 21, 2023;

WHEREAS, the City received a total of three (3) comments, comment letters, and emails relating to the General Plan update during the public review period; WHEREAS, the City has evaluated and responded to the comments received on the Draft EIR;
WHEREAS, the City has prepared the Final Environmental Impact Report ("Final EIR") for the General Plan update, which incorporates the Draft EIR, contains the City's responses to written comments received on the Draft EIR, and identifies revisions to the Draft EIR;
WHEREAS, pursuant to California Code of Regulations, title 14 ("CEQA Guidelines"), section 15090, the lead agency's decision-making bodies shall review the Final EIR and certify that the Final EIR was prepared in compliance with CEQA; WHEREAS, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15091, the City has prepared findings regarding the significant adverse environmental impacts that may result from approval and implementation of the General Plan update ("CEQA Findings"); WHEREAS, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15091 and 15093, the City has prepared a Statement of Overriding Considerations for environmental impacts that are expected to remain significant and unavoidable;
WHEREAS, following notice duly provided as required by law, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on November 16, 2023 at which all interested parties were given an opportunity to comment on the Final EIR, CEQA Findings, and Statement of Overriding Considerations, prior to the Planning Commission's recommendation to the City Council ("City Council");
WHEREAS, the City Council reviewed the Final EIR, the CEQA Findings and the Statement of Overriding Considerations (attached hereto as Exhibit A); WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, based on its independent review and judgement, unanimously voted to adopt Resolution No. 1788 recommending that the City Council: (1) Certify the Final EIR, and (2) Adopt CEQA Findings and a Statement of Overriding Considerations;
WHEREAS, following notice duly provided as required by law, the City Council held a public hearing on November 29, 2023 at which all interested parties were given an opportunity to comment on the Final ElR, CEQA Findings, and Statement of Overriding Considerations, prior to the City Council's action on these documents NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council as follows:

SECTION 1: The Final EIR has been completed in compliance with the requirements of CEQA and the City Council has reviewed and considered the information within the Final EIR.

SECTION 2: That the Final EIR represents the independent judgement and analysis of the City.

SECTION 3: The City Council certifies the Final EIR attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference based on the following findings pursuant to CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines Section 15091, Findings:

1. Changes or alterations have been required in, or incorporated into, the project which avoid or substantially lessen the significant environmental effect as identified in the Final EIR.

The Scotts Valley General Plan has been prepared to be a self-mitigating document. The policies and actions provided in the General Plan minimize the potentially significant and significant environmental impacts, to the extent feasible. However, two significant and unavoidable regionally based impacts were identified related to air quality and transportation and a Statement of Overriding Considerations has been prepared, as described in the Findings of Fact.

2. The City has prepared a program to report on and monitor changes made to the project in order to mitigate or avoid significant effects on the environment.

The annual report on General Plan status required pursuant to the Government Code will serve as the monitoring and reporting program for the project. Given this, the Planning Commission and City Council will not need to adopt a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program in accordance with Public Resources Code Section 21081.6(a) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15097 for mitigation measures that have been incorporated into or imposed upon the project to reduce or avoid significant effects on the environment.

3. The documents and other materials constituting the record of the proceedings upon which the City’s decision and its findings are based will be located at the Planning Department of the City of Scotts Valley in the custody of the Community Development Director.

The Final EIR meets the requirements of this finding in that the documents and other material constituting the record of the proceedings upon which the City’s decision and findings are located at the Planning Department of the City of Scotts Valley, One Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066 in the custody of the Community Development Director as part of the public record.

SECTION 4: The City Council approves a Statement of Overriding Considerations for the Final EIR and project based on the following discussion and finding:

4. To the extent that adverse or potentially adverse impacts set forth above have not been mitigated to a level of insignificance, that specific

economic, social, legal, environmental, technological, or other benefits of the project outweigh the significant effects on the environment.

After balancing the specific economic, legal, social, technological, and other benefits of the proposed project, the Council finds that the unavoidable adverse environmental impacts identified may be considered “acceptable” due to the specific considerations listed above which outweigh the unavoidable, adverse environmental impacts of the Project. See Scotts Valley General Plan Statement of Overriding Considerations in Exhibit B.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council (1) certifies the Final EIR, and (2) adopts a Statement of Overriding Considerations for the Scotts Valley General Plan update.

The above and foregoing resolution was duly and regularly adopted and passed by the City Council of the City of Scotts Valley at a special meeting held on the 29th day of November 2023, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

Approved:

Jack Dilles, Mayor
Attest:

Cathie Simonovich, City Clerk

EXHIBIT A

SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN

STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that in the event an agency chooses to approve a project that includes significant and unavoidable impacts which cannot be reduced to acceptable levels, the agency must adopt a written Statement of Overriding Considerations which identifies why the local agency is willing to accept the significant unavoidable effect(s). Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21081 and Section 15093 of the CEQA Guidelines, the Planning Commission recommends that the City Council adopt and make the following Statement of Overriding Considerations regarding the remaining significant unavoidable impacts of the Scotts Valley General Plan (Project), and the anticipated economic, social and other benefits of the Project.

The purpose of the statement of overriding considerations is defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15093 (a and b):
a) CEQA requires the decision-maker to balance, as applicable, the economic, legal, social, technological, or other benefits of a project against its unavoidable environmental risks when determining whether to approve the project. If the specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other benefits of a project outweigh the unavoidable adverse environmental effects, the adverse environmental effects may be considered "acceptable."
b) When the lead agency approves a project which will result in the occurrence of significant effects which are identified in the final EIR but are not avoided or substantially lessened, the agency shall state in writing the specific reasons to support its action based on the final EIR and/or other information in the record. The statement of overriding considerations shall be supported by substantial evidence in the record.

The Statement of Overriding Considerations should be read in conjunction with the findings under Section 15091 and should be used in decision making to balance the benefits of the project against the unavoidable environmental risks. CEQA also requires that the Statement of Overriding Considerations be included in the record of project approval and mentioned in the Notice of Determination.

With the exception of the Significant Unavoidable Impacts described below, all potentially significant and cumulative impacts identified in the Final EIR were determined to be less than significant due to the respective policies and action items described in the General Plan.

Exhibit A – Scotts Valley General Plan Statement
of Overriding Considerations | Page 2
Significant and Unavoidable Effects
Project Overview
The Project is an update to the City’s existing 1994 General Plan which will guide the City’s development and conservation over the next 20 + years. The General Plan addresses the current needs and preferences of the community. It identifies and prioritizes opportunities to preserve the character of the community, conserve natural resources, and direct land use policies that enable sustainable growth in and around Scotts Valley.

The General Plan is the long-range plan or roadmap for the City as a whole. Updates to the General Plan include changes to various policies, addressing land use compatibility and development intensities, establishing impact thresholds for future development projects, and implementing various actions that would help meet its goals.

Significant Unavoidable Impacts
A significant and unavoidable impact was identified for Impact AQ-3 regarding a cumulatively considerable net increase in criteria pollutants. The most recent AMBAG 2018 Population, Housing Unit, and Employment Forecasts project population growth in five-year increments to the year 2040. The 2040 population forecast for the City of Scotts Valley by AMBAG is 12,418 persons. Since the General Plan assumes a population buildout of 15,400 (see Table LU-1:

General Plan Buildout Summary), the General Plan would be inconsistent with the AQMP. This inconsistency in population forecasts is considered to result in a cumulatively considerable significant air quality impact. Due to the projected population growth, regional emissions would remain significant, and the General Plan would likely remain inconsistent with the AQMP. No further mitigation is feasible to reduce this impact. Therefore, this impact would remain significant and unavoidable.

A significant and unavoidable impact was identified for Impact T-1 regarding the exceedance of VMT thresholds. While Impact T-1 identifies goals and policies in the Mobility Element, and the City’s VMT Implementation Guidelines identifies strategies to reduce VMT, impacts associated with implementation of the General Plan would not be reduced to less than significant due to the increased development, new roadways, and increased use of the City’s and regional transportation system. While project-level impact mitigation shall be analyzed to reduce the significance of VMT-related impacts and the City VMT Implementation Guidelines will be continually improved and innovated to require VMT reduction to the extent feasible, this impact would be significant and unavoidable.

No other significant impacts were identified in the Final EIR. This is due to the fact that the General Plan is a programmatic policy document and does not propose specific development projects. Furthermore, where potential significant impacts were initially identified, additional policies were added to the General Plan to “pre-mitigate” such impacts. Lastly, the City of Scotts Valley is a compact urban community that is surrounded by natural barriers to outward expansion. As described in the Land Use Element, developable areas within the City limits are

Exhibit A – Scotts Valley General Plan Statement
of Overriding Considerations | Page 3
largely built out. As an established community, new development accommodated by the General Plan would be considered infill development, both on limited remaining vacant lands or intensification and/or redevelopment on underutilized parcels.

Statement of Overriding Considerations
These significant adverse unavoidable impacts have been identified and evaluated in the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Even though these adverse impacts are not reduced to a level considered less than significant, the City finds, after balancing these impacts with the benefits of the Project, that those impacts are outweighed by the benefits of the Project.

Further, the alternatives which were identified in the Final EIR to the same extent as the Project would not meet either in part or in whole the Project objectives.

Pursuant to Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 21081(b) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15093, the City has balanced the benefits of the Project against these unavoidable adverse impacts associated with air quality, and transportation.

The City also has examined alternatives to the Project, none of which both meet the project objectives and is environmentally preferable to the Project. The City, after balancing the specific economic, legal, social, technological, and other benefits of the Project, has determined that the unavoidable adverse environmental impacts identified above may be considered “acceptable” due to the following specific considerations which outweigh the unavoidable, adverse environmental impacts of the Project. Each of the separate benefits of the Project, as stated herein, is determined to be, unto itself and independent of the other project benefits, a basis for overriding all unavoidable adverse environmental impacts identified in these Findings.

The City Council and City Planning Commission have independently verified the existence of all facts stated below to justify the Statement of Overriding Considerations. ▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will comply with State requirements and, more importantly, will provide the City, its residents, landowners and businesses, staff and policy makers and all stakeholders with a comprehensive, long-range policy guideline for future development.
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will serve as a foundation in making land use decisions based on goals and policies related to land use, transportation routes, population growth and distribution, development, open space, resource preservation and utilization, air and water quality, noise impacts, safety issues and other related physical, social, and economic development factors.
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will address the continuing change, growth, and development of the City over the next two decades and will provide a public policy framework for the future of the city.
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will comply with the State of California requirement that all counties and cities “adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city, and of any land outside its

Exhibit A – Scotts Valley General Plan Statement
of Overriding Considerations | Page 4
boundaries which in the planning agency’s judgment bears relation to its planning” (Government Code Section 65300).
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will create a safe, efficient and balanced transportation network, improve environmental quality, encourage healthier lifestyles, and support economic development. The updated General Plan will develop a safe, efficient, convenient, and attractive transportation system throughout the community, providing links within the City and with neighboring regions, and accommodating automobile, truck, pedestrian, recreational, and public transit needs which will meet current and future development requirements within the planning area. ▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will preserve the character of existing single-family residential neighborhoods and continue to improve higher density neighborhoods. Diversity in the types of housing in the City is necessary to accommodate a population with varying socioeconomic needs. ▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will identify resources that should be preserved and set the foundation for preservation of these resources by utilizing a variety of tools that will promote the sustainability and environmental integrity of the City. The updated General Plan will establish the City's priorities as they relate to natural, historical and paleontological resources and outline the means for their preservation.
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will preserve existing open space and other undeveloped natural resources and to identify specific criteria in the future selection of open space and recreational facilities. The updated General Plan will help maintain a balance between development and the preservation and use of natural resources as the city continues to grow.
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will promote and support economic development to provide jobs in concert with future population growth. ▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will regulate development so that the density of residential development and the intensity of non-residential development are appropriate to the property and to surrounding properties and neighborhood.

Conclusion
After balancing the specific economic, legal, social, technological, and other benefits of the proposed project, the Council finds that the unavoidable adverse environmental impacts identified may be considered “acceptable” due to the specific considerations listed above which outweigh the unavoidable, adverse environmental impacts of the Project.

The Scotts Valley City Council has considered information contained in the EIR prepared for the proposed General Plan as well as the public testimony and record of proceedings in which the Project was considered. Recognizing that significant unavoidable air quality and transportation impacts may result from implementation of the proposed General Plan, the Council finds that the benefits of the General Plan and overriding considerations outweigh the adverse effects of

Exhibit A – Scotts Valley General Plan Statement
of Overriding Considerations | Page 5
the project. Having included all feasible mitigation measures as policies and actions in the General Plan, and recognized all unavoidable significant impacts, the Council hereby finds that each of the separate benefits of the proposed General Plan, as stated herein, is determined to be unto itself an overriding consideration, independent of other benefits, that warrants adoption of the proposed General Plan and outweighs and overrides its unavoidable significant effects, and thereby justifies the adoption of the proposed General Plan.

Based on the foregoing findings and the information contained in the record, the Council hereby determines that:

1. All significant effects on the environment due to implementation of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan have been eliminated or substantially lessened where feasible;

2. There are no feasible alternatives to the proposed updated Scotts Valley General Plan which would mitigate or substantially lessen the impacts; and

3. Any remaining significant effects on the environment found to be unavoidable are acceptable due to the factors described in the Statement of Overriding Considerations above.

RESOLUTION NO. 1139.34

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SCOTTS VALLEY CITY COUNCIL ADOPTING THE

UPDATED SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
WHEREAS, Government Code section 65300 requires the City of Scotts Valley ("City") to adopt and maintain a General Plan that contains certain elements, describes the City's long-term goals for growth and development, and identifies policies and programs to achieve those goals;
WHEREAS, the last comprehensive update to the City’s General Plan was in 1994; WHEREAS, in 2012, the City began the process of comprehensively updating the City's General Plan, and since this time City officials, employees, and community members have been actively involved in the preparation of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan; WHEREAS, the updated Scotts Valley General Plan applies to all lands within the City limits and also certain lands outside the City limits, which comprise the City’s Planning Area;
WHEREAS, in September 2012 the City selected RBF Consulting, and then due to a change in staffing, in October 2014, the City selected Kimley Horn and Associates to assist with the preparation and drafting of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan and the corresponding Environmental Impact Report;
WHEREAS, the City engaged the community to help formulate the updated Scotts Valley General Plan. Throughout the process, the City Council and Planning Commission held multiple hearings, a community workshop was held at the Scotts Valley Community Center, and a community survey was circulated to households within the City; WHEREAS, the City formed a General Plan Advisory Committee ("GPAC") made up of fourteen (14) members from the community to provide input and review the policy directions contained in the updated Scotts Valley General Plan. The GPAC met fourteen (14) times throughout the General Plan update process;
WHEREAS, in accordance with Government Code sections 65351 through 65352.5, the City has provided opportunities for public input and involvement on the Scotts Valley General Plan update process, and provided opportunities for consultation to affected public agencies;
WHEREAS, in conformance with Government Code section 65302 describing the mandatory elements of a general plan, the updated Scotts Valley General Plan contains the following chapters, which address the mandatory elements: Land Use, Economic Development, Mobility, Open Space and Conservation, Safety and Noise, and Community Services and Facilities;
WHEREAS, the Housing Element is not included in the updated Scotts Valley General Plan, but the Housing Element is valid through 2023 and remains in full force and effect.

The City last updated the Housing Element in 2015, as certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development;
WHEREAS, no changes to the City's Sphere of Influence or applications to the Santa Cruz County Local Agency Formation Commission accompanied the updated Scotts Valley General Plan;
WHEREAS, the updated Scotts Valley General Plan will supersede the 1994 General Plan text and maps and all subsequent amendments thereto; WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"), the City prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report ("Draft EIR") (SCH No. 2020070330) for the Scotts Valley General Plan update. The Draft EIR was circulated for public review from August 7, 2023 to September 21, 2023. The City has considered and evaluated the comments received on the Draft EIR during the period of public review; WHEREAS, the City has prepared the Final Environmental Impact Report ("Final EIR") for the Scotts Valley General Plan update, which incorporates the Draft EIR, contains the City's responses to written comments received on the Draft EIR, and identifies revisions to the Draft EIR;
WHEREAS, prior to recommending adoption of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan, the Planning Commission reviewed and considered the analysis contained in the Final EIR. The Planning Commission recommends that the City Council (1) certify the Final EIR, (2) adopt CEQA Findings for Significant Environmental Impacts and a Statement of Overriding Considerations, for the Scotts Valley General Plan update; and (3) adopt the updated Scotts Valley General Plan;
WHEREAS, on November 16, 2023, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on the updated Scotts Valley General Plan, considered all written and oral reports of City staff, provided opportunities for the public to speak, and considered all comments on the matter as reflected in the record;
WHEREAS, in conjunction with its review of the Scotts Valley General Plan, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 1788, recommending that the City Council (1) Certify the Final EIR, (2) adopt CEQA Findings for Significant Environmental Impacts and a Statement of Overriding Considerations, and (3) adopt the updated Scotts Valley General Plan;
WHEREAS, on November 29, 2023, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing on the hearing on the updated Scotts Valley General Plan, considered all written and oral reports of City staff, provided opportunities for the public to speak, and considered all comments on the matter as reflected in the record;
WHEREAS, by separate Resolution in conjunction with its review of the Scotts Valley General Plan, the City Council: (1) Certified the Final EIR, and (2) Adopted CEQA Findings for Significant Environmental Impacts and a Statement of Overriding Considerations;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council as follows:

1. The City Council hereby finds that the updated Scotts Valley General Plan and all its elements comprise a comprehensive, long-range, internally consistent statement of the City’s goals, policies, and actions related to Land Use, Economic Development, Mobility, Open Space and Conservation, Safety and Noise, and Community Services and Facilities. The Planning Commission further finds that the (6) chapters of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan include the elements required by Government Code section 65302.

2. The Planning Commission hereby finds the updated Scotts Valley General Plan will promote the public health, safety, and welfare of the City’s residents by establishing goals, policies, and actions to guide the City’s future growth and development within the City’s Planning Area.

3. The City Council hereby finds that the Scotts Valley General Plan will supersede the current 1994 General Plan in its entirety, with the exception of the Housing Element (2015). The 2015 Housing Element is hereby incorporated into the Scotts Valley General Plan by reference.

4. In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, by separate Resolution, the City Council certified the Final EIR (SCH No. 2020070330) and adopted CEQA Findings and a Statement of Overriding Considerations.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council hereby adopts the updated Scotts Valley General Plan.

The above and foregoing resolution was duly and regularly adopted and passed by the City Council of the City of Scotts Valley at a special meeting held on the 29th day of November 2023, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

Approved: _______________________
Jack Dilles, Mayor
Attest: ___________________________
Cathie Simonovich, City Clerk

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DATE: November 16, 2023
TO: Scotts Valley Planning Commission
FROM: Bill Wiseman, Planning Consultant
APPROVED: Taylor Bateman, Community Development Director RE: Scotts Valley General Plan Update
RECOMMENDATION: Consider adoption of a Resolution recommending the City Council adopt the General Plan Update to replace the existing adopted General Plan, adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations for significant and unavoidable impacts, and certify the General Plan Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR).

I N T R O D U C T I O N
The Scotts Valley General Plan is the City’s fundamental governance document that guides decision making, actions, programs, and crafting of more specific policies. It embodies community values and sets general direction for achieving broader visions identified in this document. The topics it addresses are wide-ranging, influencing many aspects of Scotts Valley.

It establishes goals, policies, and actions that will guide future land use and environmental protection decisions in Scotts Valley over the next 20 + years.

The General Plan is used by the City Council, Planning Commission, and City staff on a regular basis to make decisions with direct and indirect land use implications. It also provides a framework for inter-jurisdictional coordination of planning efforts among officials and staff of the City and other government agencies such as the County of Santa Cruz and State and Federal agencies
Scotts Valley’s current General Plan was last comprehensively updated in 1994. In 2014, the City embarked on a multi-year process to comprehensively update its General Plan. In coordination with the City’s consultant (Kimley-Horn & Associates), staff has prepared the proposed update to the City’s General Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Planning Commission’s review and recommendation to the City Council.

P U R P O S E A N D L E G A L B A S I S
In California, general plans serve as the “Constitution” for all future development in cities. The General Plan provides the fundamental basis for the City’s land use and development policy,

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and represents the basic community values, ideals, and aspirations to govern a shared environment over the life of the General Plan. The General Plan addresses all aspects of development including land use, environmental management and sustainability, traffic and circulation, housing, parks and recreation, and other topics. The General Plan’s policies are implemented through the Municipal Code and other City regulations.

California Government Code Section 65300 requires that the General Plan be comprehensive, internally consistent, and long-term. Although it is required to address the issues specified by State law, the General Plan is ultimately organized in a way that best suits Scotts Valley. The General Plan should be clearly written, available to all those concerned with the community’s development, and easy to administer. This document supersedes the previous General Plan, which was adopted in 1994.

The overall role of the General Plan is to:
◼ Define a realistic vision of what the City desires to be in 20 years. ◼ Express policy direction in regard to the physical, social, economic, cultural, and environmental character of the city.
◼ Serve as a comprehensive guide for making decisions about land use, mobility, protection of environmental resources, housing, safety, and noise. ◼ Provide the legal foundation for zoning, subdivision, and public facilities ordinances; other adopted citywide plans; and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
◼ Present a clear and easy to understand format that encourages public participation and understanding.

O R G A N I Z A T I O N A N D C O N T E N T S
The updated Scotts Valley General Plan is organized according to four main categories. These categories and their respective General Plan element(s) are shown below.

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General Plan Category General Plan Element(s)
Built Environment
Land Use
Economic Development
Housing
Mobility Mobility
Natural Environment Open Space & Conservation
Environmental Review
Community Community Services & Facilities
Public Safety & Noise
Each element, within the four categories, contains a brief background section, following by a set of goals, policies and actions.

The following provides a description of goals, policies and actions and explains the relationship between them:
◼ A goal is a description of the general desired result that the City seeks to create through the implementation of its General Plan. They are general statements of aspiration or intent to achieve an endpoint and may be attainable.
◼ A policy is a specific statement that regulates activities in the City, guides decisionmaking, and directs on-going efforts as the City works to achieve a goal. A policy is ongoing and requires no further implementation. The General Plan’s policies set out the standards that will be used by City staff, the Planning Commission, and City Council in their review of land development projects and in decision-making about City actions. ◼ An action is a measure, procedure, or technique intended to help reach a specified goal or policy. The City must take additional steps to implement each action in the General Plan. An action is not on-going, but rather something that can and will be completed.

Taken together, the actions in this General Plan constitute a “to-do list” for the City of Scotts Valley.

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Organization of Policies
The updated Scotts Valley General Plan provides guidance for four levels of geography, from the region to the individual project level. It also looks outward to Santa Cruz County, Northern California, and beyond to stay abreast of larger current events affecting Scotts Valley and to provide leadership in regional matters. It also looks inward at the City of Scotts Valley, its neighborhoods, and individual projects as three sub-areas where implementation of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan occurs.

Thus, policies are organized into those four geographic levels. The City plays different roles in these different geographic levels, as follows:

Region/Sub-region– For matters affecting Scotts Valley that extend beyond its borders, the City communicates and coordinates with neighboring cities or other authorities operating within Santa Cruz County, the Monterey Bay Region or Northern California.

City-wide– Within Scotts Valley’s borders, the City makes decisions within its jurisdiction about activities that affect the public interest, partners with other public agencies and private sector entities, and develops plans, programs and policies that will be carried out citywide.

Neighborhood/District–Neighborhoods or districts are areas with their own distinct identities within the context of the larger community. They lend themselves to the formation of community-based groups that seek to improve or maintain these areas. The City can enhance districts within Scotts Valley by working with these groups, guiding development, directly making physical improvements and carrying out programs. At the neighborhood level, the City plays a similar role with an emphasis on maintaining and enhancing neighborhood character.

While districts and neighborhoods have their own identities, the individual districts and neighborhoods are interconnected physically, economically and socially. The City initiates and supports efforts in these areas within the context of the community.

Project– A project is an undertaking that changes the built environment. Often it is an individual proposal for development that the City reviews for compliance with policies and regulations. As part of this review, the City considers the project’s possible environmental impacts, and impacts on public infrastructure such as streets and parks. The City also carries out projects of its own, such as construction of public facilities—sometimes in partnership with a private entity or another public agency such as a school district.

General Plan and Zoning Consistency
State planning and zoning law also establishes that zoning ordinances are required to be consistent with the general plan and any applicable specific plans, area plans, master plans, and other related planning documents. When amendments to the general plan are made, corresponding changes in the zoning ordinance may be required within a reasonable time to

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ensure consistency between the revised land use designations in the general plan (if any) and the permitted uses or development standards of the zoning ordinance (Gov. Code Section 65860, subd. [c]).

T H E G E N E R A L P L A N U P D A T E P R O C E S S
General Plan Advisory Committee
Preparation of the general plan update was led by the Scotts Valley General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC). The GPAC held fourteen meetings over the course of three years. Their volunteer time was instrumental in the process and very much appreciated. All GPAC meetings were open to the public who were afforded an opportunity to provide comments at each meeting.

GPAC Members:

Derek Timm, Scotts Valley City Council
Lori Gentile, Scotts Valley Planning Commission
Cathie Simonovich, Scotts Valley Parks & Recreation Commission Russ Patterson, Chair, Scotts Valley Fire Protection District Board of Directors Michael Shulman, President, Scotts Valley Unified School District Board of Directors John Yost, President, Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Chris Perri, Vice President, Scotts Valley Water District Board of Directors Steven Clark, At-Large Member, Appointed by the Scotts Valley City Council Angela Franklin, At-Large Member, Appointed by the Scotts Valley City Council Jeff Hill, At-Large Member, Appointed by the Scotts Valley City Council Past Members:

Jim Reed, Scotts Valley City Council
Randy Johnson, Scotts Valley City Council
Eric Seib, Chair, Scotts Valley Parks & Recreation Commission Ed Harmon, At-Large Member, Appointed by the Scotts Valley City Council Community Outreach
Open House
To solicit community input, a community workshop was held June 3, 2017, at the Scotts Valley Community Center. It was facilitated by members of the GPAC, with support from City staff and consultants. Utilizing an open-house format, more than 100 participants recorded some 250 + comments organized according to five broad topics, namely; 1) Built Environment, 2) Natural Environment, 3) Mobility, 4) Community, and 5) Looking to the Future.

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Online Survey
A web-based community survey was also conducted to receive input from the broader community. The survey was comprised of 50 questions addressing a range of topics including land use and future development, aesthetics and urban design, mobility, parks and recreation, public services and community of life. Fifteen questions included an opportunity for narrative comments. 813 people responded to the survey.

Community Values
Based on the workshop and the survey, the following is a summary of the community’s values:
▪ The community places a high value on the small-town character of Scotts Valley and want to retain this quality of life into the future.
▪ Maintaining the valley’s natural resources and visual character is a high priority for the community.
▪ Development of the Town Center into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly project is a high priority.
▪ The pace of future development should be done carefully, with a focus on more highquality restaurants and retail options. ▪ More housing choices (types), that are also affordable, is a very important issue to the community.
▪ The expansion of pedestrian sidewalks and bike paths, as well as trails through open space, is a high priority.
▪ Residents frequently use the City’s parks and other public facilities and are generally very pleased with the facilities and programs.
▪ Aesthetic improvements through landscaping and building design guidelines were recommended along the Mt. Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive corridors.

Complete documentation of the workshop and survey can be found in Envision Scotts Valley – Community Outreach Report (September 2017), available on the General Plan update website described below.

General Plan update Website
A General Plan update website (http://www.scottsvalleygeneralplan.com) was maintained throughout the update process. This website provides links to all documents, reports, and presentations. It also included an email signup function. This General Plan Interest List contains approximately 100 email addresses and has been used to notify subscribers of all meetings as well as the release of the Public Review Draft General Plan and EIR.

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V I S I O N S T A T E M E N T A N D G U I D I N G P R I N C I P L E S Vision Statement
Surrounded by hillsides and forests, Scotts Valley is an energetic City that values a mix of natural and built environments. The residents and business owners will always benefit from a balanced mix of housing, employment, and commercial and services, and foster community interaction that is the foundation of a family-oriented way of life.

Guiding Principles
Community Identity & Connections
CIC-1 Preserve and enhance Scotts Valley’s safe, small-town character and natural wooded setting in balance with these other guiding principles.

CIC-2 Use high-quality design features and amenities through appropriate architecture, landscape, and streetscape designs that enhance the visual appearance of new development in public spaces, including parks and roadways.

CIC-3 Encourage year-round community events and activities that facilitate interaction with neighbors and the broader community.

CIC-4 Ensure that all neighborhoods enjoy access to community services and amenities.

CIC-5 Promote Scotts Valley as a welcoming community that supports diverse backgrounds and ideas.

Natural Resources
NR-1 Protect and enhance natural and scenic resources – including creeks and hillsides which enhance the city’s character.

NR-2 Act as environmental stewards in the sustainable management of our natural resources and open space.

NR-3 Seek opportunities to advance the use of renewable resources and minimize impacts to air quality, noise, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Neighborhoods & Housing
NH-1 Maintain and enhance the existing character of our residential neighborhoods.

NH-2 Support neighborhood improvements that foster identity and build stability, inclusiveness, and interaction.

NH-3 Maintain safe residential neighborhoods that minimize noise, provide adequate parking and discourage crosscut traffic.

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NH-4 Encourage a diverse housing stock that accommodates a wide range of demographic and economic needs.

Mobility
M-1 Provide a balanced transportation system that accommodates the need of automobiles, transit, pedestrians, and bicycles.

M-2 Pursue opportunities for pedestrian and bicycle networks that connect neighborhoods to schools and commercial uses throughout the City.

M-3 Promote transportation options that are safe and convenient for all residents, including youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

Growth and Economic Development
GED-1 Pursue a balanced approach to future development that supports housing, employment, and commercial needs and services in balance with these other guiding principles.

GED-2 Target future growth within existing commercial corridors of Scotts Valley Drive and Mount Hermon Road so as to not adversely impact residential neighborhoods.

GED-3 Foster a diverse local economy that supports local businesses, employs local residents, and maintains the fiscal health of the City to provide public services and facilities.

GED-4 Support the development of the town center.

GED-5 Foster a healthy business community that provides a diverse mix of the goods and services.

E N V I R O N M E N T A L R E V I E W
Chapter 8 Environmental Review, in combination with other elements of the General Plan document, serves as the Draft EIR for the project and provides the environmental information and analysis and primary California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation necessary to adequately consider the effects of the updated General Plan.

The update did not incorporate major changes in land use (i.e., General Plan Land Use designations) and brought the City’s General Plan in compliance with current State Law. It also incorporated policies designed to minimize environmental impacts (i.e., “self-mitigating).

However, due to a cumulatively considerable net increase of criteria pollutants for which the project region is non-attainment under an applicable federal or state ambient air quality standard, the Final EIR concluded there would be a significant and unavoidable air quality impact.

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Similarly, while the update includes new policies and programs designed to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to a reasonable extent, new roadways and increased use of the City’s and regional transportation system would result in a significant and unavoidable transportation impact.

Pursuant to Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 21081(b) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15093, the City has balanced the benefits of the Project against these unavoidable adverse impacts as described in Exhibit B: Scott Valley General Plan Statement of Overriding Considerations.

Notice of Preparation
A Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an EIR for the update to the Scotts Valley General Plan (the project) was submitted to the State Clearinghouse, state responsible and trustee agencies, other public agencies, and interested parties on July 16, 2020 (State Clearinghouse # 2020070330).

Due to social distancing requirements as mandated at the time by the County of Santa Cruz and the State of California, a scoping meeting was not held. However, those persons who wanted additional information about the project and scope of the Draft EIR were encouraged to contact the City of Scotts Valley. The 30-day NOP comment period closed on August 17, 2020.

Three letters were received from: 1) CA Department of Fish & Wildlife, 2) Caltrans, and 3) the Native American Heritage Commission. Comments raised were addressed in the Draft EIR.

Notice of Availability
A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIR was circulated to the State Clearinghouse, all relevant agencies, and interested parties for a 45-day public comment period, beginning on August 7, 2023, and ending on September 21, 2023.

Final EIR
The City received two written comments on the Draft EIR, which are included in the Final EIR , along with written responses from the City. No new significant environmental impacts or issues, beyond those already covered in the Draft EIR were raised during the comment period.

Responses to comments received during the comment period do not involve any new significant impacts or add “significant new information” that would require recirculation of the Draft EIR pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5.

CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5 states that: New information added to an EIR is not “significant” unless the EIR is changed in a way that deprives the public of a meaningful opportunity to comment upon a substantial adverse environmental effect of the project or a

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feasible way to mitigate or avoid such an effect (including a feasible project alternative) that the project’s proponents have declined to implement.

The Final EIR has been prepared in accordance with CEQA, California Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.; the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3).

The Scotts Valley City Council will review and consider the Final EIR. If the City finds that the Final EIR is “adequate and complete,” the City Council may certify the Final EIR in accordance with CEQA. The rule of adequacy generally holds that a Final EIR can be certified if:
▪ The EIR shows a good faith effort at full disclosure of environmental information; and ▪ The EIR provides sufficient analysis to allow decisions to be made regarding the proposed project in contemplation of environmental considerations.

Upon review, consideration, and certification of the Final EIR, the City Council (with favorable recommendation from the Planning Commission) may take action to approve, revise, or reject the project. A decision to approve the Scotts Valley General Plan, for which the Final EIR identifies significant environmental effects, must be accompanied by written findings in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15091 and 15093.

Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
The Scotts Valley General Plan has been prepared to be a self-mitigating document. The policies and actions provided in the General Plan minimize the potentially significant and significant environmental impacts, to the extent feasible. No additional mitigation is available, as described in the Findings of Fact. The annual report on General Plan status required pursuant to the Government Code will serve as the monitoring and reporting program for the project. Given this, the Planning Commission and City Council will not need to adopt a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program in accordance with Public Resources Code Section 21081.6(a) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15097 for mitigation measures that have been incorporated into or imposed upon the project to reduce or avoid significant effects on the environment.

Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires the City Council of Scotts Valley, as the CEQA lead agency, to complete and adopt the following:
◼ Make written findings when approving a project for which an EIR was certified; and ◼ Identify overriding considerations for significant and unavoidable impacts identified in the EIR.

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The findings explain how the City, as the lead agency, approached the significant and potentially significant impacts identified in the environmental impact report prepared for the Scotts Valley General Plan (the Project). The City has prepared Findings of Fact and a Statement of Overriding Considerations in conformance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15309 (Exhibit B).

P U B L I C N O T I C E
On November 3, 2023, public hearing notices were posted at City Hall, the Scotts Valley Parks and Recreation Department, and the Scotts Valley Senior Center, consistent with State law.

Staff also sent electronic (e-mail) and mailed the public hearing notice to all individuals that have requested to receive notice of actions taken by the City relative to the General Plan Update (Public Hearing Subscribers and General Plan Interest List). The Public Hearing Notice was also uploaded on the City’s website and the General Plan Update website. In addition, the meeting agenda was posted at various designated posting locations in the City.

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission consider all information presented at the public hearing and if determined to be appropriate, adopt a Resolution recommending the City Council adopt the updated General Plan to replace the existing adopted General Plan, adopt a statement of Overriding Considerations for the significant and unavoidable impacts of the project and certify the General Plan Final Environmental Impact Report.

Attachments

1. Exhibit A: Resolution recommending adoption of the Scotts Valley General Plan

2. Exhibit B: Scott Valley General Plan Statement of Overriding Considerations

3. Exhibit C: Scotts Valley General Plan (which includes the Draft EIR)

4. Exhibit D: Scotts Valley General Plan Final EIR

RESOLUTION NO. 1788

RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY

COUNCIL CERTIFICATION OF A FINAL ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT REPORT,

ADOPTION OF A STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS FOR

SIGNIFICANT AND UNAVOIDABLE IMPACTS, AND ADOPTION OF THE UPDATED

SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
WHEREAS, Government Code section 65300 requires the City of Scotts Valley ("City") to adopt and maintain a General Plan that contains certain elements, describes the City's long-term goals for growth and development, and identifies policies and programs to achieve those goals;
WHEREAS, under State law and the Municipal Code, the Planning Commission is charged with reviewing updates and amendments to the City's General Plan, and making recommendations to the City Council;
WHEREAS, the last comprehensive update to the City’s General Plan was in 1994; WHEREAS, in 2012, the City began the process of comprehensively updating the City's General Plan, and since this time City officials, employees, and community members have been actively involved in the preparation of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan; WHEREAS, the updated Scotts Valley General Plan applies to all lands within the City limits and also certain lands outside the City limits, which comprise the City’s Planning Area;
WHEREAS, in September 2012 the City selected RBF Consulting, and then due to a change in staffing, in October 2014, the City selected Kimley Horn and Associates to assist with the preparation and drafting of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan and the corresponding Environmental Impact Report;
WHEREAS, the City engaged the community to help formulate the updated Scotts Valley General Plan. Throughout the process, the City Council and Planning Commission held multiple hearings, a community workshop was held at the Scotts Valley Community Center, and a community survey was circulated to households within the City; WHEREAS, the City formed a General Plan Advisory Committee ("GPAC") made up of fourteen (14) members from the community to provide input and review the policy directions contained in the updated Scotts Valley General Plan. The GPAC met fourteen (14) times throughout the General Plan update process;
WHEREAS, in accordance with Government Code sections 65351 through 65352.5, the City has provided opportunities for public input and involvement on the Scotts Valley General Plan update process, and provided opportunities for consultation to affected public agencies;
WHEREAS, in conformance with Government Code section 65302 describing the mandatory elements of a general plan, the updated Scotts Valley General Plan contains

the following chapters, which address the mandatory elements: Land Use, Economic Development, Mobility, Open Space and Conservation, Safety and Noise, and Community Services and Facilities;
WHEREAS, the Housing Element is not included in the updated Scotts Valley General Plan, but the Housing Element is valid through 2023 and remains in full force and effect.

The City last updated the Housing Element in 2015, as certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development;
WHEREAS, no changes to the City's Sphere of Influence or applications to the Santa Cruz County Local Agency Formation Commission accompanied the updated Scotts Valley General Plan;
WHEREAS, the updated Scotts Valley General Plan will supersede the 1994 General Plan text and maps and all subsequent amendments thereto; WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"), the City prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report ("Draft EIR") (SCH No. 2020070330) for the Scotts Valley General Plan update. The Draft EIR was circulated for public review from August 7, 2023 to September 21, 2023. The City has considered and evaluated the comments received on the Draft EIR during the period of public review; WHEREAS, the City has prepared the Final Environmental Impact Report ("Final EIR") for the Scotts Valley General Plan update, which incorporates the Draft EIR, contains the City's responses to written comments received on the Draft EIR, and identifies revisions to the Draft EIR;
WHEREAS, prior to recommending adoption of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan, the Planning Commission reviewed and considered the analysis contained in the Final EIR. The Planning Commission recommends that the City Council (1) certify the Final EIR, (2) adopt CEQA Findings for Significant Environmental Impacts and a Statement of Overriding Considerations, for the Scotts Valley General Plan update; and (3) adopt the updated Scotts Valley General Plan; and
WHEREAS, on November 16, 2023, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on the updated Scotts Valley General Plan, considered all written and oral reports of City staff, provided opportunities for the public to speak, and considered all comments on the matter as reflected in the record.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Planning Commission as follows:

SECTION 1: The Final EIR has been completed in compliance with the requirements of CEQA and the Planning Commission has reviewed and considered the information within the Final EIR.

SECTION 2: That the Final EIR represents the independent judgement and analysis of the City.

SECTION 3: The Planning Commission recommends that the City Council certify the Final EIR attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference based on the following findings pursuant to CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines Section 15091, Findings:

1. Changes or alterations have been required in, or incorporated into, the project which avoid or substantially lessen the significant environmental effect as identified in the Final EIR.

The Scotts Valley General Plan has been prepared to be a self-mitigating document. The policies and actions provided in the General Plan minimize the potentially significant and significant environmental impacts, to the extent feasible. However, two significant and unavoidable regionally based impacts were identified related to air quality and transportation and a Statement of Overriding Considerations has been prepared, as described in the Findings of Fact.

2. The City has prepared a program to report on and monitor changes made to the project in order to mitigate or avoid significant effects on the environment.

The annual report on General Plan status required pursuant to the Government Code will serve as the monitoring and reporting program for the project. Given this, the Planning Commission and City Council will not need to adopt a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program in accordance with Public Resources Code Section 21081.6(a) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15097 for mitigation measures that have been incorporated into or imposed upon the project to reduce or avoid significant effects on the environment.

3. The documents and other materials constituting the record of the proceedings upon which the City’s decision and its findings are based will be located at the Planning Department of the City of Scotts Valley in the custody of the Community Development Director.

The Final EIR meets the requirements of this finding in that the documents and other material constituting the record of the proceedings upon which the City’s decision and findings are located at the Planning Department of the City of Scotts Valley, One Civic Center Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066 in the custody of the Community Development Director as part of the public record.

SECTION 4: The Planning Commission recommends that the City Council approve a Statement of Overriding Considerations for the Final EIR and project based on the following discussion and finding:

4. To the extent that adverse or potentially adverse impacts set forth above have not been mitigated to a level of insignificance, that specific

economic, social, legal, environmental, technological, or other benefits of the project outweigh the significant effects on the environment.

After balancing the specific economic, legal, social, technological, and other benefits of the proposed project, the Council finds that the unavoidable adverse environmental impacts identified may be considered “acceptable” due to the specific considerations listed above which outweigh the unavoidable, adverse environmental impacts of the Project. See Scotts Valley General Plan Statement of Overriding Considerations.

SECTION 5: The Planning Commission hereby finds that the updated Scotts Valley General Plan and all its elements comprise a comprehensive, long-range, internally consistent statement of the City’s goals, policies, and actions related to Land Use, Economic Development, Mobility, Open Space and Conservation, Safety and Noise, and Community Services and Facilities. The Planning Commission further finds that the (6) chapters of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan include the elements required by Government Code section 65302.

SECTION 6: The Planning Commission hereby finds the updated Scotts Valley General Plan will promote the public health, safety, and welfare of the City’s residents by establishing goals, policies, and actions to guide the City’s future growth and development within the City’s Planning Area.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Planning Commission recommends that the City Council: (1) Certify the Final EIR, (2) Adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations, and (3) Adopt the updated Scotts Valley General Plan.

The above and foregoing resolution was duly and regularly adopted and passed by the Planning Commission of the City of Scotts Valley at a regular meeting held on the 16th day of November 2023, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:
___________________________________________
Lori Gentile, Chair
___________________________________________
Taylor Bateman, Community Development Director

EXHIBIT B

SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN

STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that in the event an agency chooses to approve a project that includes significant and unavoidable impacts which cannot be reduced to acceptable levels, the agency must adopt a written Statement of Overriding Considerations which identifies why the local agency is willing to accept the significant unavoidable effect(s). Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21081 and Section 15093 of the CEQA Guidelines, the Planning Commission recommends that the City Council adopt and make the following Statement of Overriding Considerations regarding the remaining significant unavoidable impacts of the Scotts Valley General Plan (Project), and the anticipated economic, social and other benefits of the Project.

The purpose of the statement of overriding considerations is defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15093 (a and b):
a) CEQA requires the decision-maker to balance, as applicable, the economic, legal, social, technological, or other benefits of a project against its unavoidable environmental risks when determining whether to approve the project. If the specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other benefits of a project outweigh the unavoidable adverse environmental effects, the adverse environmental effects may be considered "acceptable."
b) When the lead agency approves a project which will result in the occurrence of significant effects which are identified in the final EIR but are not avoided or substantially lessened, the agency shall state in writing the specific reasons to support its action based on the final EIR and/or other information in the record. The statement of overriding considerations shall be supported by substantial evidence in the record.

The Statement of Overriding Considerations should be read in conjunction with the findings under Section 15091 and should be used in decision making to balance the benefits of the project against the unavoidable environmental risks. CEQA also requires that the Statement of Overriding Considerations be included in the record of project approval and mentioned in the Notice of Determination.

With the exception of the Significant Unavoidable Impacts described below, all potentially significant and cumulative impacts identified in the Final EIR were determined to be less than significant due to the respective policies and action items described in the General Plan.

Exhibit B – Scotts Valley General Plan
Statement of Overriding Considerations | Page 2
Significant and Unavoidable Effects
Project Overview
The Project is an update to the City’s existing 1994 General Plan which will guide the City’s development and conservation over the next 20 + years. The General Plan addresses the current needs and preferences of the community. It identifies and prioritizes opportunities to preserve the character of the community, conserve natural resources, and direct land use policies that enable sustainable growth in and around Scotts Valley.

The General Plan is the long-range plan or roadmap for the City as a whole. Updates to the General Plan include changes to various policies, addressing land use compatibility and development intensities, establishing impact thresholds for future development projects, and implementing various actions that would help meet its goals.

Significant Unavoidable Impacts
A significant and unavoidable impact was identified for Impact AQ-3 regarding a cumulatively considerable net increase in criteria pollutants. The most recent AMBAG 2018 Population, Housing Unit, and Employment Forecasts project population growth in five-year increments to the year 2040. The 2040 population forecast for the City of Scotts Valley by AMBAG is 12,418 persons. Since the General Plan assumes a population buildout of 15,400 (see Table LU-1:

General Plan Buildout Summary), the General Plan would be inconsistent with the AQMP. This inconsistency in population forecasts is considered to result in a cumulatively considerable significant air quality impact. Due to the projected population growth, regional emissions would remain significant, and the General Plan would likely remain inconsistent with the AQMP. No further mitigation is feasible to reduce this impact. Therefore, this impact would remain significant and unavoidable.

A significant and unavoidable impact was identified for Impact T-1 regarding the exceedance of VMT thresholds. While Impact T-1 identifies goals and policies in the Mobility Element, and the City’s VMT Implementation Guidelines identifies strategies to reduce VMT, impacts associated with implementation of the General Plan would not be reduced to less than significant due to the increased development, new roadways, and increased use of the City’s and regional transportation system. While project-level impact mitigation shall be analyzed to reduce the significance of VMT-related impacts and the City VMT Implementation Guidelines will be continually improved and innovated to require VMT reduction to the extent feasible, this impact would be significant and unavoidable.

No other significant impacts were identified in the Final EIR. This is due to the fact that the General Plan is a programmatic policy document and does not propose specific development projects. Furthermore, where potential significant impacts were initially identified, additional policies were added to the General Plan to “pre-mitigate” such impacts. Lastly, the City of Scotts Valley is a compact urban community that is surrounded by natural barriers to outward expansion. As described in the Land Use Element, developable areas within the City limits are

Exhibit B – Scotts Valley General Plan
Statement of Overriding Considerations | Page 3
largely built out. As an established community, new development accommodated by the General Plan would be considered infill development, both on limited remaining vacant lands or intensification and/or redevelopment on underutilized parcels.

Statement of Overriding Considerations
These significant adverse unavoidable impacts have been identified and evaluated in the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Even though these adverse impacts are not reduced to a level considered less than significant, the City finds, after balancing these impacts with the benefits of the Project, that those impacts are outweighed by the benefits of the Project.

Further, the alternatives which were identified in the Final EIR to the same extent as the Project would not meet either in part or in whole the Project objectives.

Pursuant to Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 21081(b) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15093, the City has balanced the benefits of the Project against these unavoidable adverse impacts associated with air quality, and transportation.

The City also has examined alternatives to the Project, none of which both meet the project objectives and is environmentally preferable to the Project. The City, after balancing the specific economic, legal, social, technological, and other benefits of the Project, has determined that the unavoidable adverse environmental impacts identified above may be considered “acceptable” due to the following specific considerations which outweigh the unavoidable, adverse environmental impacts of the Project. Each of the separate benefits of the Project, as stated herein, is determined to be, unto itself and independent of the other project benefits, a basis for overriding all unavoidable adverse environmental impacts identified in these Findings.

The City Council and City Planning Commission have independently verified the existence of all facts stated below to justify the Statement of Overriding Considerations. ▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will comply with State requirements and, more importantly, will provide the City, its residents, landowners and businesses, staff and policy makers and all stakeholders with a comprehensive, long-range policy guideline for future development.
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will serve as a foundation in making land use decisions based on goals and policies related to land use, transportation routes, population growth and distribution, development, open space, resource preservation and utilization, air and water quality, noise impacts, safety issues and other related physical, social, and economic development factors.
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will address the continuing change, growth, and development of the City over the next two decades and will provide a public policy framework for the future of the city.
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will comply with the State of California requirement that all counties and cities “adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city, and of any land outside its

Exhibit B – Scotts Valley General Plan
Statement of Overriding Considerations | Page 4
boundaries which in the planning agency’s judgment bears relation to its planning” (Government Code Section 65300).
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will create a safe, efficient and balanced transportation network, improve environmental quality, encourage healthier lifestyles, and support economic development. The updated General Plan will develop a safe, efficient, convenient, and attractive transportation system throughout the community, providing links within the City and with neighboring regions, and accommodating automobile, truck, pedestrian, recreational, and public transit needs which will meet current and future development requirements within the planning area. ▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will preserve the character of existing single-family residential neighborhoods and continue to improve higher density neighborhoods. Diversity in the types of housing in the City is necessary to accommodate a population with varying socioeconomic needs. ▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will identify resources that should be preserved and set the foundation for preservation of these resources by utilizing a variety of tools that will promote the sustainability and environmental integrity of the City. The updated General Plan will establish the City's priorities as they relate to natural, historical and paleontological resources and outline the means for their preservation.
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will preserve existing open space and other undeveloped natural resources and to identify specific criteria in the future selection of open space and recreational facilities. The updated General Plan will help maintain a balance between development and the preservation and use of natural resources as the city continues to grow.
▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will promote and support economic development to provide jobs in concert with future population growth. ▪ Implementation of the updated General Plan will regulate development so that the density of residential development and the intensity of non-residential development are appropriate to the property and to surrounding properties and neighborhood.

Conclusion
After balancing the specific economic, legal, social, technological, and other benefits of the proposed project, the Council finds that the unavoidable adverse environmental impacts identified may be considered “acceptable” due to the specific considerations listed above which outweigh the unavoidable, adverse environmental impacts of the Project.

The Scotts Valley City Council has considered information contained in the EIR prepared for the proposed General Plan as well as the public testimony and record of proceedings in which the Project was considered. Recognizing that significant unavoidable air quality and transportation impacts may result from implementation of the proposed General Plan, the Council finds that the benefits of the General Plan and overriding considerations outweigh the adverse effects of

Exhibit B – Scotts Valley General Plan
Statement of Overriding Considerations | Page 5
the project. Having included all feasible mitigation measures as policies and actions in the General Plan, and recognized all unavoidable significant impacts, the Council hereby finds that each of the separate benefits of the proposed General Plan, as stated herein, is determined to be unto itself an overriding consideration, independent of other benefits, that warrants adoption of the proposed General Plan and outweighs and overrides its unavoidable significant effects, and thereby justifies the adoption of the proposed General Plan.

Based on the foregoing findings and the information contained in the record, the Council hereby determines that:

1. All significant effects on the environment due to implementation of the updated Scotts Valley General Plan have been eliminated or substantially lessened where feasible;

2. There are no feasible alternatives to the proposed updated Scotts Valley General Plan which would mitigate or substantially lessen the impacts; and

3. Any remaining significant effects on the environment found to be unavoidable are acceptable due to the factors described in the Statement of Overriding Considerations above.

CITY OF SCOTTS VALLEY

GENERAL PLAN

PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT
AUGUST 2023

CITY OF SCOTTS VALLEY

GENERAL PLAN

PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT
AUGUST 2023

SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | iii

Acknowledgements
Scotts Valley City Council
Jack Dilles, Mayor
Randy Johnson, Vice Mayor
Donna Lind, Council Member
Derek Timm, Council Member
Allan Timms, Council Member
General Plan Advisory Committee
Jim Reed, Scotts Valley City Council
Derek Timm, Scotts Valley City Council
Lori Gentile, Scotts Valley Planning Commission
Cathie Simonovich, Scotts Valley Parks & Recreation Commission Russ Patterson, Chair, Scotts Valley Fire Protection District Board of Director Michael Shulman, President, Scotts Valley Unified School District Board of Directors John Yost, President, Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Chris Perri, Vice President, Scotts Valley Water District Board of Directors Steven Clark, At-Large Member, Appointed by the Scotts Valley City Council Angela Franklin, At-Large Member, Appointed by the Scotts Valley City Council Jeff Hill, At-Large Member, Appointed by the Scotts Valley City Council Past Members
Randy Johnson, Scotts Valley City Council
Eric Seib, Chair, Scotts Valley Parks & Recreation Commission Ed Harmon, At-Large Member, Appointed by the Scotts Valley City Council

SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | v

TABLE OF CONENTS
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | i
Table of Contents
Introduction I-1
Land Use LU-1
Economic Development ED-1
Housing (under separate cover)
Mobility M-1
Open Space & Conservation OSC-1
Safety & Noise SN-1
Community Services & Facilities CSF-1
Environmental Review ER-1

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ii | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
List of Figures
(Note: Figures created in GIS are located at the end of each respective element) Figure I-1 Regional Location
Figure I-2 Planning Area
Figure LU-1 General Plan Land Use Designations
Figure H-1 Housing Opportunity Sites (separate document) Figure M-1 Roadway Network
Figure M-2 Traffic Calming Methods
Figure M-3 Mode Share of Travel for Cities in Santa Cruz County Figure OSC-1 Slopes
Figure OSC-2 Watersheds
Figure OSC-3 Riparian Woodlands
Figure OSC-4 Sandhill Habitat
Figure OSC-5 Viewsheds and Scenic Corridors
Figure OSC-6 Cultural Resource Areas
Figure SN-1 Fire Hazard Areas
Figure SN-2 Flood Hazards
Figure SN-3 Fault Zones
Figure SN-4 Liquefaction Potential
Figure SN-5 Landslide Deposits
Figure SN-6 Evacuation Routes
Figure SN-7 Noise Contours
Figure CSF 1 Schools, Parks and Open Space
Figure CSF-2 Fire Districts
Figure CSF-3 Water Districts

TABLE OF CONENTS
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | iii
List of Tables
Table LU-1 General Plan Buildout Summary
Table LU-2 General Plan Land Use Designations
Table ED-1 Total Jobs Growth (2015-2045)
Table ED-2 Employment by Sector (2010-2020)
Table ED-3 Unemployment Rate
Table ED-4 Commute Patterns of Scotts Valley Residents and Employees, by City Table ED-5 Economic Development SWOT Summary
Tables associated with the Housing Element are included in a separate document Table M-1 Roadway Classifications
Table M-2 Signalized and Unsignalized Intersection LOS Criteria Table OSC-1 List of Threatened, Endangered, and Other Special-Status Species Table SN-1 CA State Land Use Compatibility Guidelines for Community Noise Environments
Table SN-2 Noise Increase Standards
Table ER-1 Summary of Significant Impacts of the Project Table ER-AQ-1 Current National and State Ambient Air Quality Standards Table ER-AQ-2 MBARD Significance Thresholds for Construction and Operational Emissions Table ER-HYD-1 WY2011 to WY2020 SVWD Groundwater Pumping by Aquifer and Recycled Water Usage
Table ER-N-1 Typical Vibration Levels for Construction Equipment Table ER-T-2 Scotts Valley Daily Estimated VMT 2040 Forecast Travel Table ER-A-1 Lower Intensity Alternative Buildout Assumptions

TABLE OF CONTENTS
iv | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | I - 1

INTRODUCTION
The Scotts Valley General Plan (SVGP) is the City’s fundamental governance document that guides decision making, actions, programs, and crafting of more specific policies. It embodies community values and sets general direction for achieving broader visions identified in this document. The topics it addresses are wide-ranging, influencing many aspects of Scotts Valley.

It establishes goals, policies, and actions that will guide future land use and environmental protection decisions in Scotts Valley over the next 20 years. This chapter provides an overview of the purpose and contents of the SVGP, as well as a description of general plan update process.

PURPOSE AND LEGAL BASIS
In California, general plans serve as the “Constitution” for all future development in cities. The general plan provides the fundamental basis for the City’s land use and development policy, and represents the basic community values, ideals, and aspirations to govern a shared environment over the life of the general plan. The general plan addresses all aspects of development including land use, environmental management and sustainability, traffic and circulation, housing, parks and recreation, and other topics. The general plan’s policies are implemented through the Municipal Code, which includes the Zoning Code, Buildings and Construction Code, Subdivision Ordinance, and other City regulations.

California Government Code Section 65300 requires that the general plan be comprehensive, internally consistent, and long-term. Although it is required to address the issues specified by State law, the general plan is ultimately organized in a way that best suits Scotts Valley. The general plan should be clearly written, available to all those concerned with the community’s development, and easy to administer. This document supersedes the previous general plan, which was adopted in 1994.

The overall role of the general plan is to:
 Define a realistic vision of what the City desires to be in 20 years.  Express policy direction in regard to the physical, social, economic, cultural, and environmental character of the city.
 Serve as a comprehensive guide for making decisions about land use, mobility, protection of environmental resources, housing, safety, and noise.

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 Provide the legal foundation for zoning, subdivision, and public facilities ordinances; other adopted citywide plans; and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
 Present a clear and easy to understand format that encourages public participation and understanding.

ORGANIZATION AND CONTENTS
The SVGP is organized according to four main categories. These categories and their respect general plan element(s) are shown below.

General Plan Category General Plan Element(s)
Built Environment
Land Use
Economic Development
Housing
Mobility Mobility
Natural Environment Open Space & Conservation
Environmental Review 1
Community Community Services & Facilities
Public Safety & Noise
Notes:

1. The environmental review chapter, in combination with several other elements of the General Plan document, serves as the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the project and provides the environmental information and analysis and primary CEQA documentation necessary to adequately consider the effects of the General Plan. CEQA allows the Lead Agency to integrate the EIR as a chapter of the General Plan, as described in Section 15166 of the CEQA Guidelines.

Each element, within the four categories, contains a brief background section, following by a set of goals, policies and actions. Figures referenced in the text of each element appear at the end of each element.

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The following provides a description of goals, policies, and actions and explains the relationship between them:
 A goal is a description of the general desired result that the City seeks to create through the implementation of its General Plan. They are general statements of aspiration or intent to achieve an endpoint and may be attainable.
 A policy is a specific statement that regulates activities in the City, guides decisionmaking, and directs on-going efforts as the City works to achieve a goal. A policy is ongoing and requires no further implementation. The General Plan’s policies set out the standards that will be used by City staff, the Planning Commission, and City Council in their review of land development projects and in decision-making about City actions.  An action is a measure, procedure, or technique intended to help reach a specified goal or policy. The City must take additional steps to implement each action in the General Plan. An action is not on-going, but rather something that can and will be completed.

Taken together, the actions in this General Plan constitute a “to-do list” for the City of Scotts Valley.

Taken together as a comprehensive decision-making framework, the policies of the SVGP provide both a “yard-stick” by which actions are taken and measured and a governance tool to ensure accountability of those taking the actions back to SVGP and its overall vision.

Further, State law requires a general plan to be internally consistent, meaning no one policy can conflict with another. This approach is also inherently sustainable as policies at least have to be neutral to one another, if not supportive, across the elements.

In practice, this means that as a commission, committee, or the Scotts Valley City Council is reviewing a request, the decision-making body identifies the nature of the item, for example the consideration of a new project. The decision-making body then identifies all policies applicable to the consideration of a project, verifies that the project is consistent with the relevant policies and is at least neutral to – or not in conflict with – the rest. The decisionmaking body then uses this finding of general plan consistency as a basis for their action.

Organization of Policies
The SVGP provides guidance for four levels of geography, from the region to the individual project level. It also looks outward to Santa Cruz County, Northern California, and beyond to stay abreast of larger currents affecting Scotts Valley and to provide leadership in regional matters. It also looks inward at the City of Scotts Valley, its districts and neighborhoods, and individual projects as three sub-areas where implementation of SVGP occurs.

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Thus, policies are organized into four geographic levels. The City plays different roles in these different geographic levels, as follows:

Region/Sub-region– For matters affecting Scotts Valley that extend beyond its borders, the City communicates and coordinates with neighboring cities or other jurisdictions operating within Santa Cruz County, the Monterey Bay Region or Northern California.

City-wide– Within Scotts Valley’s borders, the City makes decisions within its jurisdiction about activities that affect the public interest, partners with other public agencies and private sector entities, and develops plans, programs and policies that will be carried out citywide.

Neighborhood/District–Neighborhoods or districts are areas with their own distinct identities within the context of the larger community. They lend themselves to the formation of community-based groups that seek to improve or maintain these areas. The City can enhance districts within Scotts Valley by working with these groups, guiding development, directly making physical improvements and carrying out programs. At the neighborhood level, the City plays a similar role with an emphasis on maintaining and enhancing neighborhood character.

While districts and neighborhoods have their own identities, the individual districts and neighborhoods are interconnected physically, economically and socially. The City initiates and supports efforts in these areas within the context of the community.

Project– A project is an undertaking that changes the built environment. Often it is an individual proposal for development that the City reviews for compliance with policies and regulations. As part of this review, the City considers the project’s possible environmental impacts, and impacts on public infrastructure such as streets and parks. The City also carries out projects of its own, such as construction of public facilities—sometimes in partnership with a private entity or another public agency such as a school district.

Note that not all policy levels necessarily apply to every goal.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires all local and State governmental agencies to consider the environmental consequences of projects over which they have discretionary authority. The State CEQA Statutes, Section 21065, define a project as “an activity which may cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.” Chapter 8 Environmental Review, in combination with other elements of the General Plan document, serves as the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the project and provides

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | I - 5
the environmental information and analysis and primary CEQA documentation necessary to adequately consider the effects of the General Plan.

To minimize the need to re-analyze future development projects related to SVGP, CEQA encourages using a general plan EIR to address subsequent discretionary projects, such as adopting zoning ordinances and specific plans and approving capital improvement or development projects that are consistent with the general plan. This streamlined approach to environmental review is commonly called “tiering” (CEQA Guidelines §15152). By using a tiered approach, the environmental review for a subsequent project can be limited to those projectspecific significant effects that either were not examined or not examined fully in SVGP Program EIR. Later activities that have been described adequately under the SVGP Program EIR will not require additional environmental documents.

When necessary, new environmental documents, such as a subsequent or supplemental EIR or a negative declaration, will focus on the project-specific impacts of later activities, filling in the information and analysis missing from the SVGP Program EIR. Similarly, CEQA offers the ability for projects that are consistent with the development density established by general plan policies for which an EIR was certified to evaluate only project-specific significant effects particular to the project or its site (CEQA Guidelines §15183).

ABOUT SCOTTS VALLEY
Scotts Valley is located in north Santa Cruz County and is bisected by Highway 17. The City is located just a short distance from the Monterey Bay, nestled in the redwoods on the upland slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is approximately six miles north of Santa Cruz, 30 miles southwest of San Jose and 68 miles south of San Francisco (see Figure I-1: Regional Location).

Scotts Valley was incorporated in 1966. The first Land Use Plan was adopted in 1968 and the first Scotts Valley General Plan was adopted in 1972. It has been updated three times subsequently in 1978, 1986, and 1994. The Housing Element, which is typically adopted under a separate process according to State requirements, has been adopted several times, which is required on an eight-year cycle.

The City and Its Planning Area
The goals, policies, and action of this SVGP apply to a greater geographical area than the City.

As required by state law, a city's general plan must address areas outside its city limits that bear some relationship to its planning. To satisfy this law, a boundary line was established which encompasses all land within the City and unincorporated lands that may be affected by City Planning decisions. This area hereafter referred to as the "Planning Area" encompasses approximately 8.3 square miles, compared to the 4.6 square miles contained within the City limits.

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To define unincorporated lands which may be annexed to the City, the Santa Cruz County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) commissioned a Sphere of Influence Study for the City.

The "sphere of influence" is a plan for the probable ultimate physical boundary and service area of a jurisdiction or agency. The Scotts Valley Sphere of Influence Study was adopted on October 16, 1985. This update of the SVGP does not propose any change to the current City limits.

The Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD) is a separate local agency and is not formally part of the City of Scotts Valley. The SVWD was originally formed in 1961 under the County Water District Act. In 1962, SVWD acquired and consolidated several small mutual water supply systems. The SVWD is located six miles north of the City of Santa Cruz, along State Highway 17 and covers approximately six square miles, including most of the City of Scotts Valley and a portion of the unincorporated area north of the City.

Figure I-2: Planning Area illustrates the various boundaries described above.

The History of Scotts Valley 1
Scotts Valley, located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, has an important and historically significant past. Archaeologists have recently discovered artifacts in the valley used between eight and twelve thousand years ago by Paleo Indians. These early residents lived on the shores of an ancient Pleistocene lake, which covered an area near the site of the Scotts Valley Civic Center complex.

Recorded history reveals that during Spanish Mexican days the valley was known as the Rancho San Agustin. The 4,436-acre tract was granted to Jose Antonio Bolcoff, a Russian-born sailor who became a Mexican citizen and married into the prominent Castro family of Santa Cruz. In 1836 he was living on the San Agustin with his wife, Candida, their children and Candida's sisters, Jacinta and Maria de los Angeles Castro.

After Bolcoff was appointed administrator of the Missions Santa Cruz, he abandoned his rancho. In 1841 Governor Juan B. Alvarado granted the Rancho San Agustin to Bolcoff's American brother-in-law, Joseph Ladd Majors. Majors, a Tennessee trapper, was one of Isaac Graham's Rifleros Americanos who had aided Governor Alvarado and General Castro in their 1836 revolution. In 1838 he was living on the Rancho Zayante (Felton), where he and Job Dye were partners in a distillery. In 1839 Joseph was united in marriage to Maria de los Angeles Castro.
1 Pokriots, Marion Dale (1988). "A Glimpse at Scotts Valley's History". Scotts Valley Historical Society.

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Soon after acquiring the San Agustin, Majors built a gristmill that ground wheat for residents of the Santa Clara Valley and for the establishment of Thomas O. Larkin in Monterey. His adobe on the rancho was used more than once as a fortress for American and British residents when local Mexican authorities threatened to rid the Santa Cruz region of its mounting "foreign" population.

From the 1840s, money-making activity in Scotts Valley centered on several industries: lumber, grain, the milling of grain, and most importantly the tanning of hides and working of leather. By 1843 Paul Sweet, a Rhode Island sailor, was operating California's first commercial tannery on Major's rancho in an area between Lockewood Lane and Lockhart Gulch. The prevalence of tanbark oaks in the Santa Cruz Mountains played an important part in the emergence of the tanning industry in Santa Cruz County.

The American occupation of Alta California brought changes to Scotts Valley. Majors was chosen alcalde (mayor) of Santa Cruz and was later elected county treasurer. By 1850 he was ready to sell his large valley holdings. Hiram Scott, a young Maine seaman turned gold miner, wished to purchase the ranch. Scott started making payments on the San Agustin in 1852 and soon sent for his relatives in Maine. During the 1850s the valley was inhabited solely by the Scotts and the region become known as Scotts Valley.

Hiram Scott built the Greek revival style Scott House in 1853. Situated behind City Hall, it is a Santa Cruz County Historical Trust Landmark, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The house originally stood on Scotts Valley Drive, near where a Bank of America branch is now located.

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Scott House circa 1853
In those years, horses and cattle roamed the countryside. Arable land was sown to grain, which was hauled to Santa Cruz by ox teams and then shipped to San Francisco by schooner. Grizzly bears and deer populated the valley, and the quail were abundant.

It wasn't long before Hiram and his family started to sell off portions of the rancho. Many of these buyers were British immigrants. Northumberland-born Joseph Errington had operated a dairy near Granite Creek Road, later known as the Live Oak Dairy. Errington's sister and her husband John Dagleas operated another dairy on the west side of Carbonera Creek, which was eventually purchased by the Thomsons, who were also from England. Samuel Lockhart, a Manchester man, who was active in lumbering in the early history of San Francisco, purchased extensive holdings in Glen Canyon. George Chappell, an English sailor who had been exiled to Mexico with Graham in 1840, owned four hundred acres between what is now the Mount Hermon overpass and Rancho Carbonera.

Others from the United States and European countries also came to the valley. Samuel Dickens, a North Carolina lumberman, bought acreage along both sides of Mount Hermon Road.

Dickens' eleven hundred acres were later sold to David Morrill Locke, a New Hampshire Fortyniner who had made his fortune selling water to San Franciscans during the gold rush and through various business enterprises in Knight's Ferry. Locke's Springvale Dairy was considered a tourist attraction and was the largest dairy operation in the valley. Locke donated two acres

INTRODU C TION
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | I - 9
of his land to the Scotts Valley school district at Scotts Valley Drive and Bean Creek Road. The school became the center for both educational and social activities in the community.

Stagecoaches ran twice daily through Scotts Valley, where drivers stopped to change horses at the Scott house and later at the Hendricks' ranch (near the intersection of Whispering Pines Drive and Mount Hermon Road). A toll gate crossed Glenwood Drive near Canham Road.

Glenwood Drive was the only "way to San Jose" without riding to Soquel in the early days.

The rancho remained predominately a farming and dairy region until the 1930s. Butter, milk, cheese, apples, grapes and poultry were the main products sold by local residents.

During the Great Depression, the land was put to more diversified uses. The J. Jackson Graham family sold the peat on their property along Mount Hermon Road to gardenia growers. The Young family moved their Santa Cruz mushroom business to the Lockewood Lane area.

Eberhardt, Rose and Houghton planted tracts of blueberries between Whispering Pines Drive and Lockewood Lane and Marion Hollins built her polo stables at the north end of town abutting Carbonera Creek.

The climate and beauty of the area attracted tourists and industries associated with tourism soon developed. A camp was established by the Evers family, which boasted a store, a gas pump, two cabins and spaces for tents. The Swedish Evangelical Missionary Association built a conference center in beautiful Lockhart Gulch. Agnes Archibald developed a mini-zoo and resort on Scotts Valley Drive called Beverly Gardens, which attracted people from the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Movie companies found the valley a delightful place for location sites. The old and established Summer Home Farm resort on Bean Creek was purchased by the Salvation Army and renamed Camp Redwood Glen. Eventually, the Tree Circus, Sorensen's Wax Museum and Santa's Village attracted vacationers on their way to local beaches and parks.

Shortly after the freeway was opened in the mid-1950's, Scotts Valley went into the doldrums.

Businesses along Scotts Valley Drive (the old Los Gatos Highway) folded. When a group of investors pushed for a large cemetery just off the freeway and the City of Santa Cruz moved forward with plans to annex Scotts Valley, the community became alarmed.

Residents soon began discussing "home rule" and incorporation. Papers for incorporation were drawn up in 1963, and a measure to incorporate was passed in 1964. However, it wasn't until August 2, 1966, that Scotts Valley officially became a city. Mayor Bill Graham presided over the first city council and Friend Stone served as the valley's first City Administrator.

The area was the site of Santa's Village, a Christmas-themed amusement park which opened on May 30, 1957, on a 25-acre site which was formerly Lawridge Farm, part of the former Rancho San Augustin. The park was sold in 1966 but continued to be operated under lease by the Santa's Village Corporation. When that corporation went bankrupt in 1977 the owner considered launching a Knott's Berry Farm type of complex complete with hotel, shopping

INTRODUCTION
I - 10 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
center, and amusement park rides, but was denied a permit by the City of Scotts Valley, and the park closed for good in 1979.

Santa's Village (date unknown)

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | I - 11

THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE PROCESS
Preparation of this general plan update was led by the Scotts Valley General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC). The GPAC held fourteen meetings over the course of three years. All meetings were open to the public.

To solicit community input, a community workshop was held June 3, 2017, at the Scotts Valley Community Center. It was facilitated by members of the GPAC, with support from City staff and consultants. Utilizing an open-house format, more than 100 participants recorded some 250 + comments organized according to five broad topics, namely; 1) Built Environment, 2) Natural Environment, 3) Mobility, 4) Community, and 5) Looking to the Future.

A web-based community survey was also conducted to receive input from the broader community. The survey was comprised of 50 questions addressing a range of topics including land use and future development, aesthetics and urban design, mobility, parks and recreation, public services and community of life. Fifteen questions included an opportunity for narrative comments. 813 people responded to the survey. Between the workshop and the survey, the following is a summary of the community’s values:
 The community places a high value on the small-town character of Scotts Valley and want to retain this quality of life into the future.
 Maintaining the valley’s natural resources and visual character is a high priority for the community.
 Development of the Town Center into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly project is a high priority.
 The pace of future development should be done carefully, with a focus on more highquality restaurants and retail options.  More housing choices (types), that are also affordable, is a very important issue to the community.
 The expansion of pedestrian sidewalks and bike paths, as well as trails through open space, is a high priority.
 Residents frequently use the City’s parks and other public facilities and are generally very pleased with the facilities and programs.
 Aesthetic improvements through landscaping and building design guidelines were recommended along the Mt. Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive corridors.

Complete documentation of the workshop and survey can be found in Envision Scotts Valley – Community Outreach Report (September 2017).

INTRODUCTION
I - 12 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN

VISION STATEMENT AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Vision Statement
Surrounded by hillsides and forests, Scotts Valley is an energetic City that values a mix of natural and built environments. The residents and business owners will always benefit from a balanced mix of housing, employment, and commercial and services, and foster community interaction that is the foundation of a family-oriented way of life.

Guiding Principles
Community Identity & Connections
CIC-1 Preserve and enhance Scotts Valley’s safe, small-town character and natural wooded setting in balance with these other guiding principles.

CIC-2 Use high-quality design features and amenities through appropriate architecture, landscape, and streetscape designs that enhance the visual appearance of new development in public spaces, including parks and roadways.

CIC-3 Encourage year-round community events and activities that facilitate interaction with neighbors and the broader community.

CIC-4 Ensure that all neighborhoods enjoy access to community services and amenities.

CIC-5 Promote Scotts Valley as a welcoming community that supports diverse backgrounds and ideas.

Natural Resources
NR-1 Protect and enhance natural and scenic resources – including creeks and hillsides which enhance the city’s character.

NR-2 Act as environmental stewards in the sustainable management of our natural resources and open space.

NR-3 Seek opportunities to advance the use of renewable resources and minimize impacts to air quality, noise, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Neighborhoods & Housing
NH-1 Maintain and enhance the existing character of our residential neighborhoods.

NH-2 Support neighborhood improvements that foster identity and build stability, inclusiveness, and interaction.

NH-3 Maintain safe residential neighborhoods that minimize noise, provide adequate parking and discourage crosscut traffic.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | I - 13
NH-4 Encourage a diverse housing stock that accommodates a wide range of demographic and economic needs.

Mobility
M-1 Provide a balanced transportation system that accommodates the need of automobiles, transit, pedestrians, and bicycles.

M-2 Pursue opportunities for pedestrian and bicycle networks that connect neighborhoods to schools and commercial uses throughout the City.

M-3 Promote transportation options that are safe and convenient for all residents, including youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

Growth and Economic Development
GED-1 Pursue a balanced approach to future development that supports housing, employment, and commercial needs and services in balance with these other guiding principles.

GED-2 Target future growth within existing commercial corridors of Scotts Valley Drive and Mount Hermon Road so as to not adversely impact residential neighborhoods.

GED-3 Foster a diverse local economy that supports local businesses, employs local residents, and maintains the fiscal health of the City to provide public services and facilities.

GED-4 Support the development of the town center.

GED-5 Foster a healthy business community that provides a diverse mix of the goods and services.

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure I-1: Regional Location ±

I N T R O D U C T I O N
^_
P a c i f i c O c e a n

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure I-2: Planning Area ±

I N T R O D U C T I O N

L E G E N D
City Limit Planning Area
Inclusionary Housing Planning Area
Sphere of Influence
Inclusionary Housing Planning Area
Sphere of Influence
Special Treatment Areas

SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 1
The Scotts Valley Land Use Element addresses the
physical features of the city’s residential
neighborhoods and commercial districts, including
the mix and density of land uses, mobility
connections and public infrastructure. It describes a
pattern of development in Scotts Valley consistent
with the General Plan vision statement and guiding
principles.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 3

LAND USE ELEMENT
Introduction
The Land Use Element contains goals, policies and a land use map indicating the planned location, amount and intensity of residential, commercial, industrial, public and open space lands. The land use policies need to be considered together with the land use map to assess the City's intentions for future development and conservation within the community. The land use map implements the goals and policies contained throughout the Scotts Valley General Plan.

The Land Use Element is intended to protect the hillside forests which provide the essential character of the valley, develop the urban core near major transportation corridors, and foster a healthy business community which can provide many of the goods and services for the City and ensure a broadly-based housing supply.

Current Status
Recommended by Planning Commission to City Council – DATE Accepted by City Council at Public Hearing – DATE

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LU - 4 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Background and Context
Existing Conditions
Since incorporation in 1966, the City of Scotts Valley has evolved as a balanced community with family-oriented residential neighborhoods, innovative light-industrial and manufacturing businesses, and strong retail/services corridors along Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive. The City’s topography reinforces the notion of a community in a valley, surrounded by forested hills and scenic landscapes.

The following summarizes the existing conditions and future growth projections and plans for various land uses within the planning area.

Population
As of 2020, there were an estimated 12,073 people who call Scotts Valley home. Since 1970 (four years after incorporation; population 3,621), the population has increased by 8,271 persons, or nearly 70 percent. Between 1970 and 2000, Scotts Valley experienced the highest annual growth rate (7.10 %) of any city in Santa Cruz County. However, given the limited amount of vacant land available for new development and other factors, growth since 2000 has slowed considerably. Overall, Scotts Valley growth is relatively modest when compared to the cities of Watsonville and Santa Cruz which together have increased their population by nearly 70,000 over the same time period.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 5
Housing
Since incorporation in 1966, the City has had a considerable increase in population, creating a significant demand for housing. Between 1970 and 2020, the City added 3,248 housing units, however, since 2010, the number of housing units has leveled off and fewer units per year have been constructed as compared to previous growth rates. The average number of persons per household (2017 – 2021) was 2.51.

Residential uses include both single and multiple-family residences, apartments and condominiums and mobile home parks. Residential development has been guided by the topography, geology, vegetative cover, access to transportation and service facilities. Larger lots with low densities have been developed in the hillsides with single family detached homes in the Whispering Pines, Granite Creek and Hacienda/Cadillac neighborhoods. Higher densities are located on the valley floor close to local shopping, public services and transportation facilities such as the neighborhoods on Blake Lane, Jolley Way, Trammel Way, and along Bean Creek Road. Mobile home parks within the City include Montevalle, Spring Lakes, Vista Del Lago, and Mountain Brook. Montevalle, Spring Lakes and Mountain Brook are deed-restricted adult communities.
-
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 2020
Population
Poulation Growth in Santa Cruz County Cities
(Source: US Census 2020 and 2008-2018 American Community Survey) Scotts Valley
Capitola
Watsonville
Santa Cruz

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LU - 6 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
As shown below, 88% of the existing housing stock was constructed between 1960 and 2000.

Most of these homes (56%) are detached, single family houses. The other 44% of the housing stock is made up of apartments and condominiums, attached houses, and mobile homes. 1,305
2,079
3,156
4,042
4,522 4,527 4,569
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 2020
Scotts Valley Total Housing Units
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2008-2018
American Community Survey)

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 7
In 1991, the city adopted a “Planned Development zone district which allows projects to be individually designed to meet the needs of the property zoned "PD". This flexibility allows a project to be constructed at the maximum allowable density while considering the topography, vegetation, and other constraints to development.

The street network plays an important role in the development of the residential neighborhoods. In the hillside neighborhoods, streets are typically narrow to preserve the existing topography and vegetation. These narrow streets, however, prevent residents from using the street for guest parking since emergency vehicles must be able to pass at all times.

The absence of streets and adequate access can also prevent neighborhoods from accessing shopping and service areas or other residential areas without traveling with the congestion of the work force. For example, the neighborhoods west of Scotts Valley Drive have only one access through the city (Scotts Valley Drive). Because there are no local streets solely for residential traffic, many of the residences are located on narrow, dead-end streets off Scotts Valley Drive.

Consequently, there is no defined neighborhood west of Scotts Valley Drive. The lack of access also limits development east of Highway 17 along Green Hills Road. Currently, the only access

1.0%

1.9%

10.2%

42.6%

35.6%

7.3%

1.4%
Age of Housing Stock
(Source: American Cummunity Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, 2017) 2014 or later
2010 to 2013
2000 to 2009
1980 to 1999
1960 to 1979
1940 to 1959
1939 or earlier

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LU - 8 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
to Scotts Valley or Highway 17 is at the intersection of Glen Canyon Road and Mount Hermon Road.

Employment
Scotts Valley has over 700 employers who provide more than 5,000 jobs within the city limits.

As of 2020, the unemployment rate was 4.3%, less than that of Santa Cruz County (6.1%). As shown in the chart below, the most common employment industries are computer and electronic products, professional scientific and technical, educational services, and healthcare; all of which rank far higher than the average rate of employment as compared to the State of California.

Employment related land uses include retail services, office, and light industrial uses. Major retail/services centers include Kings Village Shopping Center, Scotts Village, Scotts Valley Square and Graham Plaza. Community commercial shopping centers are located along Mount Hermon Road. Scotts Valley Junction is located at the northern end of Scotts Valley Drive.

Retail, professional services and offices are also located along Scotts Valley Drive. These tend to be locally owned businesses and include restaurants, banks, insurance, real estate, and specialty services.

Light industrial areas include the Aviza Technology site north of Mount Hermon Road (now vacant), the Enterprise Technology Center east of highway 17 and north of Granite Creek Road, and a variety of businesses between Scotts Valley Drive and Highway 17 along Disc Drive / El Pueblo Road /Janis Way. The primary uses are computer technology, manufacturing, and bulk retail services.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 9
Land Use
The City of Scotts Valley is comprised of approximately 4.6 square miles. Land uses in the City includes residential, commercial, industrial, open space, and civic (government) uses. A large majority (72%) of Scotts Valley is designated residential, which includes both single and multiple-family residences, apartments and condominiums and mobile home parks.

Development Capacity
State law requires that a General Plan include “an estimate of the total amount of development that may be built in an area under a certain set of assumptions, including applicable land use laws and policies (e.g., zoning), environmental constraints, etc.” Development capacity refers to the maximum amount of development that can be accommodated if all land uses shown on the General Plan Map were built. This capacity is commonly expressed in terms of population, housing units, and employment.

Understanding Density and Intensity
Residential “Density”
The term “density” in a land use context is a measure of the desired population or residential development capacity of the land. Residential density is described in terms of dwelling units per gross acre (du/ac). Gross residential acreage is defined as the area developed to residential use, exclusive of local serving streets, alleys or arterials. A dwelling unit is a building, or a portion of a building, used for human habitation and may vary considerably in size from small apartments 72%
4%
7%
14%
4%
1994 General Plan Planning Area Land Use Designations
(Acres)
(Source: City of Scotts Valley GIS, 2014)
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Open Space
Civic

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LU - 10 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
to large single-family homes. For example, the density of a residential development of 200 dwelling units occupying 50 gross acres of land is 4.0 du/ac.

Non-Residential “Intensity”
The term “intensity” refers to the degree of non-residential development based on building characteristics such as height, bulk, floor area ratio, and percentage of lot coverage. The City of Scotts Valley uses “building coverage” which is defined in the City’s Municipal Code as “the horizontal area measured within the outside of the exterior walls of the ground floor of all main and accessory buildings on a lot. The coverage of a structure, or portion thereof, not provided with surrounding exterior walls shall be the area under the horizontal projection of the roof or floor above.”
1994 General Plan
The 1994 General Plan was prepared during a period of rapid and sustained growth that was assumed to continue to the horizon year of 2015. Between 1960 and 1990, the annualized growth rate for Scotts Valley averaged 3.11%, which is a very high rate of growth. Employment growth was more rapid, growing at an annualized rate of 7.7% between 1982 and 1990.

If all the residential land shown on the existing 1994 General Plan Land Use Map were built out, Scotts Valley would contain approximately 6,500 housing units, supporting a population of about 16,000. If all the industrial, commercial, office, and other employment generating land were built out, Scotts Valley would contain approximately 6.2 million square feet of building floor area, or enough to support about 12,000 jobs.

General Plan Update Development Capacity
To determine the development capacity for this updated General Plan, the first step was to identify parcels that are currently entitled but not yet developed, vacant, or underdeveloped.

Entitled development are projects that have been approved for development and are either under construction or pending. As such, their development capacity (i.e., the number of residential units or the amount of commercial square footage) is known. For vacant and underdeveloped parcels, an average density per their land use designation was multiplied by the parcel size.

Additionally, the City has received a number of project applications that are requesting a General Plan Amendment. Such amendments are discretionary and require the approval by the City Council. To be conservative, the development capacity analysis assumed that all projects requesting a general plan amendment would be developed.

As shown in Table LU-1: General Plan Buildout Summary, the General Plan Update assumes a more moderate growth rate that is less than the previous (1994) General Plan, and more consistent with actual growth trends over the past 20 + years, as well as population, housing

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 11
and employment projections as identified by the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG).

Table LU-1: General Plan Buildout Summary
Households Population 1 Employment
Comparison to 1994 General Plan
Previous General Plan (1994) 6,500 16,000 12,000
Current General Plan (2021) 6,000 15,400 1 8,400 2
Difference (500) 100 (3,600)
Development Capacity
Existing (2020) 2 4,750 12,145 7,612
General Plan Buildout 6,000 15,400 1 8,400 2
Net Increase 1,250 3,255 788
Notes:

1. Per US Census, assumes 2.68 persons per household, rounded to the nearest 100.

2. Per AMBAG 2018 Regional Growth Forecast (2015-2040).

Apart from minor updates to reflect past City approvals, the land use designations in the City of Scotts Valley and the Planning Area will remain the same as designated under the 1994 General Plan (as amended). These land use designations are shown in Figure LU-1: General Plan Land Use Designations.

For the GP EIR (see Chapter 8 Environmental Review), the development capacity provides a reference point for how and where such growth will be accommodated, and how the City and other public agencies will accommodate such growth, particularly with respect to infrastructure requirements (e.g., roads, water, sewer), and public services (e.g., police, fire, and parks & recreation).

Development Considerations
Allowing all parcels to be developed to the maximum density or intensity is not the intention of this general plan. The intention is to reflect a maximum development envelope or density range under appropriate conditions, and in accordance with applicable detailed zoning regulations.

There are many factors that may limit or affect a development’s ability to achieve the maximum intensity on a specific parcel, resulting from the parcel’s physical limitations, the City’s zoning standards, and how an owner/developer chooses to address the function and design of the development. These factors may include, but are not limited to, the following:

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LU - 12 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
 Parcel size and configuration
 Height limits
 Lot coverage allowed
 Requirements for setbacks, build-to standards, landscaping and open space  Development standards and design guidelines
 Type of parking provided (e.g., surface, below-grade, or structured)  Adjacency to sensitive land uses, such as single-family neighborhoods.

It is important to note that this development build-out analysis only represents a maximum development envelope of density based on existing and potential general plan land use designations. Development forecasts involves an analysis of other factors such as; environmental constraints, economic and market conditions, historic trends, property ownership, and community preferences.

General Plan Land Use Designations
Table LU-2: General Plan Land Use Designations describes the density, land uses and corresponding zoning for each general plan land use designation. These designations are shown in Figure LU-1: General Plan Land Use Designations.

If a project is proposed which is inconsistent with the General Plan Land Use Map, the property owner may apply for a General Plan Amendment. The City Council must be able to make a specific finding that the proposed amendment to the General Plan is in the public's interest or deny the amendment. Amendments to each required General Plan element are allowed up to four times per year.

The zoning process consists of the rezoning of lands within the incorporated City limits (or the pre-zoning of property proposed for annexation) from one zoning district to another. The rezoning of property directly implements the land use designations as shown on the Land Use Map since, by state law, the rezoning of property must be consistent with the General Plan.

Zoning applications are reviewed by various city departments for consistency with City Council and General Plan policy, as well as, to identify specific public improvements and requirements such as streets, storm and sanitary sewer and streetlights. Review by other public agencies is also incorporated in the zoning process as appropriate.

Zoning changes take two forms: 1) Conventional zoning and 2) Planned Development overlay zoning. Conventional zoning districts contained in the City's Zoning Ordinance include a range of allowed land uses, development intensities and standards within the major land use categories: residential, commercial and industrial, together with zoning districts for other land

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 13
uses such as Public/Quasi-Public and Open Space. The various ranges of allowed use and development intensity correspond generally to the respective General Plan land use designations, thereby allowing the application of a zoning district to a property which implements the land use intended by the General Plan.

Planned Development zoning reflected in a General Development Plan and adopted by the City Council provides the means to tailor zoning regulations and to apply specific standards for the development of a particular site. This process enables the City Council to consider the unique characteristics of a site and its surroundings to better implement the citywide objectives, goals and policies of the General Plan and to provide site-specific development standards. Anytime Planned Development zoning is utilized, the standards established for the zoning district which reflects the General Plan designation are tailored as part of a General Development Plan.

Tailored zoning regulations include, but are not limited to, site intensities, location, height, coverage and structure appearance.

The second phase of a Planned Development zoning process, the Planned Development permit, is a site/architectural permit that implements the approved Planned Development overlay zoning of the property.

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LU - 14 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Table LU-2: General Plan Land Use Designations
General Plan
Land Use
Designation
Corresponding
Zoning
Designation
Residential
Density /
Commercial
Building
Coverage 1 Description Potential Land Uses
Residential
Mountain R-MT-5 1 du /
5 acres
Primarily for hillside areas
of the city where
environmental constraints
require development at
lower densities.
 Single-family detached
dwellings
 Secondary dwelling units
 Accessory structures
 Public parks and recreation
areas
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
Rural R-R-2.5 1 du /

2.5 acres
To provide areas for largelot residential living and
minor agricultural
activities.

To preserve, to the
greatest extent feasible,
the natural topography
while creating a living
environment which best
serves the needs of its
residents.
 Single-family detached
dwellings
 Secondary dwelling units
 Accessory structures
 Public parks and recreation
areas
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
Estate R-1-40 1 du /acre To provide areas for
single-family residential
development where lot
sizes and densities are
designed to accommodate
large areas of open space
for recreational activities
compatible with a
residential environment.
 Single-family detached
dwellings
 Secondary dwelling units
 Accessory structures
 Public parks and recreation
areas
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
Low R-1-20 2 dus/acre To provide areas for
households that desire
rural/suburban living with
a range of housing options
and are designed to
accommodate areas of
open space for
recreational activities
compatible with a
residential environment.
 Single-family detached
dwellings
 Secondary dwelling units
 Accessory structures
 Public parks and recreation
areas
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 15
General Plan
Land Use
Designation
Corresponding
Zoning
Designation
Residential
Density /
Commercial
Building
Coverage 1 Description Potential Land Uses
Medium R-1-10 2 - 5
dus/acre
To provide areas for
households that desire
suburban living with a
range of housing options,
and to provide
opportunities for limited
neighborhood support
uses and amenities.
 Single-family detached
dwellings
 Secondary dwelling units
 Accessory structures
 Public parks and recreation
areas
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
Medium High R-M-6 and RM-8 5 - 9
dus/acre
To provide areas for
households that desire
suburban living with a
range of housing options,
and to provide
opportunities for
neighborhood support
uses and amenities.
 Single-family attached and
detached dwellings
 Townhouses and
condominiums
 Secondary dwelling units
 Accessory structures
 Public parks and recreation
areas
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
High R-H 9 - 15
dus/acre
To provide areas for
households that desire
urban living within a
compact and walkable
neighborhood and
provide opportunities for
neighborhood support
uses and amenities.
 Single-family attached
dwellings
 Townhouses and
condominiums
 Apartments
 Limited neighborhoodserving commercial
 Secondary dwelling units
 Accessory structures
 Public parks and recreation
areas
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses

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LU - 16 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
General Plan
Land Use
Designation
Corresponding
Zoning
Designation
Residential
Density /
Commercial
Building
Coverage 1 Description Potential Land Uses
Very High R-VH 15.1 - 20
dus/acre
To provide areas for
households that desire
dense urban living within
a compact, walkable
neighborhood that is
served by transit, and to
provide opportunities for
neighborhood support
uses and amenities.
 Townhouses and
condominiums
 Apartments
 Neighborhood-serving
commercial
 Secondary dwelling units
 Accessory structures
 Public parks and recreation
areas
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
Commercial
Professional C-P 35% To provide areas for
administrative, business
and professional offices in
which merchandise is not
manufactured or sold.
 Professional services and
office
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
Service C-S 45% To provide areas for
convenient retail and
service establishments
that serve neighborhood
and local populations and
are served by transit and
quality bicycle and
pedestrian-friendly
facilities.
 Retail, professional services,
and office
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
 Very High residential (mixeduse) is permitted providing adjacent uses are compatible
and the residential use is
secondary to the retail use
(i.e., consists of no more than
49% of the total gross square
feet of the development).

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 17
General Plan
Land Use
Designation
Corresponding
Zoning
Designation
Residential
Density /
Commercial
Building
Coverage 1 Description Potential Land Uses
Shopping
Center
C-SC 35% To provide areas for urban
centers with retail and
services, office, and
mixed-use establishments
that serve local and
regional populations, and
are well served by transit
and quality bicycle and
pedestrian-friendly
facilities.
 Retail, service, office
 Public gathering places such
as plazas and courtyards
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
 Very High residential (mixeduse) is permitted providing adjacent uses are compatible
and the residential use is
secondary to the retail use
(i.e., consists of no more than
49% of the total gross square
feet of the development).

Industrial
Light
Industrial
I-L 50% To provide areas for
manufacturing, product
assembly, warehousing
and supporting uses and
amenities.
 Industrial or manufacturing
 Office, retail and service uses
that provide support to
employees
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses This designation should not be
located adjacent to a
residential or commercial use
without substantial buffers
Industrial
R&D
PD n/a To provide areas that
involve activities related
to corporate or
governmental innovation
involved in scientific and
applied research,
technology, and product
design and development.
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
 Applies to the Enterprise
Technology Center
Heavy
Industrial
n/a To provide areas that
involve intensive
manufacturing, mining
and quarrying of minerals
that due to their intensity
of use are less compatible
with residential and
commercial categories
 Mining / quarry
 Chemical manufacturing

LAND USE
LU - 18 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
General Plan
Land Use
Designation
Corresponding
Zoning
Designation
Residential
Density /
Commercial
Building
Coverage 1 Description Potential Land Uses
Other
Public /
Quasi-Public
P n/a To provide public facilities
that are necessary or
desired for public health,
safety, and welfare and
quasi-public facilities that
serve the broader
community.
 Public and private
educational facilities
 Emergency services
 Health care facilities
 Religious facilities
 Governmental buildings
 Cultural facilities
Open Space /
Conservation
OS n/a To provide areas for the
conservation and
sustainable use of the
community's natural or
scenic resources.
 Wetlands and open water
 Plant and wildlife habitats
 Timber production zones
 Floodplains
 Active and passive recreation
facilities
 Greenways and trails
 Areas with permanent open
space easements
 Buffers between developed
areas
 Golf courses and commercial
outdoor recreation facilities
Farmlands and grazing areas
 Compatible public, quasipublic, and special uses
Special
Treatment
Areas
PD n/a To provide overlay
designations for areas
where planned
developments or some
form of special treatment
is required for allow
future development.
 Land uses are variable. See
Special Treatment Areas
discussion, below.

Notes:
(1) Residential – maximum dwelling units/gross acre. Commercial – maximum building coverage. (2) n/a – Not applicable.

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 19
Specific Plans
A specific plan is a tool for the systematic implementation of the general plan. It effectively establishes a link between implementing policies of the general plan and the individual development proposals in a defined area. A specific plan may be as general as setting forth broad policy concepts, or as detailed as providing direction to every facet of development from the type, location and intensity of uses to the design and capacity of infrastructure; from the resources used to finance public improvements to the design guidelines of a subdivision.

Specific Plans are authorized by California Government Code sections 65450 through 65457.

The City has three Specific Plans that are currently (2023) effective, as described below:

Town Center Specific Plan
The Town Center Specific Plan was adopted by the City Council in December 2008. A primary goal of the Town Center Specific Plan (The Plan) is to create an identifiable and inviting place with an intimate streetscape lined with storefronts and a mix of uses that promote an environment where people can live, work, and play. The Plan proposes new commercial development (retail and office), residential development, and civic uses to create a place that thrives from morning to night. At buildout, the Town Center is entitled for up to 300,000 sf. of commercial space and 254 residential units.

In some areas, a horizontal mix of uses (standalone residential and standalone commercial adjacent to each other on a given site) and in other areas a vertical mix (residential or office above retail or commercial within the same building) will be appropriate. Mixed-use development will be focused along the main street leading from Mt. Hermon Road to the town green. Medium density standalone residential will serve as a transition from commercial development to the residential along Skypark Drive and Blue Bonnet Lane.

Residential development is limited to higher densities, such as townhomes, apartments and condominiums. Although residential uses will be an important component to the success of the Plan Area, it will be a secondary use intended to support the predominantly retail and community serving focus of the area.

Gateway South Specific Plan
The Gateway South Specific Plan (2007) was prepared to guide future development in the Gateway South Special Treatment Area (described below). The Specific Plan area is located on the north and south sides of Mount Hermon Road near the intersection of Highway 17. The plan designates parcels for a variety of residential, commercial, open space, and public uses on 43 acres. Special treatment is needed to address the challenging site access and circulation issues associated with topography, a riparian corridor, and the surrounding vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure

LAND USE
LU - 20 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Glenwood Specific Plan
The 195-acre Glenwood planning area consists of two, large, undeveloped parcels located on west and east sides of Glenwood Drive at the north end of the City of Scotts. Starting in 1991, various land plans and site boundaries were considered, including an initial proposal to construct 276 single-family homes and townhomes, an 18-hole golf course and clubhouse and a middle school.

Ultimately, due to significant environmental constraints and community opposition, the Scotts Valley Unified School District constructed a high school on 22 acres which was opened initially to freshman students in September of 1999. On the west side of Glenwood Drive, 49 singlefamily lot were constructed on 11 acres. Seven plus acres were dedicated to the expansion of Siltanen park and the remaining 160 acres are now preserved as permanent open space, known as the Glenwood Open Space Preserve.

Special Treatment Areas
Bethany Neighborhood Special Treatment Area
The BNSTA is approximately 80 acres with approximately 26 acres of buildable area that is primarily developed as an educational facility and associated uses. The remainder of the BNSTA is developed with single family residences. The area is located at the northern portion of the City, west of Highway 17 and is bordered on the west by Bethany Drive/Bethany Way and on the east by Scotts Valley Drive. The entire BNSTA is designated for Public/Quasi Public uses.

Buildable areas are those areas where the slopes are generally less than 10%. Development has already occurred in many of the buildable areas. The sole access to the Bethany area is via Bethany Drive. Most of the built and buildable areas of the BNSTA lie in the narrow valleys between the hills at elevations of 800 to 850 feet.

All properties in the BNSTA will be developed under the Planned Development zoning regulations to minimize traffic impacts and disruption to the surrounding residential neighborhood. The land use for these properties in the BNSTA will reflect a mix of institutional, residential, park, and open space designations similar to the existing educational campus.

However, within the BNSTA area, there are approximately 16 lots that are developed with single-family residences under separate ownership from the educational campus. These singlefamily residences may be modified consistent with the zoning regulations applicable to the R-1- 10 zoning district in effect at the time. In the future, if these single-family residences become associated with the educational campus, any additions, modifications or redevelopment must comply with the Planned Development zoning regulations.

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 21
Gateway South Special Treatment Area
Previously identified as the Mount Hermon Road near Highway 17, the Gateway South Special Treatment Area (GSSTA) includes properties fronting Mount Hermon Road on the east between State Highway 17 and Glen Canyon Road. The Gateway Specific Plan, described above, identifies a plan for future development of the GSSTA.

Representative Land Use Designation Imagery
Following are representative photos of development in Scotts Valley that apply to the residential, commercial, industrial and public/quasi-public General Plan Land Use Designations.

General Plan Land Use Category Corresponding Zoning Designation Residential
Estate R-1-40
Granite Creek Estates (single-family detached) Granite Creek Estates (single-family detached) Low R-1-20

LAND USE
LU - 22 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
General Plan Land Use Category Corresponding Zoning Designation Casa Way (single-family detached) Casa Way (single-family detached) Medium R-1-10
The Vineyards (single-family detached) Scotts Valley Heights (single-family detached) Medium-High R-M-6 and R-M-8
Skypark (single-family detached) Skypark (single-family detached)

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 23
General Plan Land Use Category Corresponding Zoning Designation High R-H
Hidden Oaks (condominiums) The Manor (single-family detached) Very High R-VH
Town Center Collection (condominiums) Pinnacle View (townhomes)

LAND USE
LU - 24 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
General Plan Land Use Category Corresponding Zoning Designation Commercial
Professional C-P
Bank of America Glen Canyon Road
Service C-S
Kaiser Permanente Shell Gas Station

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 25
General Plan Land Use Category Corresponding Zoning Designation Shopping Center C-SC
Kings Village Kings Village
Industrial
Light Industrial I-L
Zero Motorcycles Scarborough Lumber

LAND USE
LU - 26 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
General Plan Land Use Category Corresponding Zoning Designation Industrial R&D I-RD
Enterprise Technology Center Enterprise Technology Center Other
Public-Quasi Public P
Scotts Valley Community Center Scotts Valley Transit Center Skypark MacDorsa Park

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 27
General Plan Land Use Category Corresponding Zoning Designation Open Space / Conservation OS
Skypark Linear Trail Glenwood Preserve

LAND USE
LU - 28 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Goals, Policies & Actions
Maintain and enhance Scott Valley’s small-town valley character and community-focused quality of life.

Policies
Regional
Policy LU-1.1 Regional Sense of Place
Support regional efforts to create a strong sense of place and support the efficient use of land.

Policy LU-1.2 Regional Coordination
Support projects, programs and policies to promote compatibility and mutually beneficial built environments and land uses with adjacent jurisdictions and other agencies.

City
Policy LU-1.3 Inclusiveness
Provide for a mixture of land uses that cater to the needs of people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

Policy LU-1.4 Economic Viability
Encourage land use patterns and new development that enhance Scotts Valley’s long-term economic viability and promotes sustainable (green) businesses.

Policy LU-1.5 . Public Facilities
Maintain and enhance the City’s public facilities to the highest and best use for the benefit of the entire community.

Policy LU-1.6 Neighborhood Parks
Maintain and improve neighborhood parks with a variety of facilities that cater to the needs and interest of city residents including youth, seniors, and persons with physical disabilities.

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 29
Policy LU-1.7 Public Art – New Development
Public art, consistent with the small-town valley concept or adopted design guidelines, should be incorporated into commercial and residential projects where feasible.

Policy LU-1.8 Public Art – Review Process
Public art shall become part of the design review guidelines and made available to developers, architects, landscape designers, city committees and commissions. All public art shall be reviewed by the Planning Commission.

Project
Policy LU-1.9 Design Quality
Encourage new development and redevelopment to incorporate high quality design that enhances the visual character of the community.

Policy LU-1.10 Compatible Development
Encourage new commercial and residential development that is compatible with neighboring land uses and development patterns, through the incorporation of design guidelines and, where appropriate, mitigation measures.

Policy LU-1.11 Public Involvement
Encourage project applicants to consult with neighbors early in the project application review process.

Policy LU-1.12 Commercial Development – Landscaping
Commercial and industrial developments shall be designed and landscaped in an attractive manner and thereafter maintained to visually integrate the development with its surrounding context.

Policy LU-1.13 Commercial Development – Lighting
Lighting of commercial and industrial areas shall be controlled to the extent necessary for security, safety and identification without interfering with adjoining land uses. Lighting shall be directed away from public rights-of-way and adjacent residential land uses.

Policy LU-1.14 Public and Quasi-Public Facilities
Designate areas for new public and quasi-public facilities and accessory facilities commensurate with the identified need.

LAND USE
LU - 30 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Policy LU-1.15 Coordination with Utility Providers
Work with utility providers to identify future utility expansion needs. Obtain easements from property owners to extend private utilities and/or promote cooperation between utility providers and property owners for acquiring easements or rights-of-way for utility expansions.

Policy LU-1.16 Dedication of Park Land
Require new residential development to dedicate park land and/or to contribute park in-lieu fees to the City that enable the purchase of additional park land, or to provide recreational facilities, or to maintain existing parks consistent with the Parks Master Plan.

Actions
Design Guidelines
Update the City’s Residential Design Handbook, Mount Hermon Design Guidelines, and Commercial and Industrial Design Review Guidelines to reflect more contemporary architecture and urban design standards.

Maintain a well-defined valley community with boundaries defined by the planning area’s natural features and
environmental functions.

Policies
Regional
Policy LU-2.1 Annexations
When determined by the City Council to be consistent with the Vision Statement and Guiding Principles of this General Plan, consider pursuing annexations in accordance with the requirements as set forth in the City’s Annexation Policy.

City
Policy LU-2.2 Edge Boundaries
Preserve open space and maintain development at the edge of the city limits compatible with surrounding Santa Cruz County land uses.

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 31
Policy LU-2.3 Preservation of Open Space
Preserve open space areas for the protection of public health and safety, provision of recreational opportunities and protection of natural resources.

Policy LU-2.4 Preservation of Riparian Corridors
During the development review period, require the preservation of riparian corridors consistent with state law and the policies described in the Open Space and Conservation element of this General Plan.

Neighborhood
Policy LU-2.5 Neighborhood Characteristics
Require new development to reinforce and be designed to support the unique natural qualities and environmental features in which it is located.

Policy LU-2.6 Natural Features
Protect and enhance natural features, including trees, hillsides, natural habitat, and riparian areas, which contribute to the unique identity of individual neighborhoods.

Policy LU-2.7 Bethany Neighborhood Special Treatment Area All future development in the Bethany Neighborhood Special Treatment Area shall be reviewed and considered under the Planned Development zoning regulations.

Project
Policy LU-2.8 Land Sloped Less than 25%
Those areas of a parcel with slopes of less than 25% may be considered for construction consistent with sound development and planning principles.

Policy LU-2.9 Land Sloped 25% to 40%
Land sloped 25% or greater may be considered for a "density transfer" requiring the steeper slopes to be preserved with no disruption and "transferring" the units that would be allowed on the slopes of 25% or greater for construction on the more level portions of the parcel if these portions are otherwise suitable for higher densities.

Policy LU-2.10 Land Sloped Over 40% -- Open Space Preservation Land over 40% slope shall be preserved as open space, with no construction of any kind, with the exception of quarry reclamation or remediation of natural slope failure. During the development of the site, the density for the 40% slopes may be transferred for construction into the areas with a slope of less than 25% if these areas are otherwise suitable for higher densities.

LAND USE
LU - 32 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Policy LU-2.11 Density Transfer Developments
Any density transfer developments may be pursued under the Planned Development Ordinance.

Maintain a complementary balance of land uses throughout the city.

Policies
Region
Policy LU-3.1 Jobs / Housing Incentives
Work with representatives from regional, State, and federal agencies to include Scotts Valley incentives programs that link housing to transportation and jobs.

Policy LU-3.2 Jobs / Housing Balance
Work with the County and other agencies to develop strategies for improving the region’s jobs/housing balance and matching employment opportunities with housing costs.

City
Policy LU-3.3 Balanced Land Use Patterns
Foster land use patterns that balance economic, housing, community, and environmental needs, and promote social diversity.

Policy LU-3.4 Zoning Densities
Zone highest densities along transportation corridors.

Policy LU-3.5 Lot Consolidation
In areas where the existing lot pattern or size makes development difficult, the City shall encourage lot consolidation to promote planned commercial development.

Policy LU-3.6 Economic Viability
Ensure that land use patterns and new development enhance Scotts Valley’s long-term economic viability and promotes sustainable businesses.

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 33
Policy LU-3.7 Job Creation and Retention
Maintain lands currently designated for commercial and industrial land use designations that promote job creation and retention.

Policy LU-3.8 Regional Commercial Services
Promote availability of commercial sites to accommodate a mix of professional office, service commercial, and retail center developments consistent with the environmental, service, and economic goals of the City.

Policy LU-3.9 Neighborhood Commercial Services
Develop, maintain, and encourage economically viable neighborhood-serving commercial districts.

Policy LU-3.10 Home Occupations and Telecommuting
Encourage the development and expansion of home occupations and telecommuting.

Policy LU-3.11 Infill Development
Support well-designed infill development on vacant and underutilized sites that enhances Scotts Valley’s quality of life.

Project
Policy LU-3.12 Infrastructure Costs
Require new development to pay its proportional share of the costs of expanded infrastructure needed to serve new development Policy LU-3.13 Mass and Scale
Encourage that the mass, scale and height of new development is compatible with existing homes within residential neighborhoods.

Policy LU-3.14 Multi-Family Transition
Encourage that new multi-family housing located adjacent to single-family homes respects the size, scale, massing, and appearance of neighboring properties.

Policy LU-3.15 Architectural Character
Encourage that the architectural character of new development and substantial remodels complements the qualities of the neighborhood in which it is located and the overall valley character of Scotts Valley.

LAND USE
LU - 34 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Actions
Action LU-3.1 Update Development Impact Fees
Review the City’s impact fee requirements periodically and revise them as necessary to reflect current cost.

Encourage high-quality commercial and mixed-use development within the Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive corridors that create an active and inviting public realm.

Policies
City
Policy LU-4.1 Commercial Development
Provide for attractive commercial development (including more intensive and higher quality ground floor retail) along commercial corridors, provided the uses are compatible with or transition easily to adjacent residential areas.

Policy LU-4.2 Public Amenities
Encourage new development to provide amenities that enhance the vitality of the corridor, such as outdoor dining and courtyards, publicly accessible or semi-public gathering places, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Policy LU-4.3 Streetscape Improvements
Improve the physical appearance along arterial corridors through the installation of additional landscaping in the public right-of-way and improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Policy LU-4.4 Mixed-Use on the West Side of Scotts Valley Drive Encourage vertically and horizontally mixed-use along the west side of Scotts Valley Drive where appropriate. Incorporate site design features that are sensitive to adjacent residential uses. Seek to consolidate small lots to create a better-quality design and minimize driveways.

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 35
Neighborhood
Policy LU-4.5 Neighborhood Impacts
Minimize negative impacts, particularly traffic, parking, and noise, on residential neighborhoods adjacent to Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive. Incorporate design or mitigation measures into projects to avoid or minimize neighborhood impacts.

Policy LU-4.6 Neighborhood Connections
Provide pedestrian and bicycle improvements along Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive that complement and connect with adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Project
Policy LU-4.7 Intensity
Within the Commercial Shopping Center (C-SC), Commercial Service (C-S) and Commercial Professional (C-P) land use designation, consider additional density on sites only when the project provides substantial benefits to the community (as demonstrated through consistency with other policies in this Plan) and minimizes or mitigates adverse impacts on adjacent properties.

Policy LU-4.8 Public Spaces and Amenities
Encourage new development to include public spaces and amenities that create and strengthen focal points and activity along the two corridors.

Policy LU-4.9 Residential Uses
Where there is suitable lot size and access, encourage residential uses only when integrated with other mixed-use commercial development.

Actions
Discourage Strip Commercial
Amend the Zoning Ordinance to discourage strip commercial development in favor of clustered commercial and mixed-use development along Scotts Valley Drive.

Streetscape Improvement Plan along Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive
In coordination with City departments (Planning, Public Works, Police), local agencies (Scotts Valley Fire District, Scotts Valley Water District), the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce, and local businesses; seek funding to prepare

LAND USE
LU - 36 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
a streetscape improvement plan for Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive. Identify opportunities for: 1) Complete street improvements as described in the Mobility Element of this General Plan that improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and access, 2) Improved aesthetic character and quality through better defined landscaping and hardscape standards, and 3) Incorporation of landscaped medians and other areas that utilize recycled water and are designed to minimize maintenance costs. Convene a committee of interested parties to help in the development of the streetscape improvement plan.

Scotts Valley Drive Mixed-Use Activity Node
In coordination with property owners, create a task force to explore the development of activity nodes along Scotts Valley Drive that create a pedestrian-friendly setting. Improvements could include but are not limited to; wider sidewalks, outdoor courtyards, benches, distinctive property fronting landscaping, public art, and high-quality pedestrian crosswalks landscaped medians and bulb-outs, where appropriate.

Protect the ability of industrial and research and development uses to locate and operate within the City.

City
Policy LU-5.1 Underutilized Industrial Properties
Encourage and support redevelopment of underutilized Light Industrial (I-L) designated properties that promote research and development and specialty manufacturing as a means to encourage a diversified and high caliber workforce.

Policy LU-5.2 Lot Consolidation
Support efforts to consolidate lots and thereby improve the economic viability and vehicular access to industrial designated sites.

Policy LU-5.3 Compatibility with Surrounding Uses
Ensure that industrial areas are compatible with and do not adversely impact surrounding land uses.

Policy LU-5.4 Protection from Future Residential Development To protect the long-term viability of existing industrial uses, carefully locate adjacent residential development with adequate setbacks and buffers to minimize potential conflicts and disturbances.

LAND USE
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | LU - 37
Policy LU-5.5 Landscape Buffering
Require buffers and landscaping in industrial developments to ensure compatibility with adjacent land uses and mitigate any potential adverse impacts.

Policy LU-5.6 Industrial Use – Lighting
Lighting of industrial areas shall be carefully controlled to the extent necessary for security, safety and identification without interfering with adjoining land uses. Lighting shall be directed away from public rights-of-way and adjacent residential land uses.

Project
Policy LU-5.7 Compatibility with Residential Uses
Industrial uses shall not be located or established where they increase traffic in surrounding residential areas.

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure LU-1: General Plan Land Use Designation

L A N D U S E
±

L E G E N D
Commercial
Service
Shopping Center
Professional
Industrial
Heavy Industrial
Light Industrial
Research &
Development
Open Space
Public / Quasi Public
Other
Very High:

15.1-20 du/acre
High:
9-15 du/acre
Medium High:
5-9 du/acre
Medium:
2-5 du/acre
Low:
2 du/acre
Estate:
1 du/acre
Rural:
1 du/ 2.5 acre
Mountain:
1 du / 5 acre
Residential
Planning Area City Limit

SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | 1 - 1
The Scotts Valley Economic Development Element
addresses the economic viability of Scotts Valley
through the provision of balanced employment and
housing opportunities, attraction and retention of
businesses, and promotion of fiscal strength and
stability in the community.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | ED - 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELE MENT
Introduction
Scotts Valley’s local economy contributes greatly to the overall quality of life experienced by the city’s residents. A healthy local economy consists of a highly trained and educated workforce, diversified businesses, accessibility to the Monterey Bay and Silicon Valley, available housing, financial assistance to businesses, and infrastructure ready to serve technologically advanced businesses. Scotts Valley's business-friendly outlook and excellent quality of life make it attractive for business location, particularly for technology and manufacturing. Using these incentives, the City can continue to attract, retain, and expand the local economy. This will, in turn, ensure Scotts Valley’s fiscal and financial health, allowing for a high level of public services and programs. As such, economic development goals and policies described in this element set the tone and direction for the City’s business community.

This element contains polices to maintain the economic viability of Scotts Valley through the provision of balanced employment and housing opportunities, attraction and retention of businesses, and promotion of fiscal strength and stability in the community.

Preparation of an Economic Development Element is not required under State law, but the Government Code authorizes cities and counties to adopt additional elements as deemed relevant and necessary. State General Plan Guidelines include Economic Development as a suggested topic to promote fiscal stability and economic growth. If a jurisdiction prepares an optional Economic Development Element, that element must be consistent with the other General Plan elements.

This element is most directly related to goals, policies, and implementation programs within Scotts Valley’s Land Use, Circulation, and Housing elements.

Current Status
Recommended by Planning Commission to City Council – DATE Accepted by City Council at Public Hearing – DATE

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ED - 4 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Background and Context
This Economic Development Element focuses on the provision of resources and incentives for business retention and expansion, primarily in retail, professional offices, and technology firms, and revitalization of vacant and underutilized sites with industrial and commercial uses.

Scotts Valley has limited land available for new development and strong interest in retaining Scotts Valley’s small-town character. Additionally, because the city’s share of local property tax revenue is among the lowest in California, balancing the City budget while maintaining the City’s reputable municipal services is increasingly a challenge.

Below is a socioeconomic overview of the City of Scotts Valley. It was drawn from the Scotts Valley Economic Development Strategy Framework prepared by Economic & Planning Systems (EPS), dated October 16, 2017.

Employment
The dominant industry in Scotts Valley is manufacturing, which accounts for nearly 20 percent of all jobs.1 The City’s second largest sector is accommodation and food services, which makes up 11 percent of Scotts Valley jobs. Other significant employment sections in the City include the retail, health care, and professional.

Table ED-1: Total Jobs Growth (2015-2045) outlines past and projected employment growth from 2015 through 2045 for Scotts Valley and nearby jurisdictions. By 2045, the City is forecasted to experience a 14.2 percent job growth rate (approximately 1,339 new jobs).

Table ED-1: Total Jobs Growth (2015-2045)
Jurisdiction 2015 2025 2035 2045 Change
2015-2045
Scotts Valley 9,458 10,185 10,489 10,797 14.2%
Capitola 11,666 12,376 12,902 13,454 15.3%
Santa Cruz 40,840 44,317 46,863 49,636 21.5%
Watsonville 42,069 45,748 47,366 49,071 16.6%
Santa Cruz County 130,436 141,391 147,125 153,261 17.5% Source: Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, 2022 Regional Growth Forecast As shown in Table ED-2: Employment by Sector (2010-2020), the most significant employment sectors in the City of Scotts Valley include Manufacturing (16.5%), Retail (10.4%), Professional 1 Note that all industries comprise a diversity of occupations, often ranging from management executives to hourly support staff.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | ED - 5
services (13.3%), and Education and health care (17.2%). These trends have been fairly consistent over the last 10 years (2010 to 2020), with a net increase of approximately 325 new jobs.

Table ED-2: Employment by Sector (2010-2020)
Industry Sector
2010 2020
Change
Employees 2010-2020
Percent of
Total Employees
Percent of
Total
Construction 362 10.3% 205 5.3% -5%
Manufacturing 616 17.5% 635 16.5% -1%
Wholesale trade 61 1.7% 133 3.5% 1.7%
Retail trade 264 7.51% 401 10.4% 2.9%
Transportation and warehousing,
and utilities 67 1.9% 157 4.1% 2.2%
Information 137 3.9% 199 5.2% 1.3%
Finance and insurance, real
estate, and rental leasing 316 9% 265 6.9% -2.1%
Professional, scientific,
management, and administrative
services
485 13.8% 509 13.3% -0.6%
Education services, health care,
and social assistance 632 18% 662 17.2% -0.8%
Arts, entertainment, recreation,
accommodation, and food
services
198 5.6% 149 3.9% -1.8%
Other services (except public
administration) 119 3.4% 98 2.6% -0.8%
Public Administration 257 7.3% 427 11.1% 3.8%
Total 3,514 100% 3,840 100% 9.3%
Source: American Community Survey, 5- Year Estimates, 2010 and 2020 As shown in Table ED-3: Unemployment Rate, the City of Scotts Valley had an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent in 2020, which is the lowest unemployment rate compared to the surrounding jurisdictions.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ED - 6 | SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN
Table ED-3: Unemployment Rate
Jurisdiction
Unemployment Rate 1
2010 2020 Percent Change
Scotts Valley 6.9% 4.3% -2.6%
Capitola 8.6% 1.6% -7%
Santa Cruz 8.3% 6.9% -1.4%
Watsonville 11% 8% -3%
Santa Cruz County 8.3% 6.1% -2.2%
Notes:

1. Population 16 years +
Source: American Community Survey, Table DP03, 5-Year Estimates, 2010 and 2020 Depsite notable employment opportunities within the City, Scotts Valley is a bedroom community with roughly twice as many residents as employees. Only about 11 percent of employed Scotts Valley residents work in the City. Roughly 32 percent of the City’s employed residents commute to other parts of Santa Cruz County. Notably, 34 percent of the working residents commute to Santa Clara County. About 63 percent of Scotts Valley jobs are filled by employees commuting from within Santa Cruz County, primarily from the cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Just 12 percent of Scotts Valley jobs are filled by employees commuting in from Santa Clara County (see Table ED-4: Commute Patterns of Scotts Valley Residents and Employees, by City).

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | ED - 7
Table ED-4: Comute Patterns of Scotts Valley Residents and Employees, by City Source: US Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) OnTheMap 2014, Economic & Planning Systems, Inc., 2018.

Economic Development Issues and Opportunities
The Scotts Valley Economic Development Strategy Framework included a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis based on findings from interviews with community stakeholders in Scotts Valley. As shown in Table ED-5: Economic Development SWOT Summary, the results offer a reference point for identifying economic development and planning strategies. A more comprehensive summary of stakeholder comments is provided in the Scotts Valley Economic Development Strategy Framework.

Place Number Share Place Number Share
Santa Cruz 690 14.2% Santa Cruz 662 11.8%
San Jose 658 13.6% Scotts Valley 517 9.2%
Scotts Valley 517 10.7% Watsonville 358 6.4%
Live Oak 180 3.7% San Jose 331 5.9%
Santa Clara 166 3.4% Live Oak 244 4.4%
Sunnyvale 155 3.2% Ben Lomond 157 2.8%
Mountain View 136 2.8% Capitola 155 2.8%
Watsonville 132 2.7% Soquel 143 2.6%
Palo Alto 124 2.6% Pleasure Point 91 1.6%
Capitola 114 2.4% Aptos 81 1.4%
All Other Locations 1,973 40.7% All Other Locations 2,860 51.1% Total 4,845 100% 5,599 100%
Employment Destinations
for Scotts Valley Residents
Commute Origins
for Scotts Valley Employees

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Table ED-5: Economic Development SWOT Summary
Source: EPS, Inc., 2017.

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Safety Limited
Local
Workforce
Town Center Static
Political
Environment
Small Town Feel Cost of
Living
1440 Multiversity and
Supporting /
Complementary
businesses
Housing
Supply
Proximity to
Silicon Valley and
the Beach
Town Center
Development
Challenges
UCSC
"Spin-off"
Companies
Impact of
Population Growth on
Community Character
Schools Minimal
Capacity for
Growth
Healthcare
Demand
Traffic
Congestion
Local
Character
Limited
Capacity of
City Staff
Mountain
Communities
Tourism
Accessible and
Capable
City Staff
Lack of
Amenities and
Nightlife
Marketing and
Branding

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The Economic Development Strategy Framework concludes with six recommendations for future exploration:

1. Sustain existing high-quality City services and valued access to local officials and City staff.

2. Chart the course for citywide economic development through existing City Planning efforts, most significantly the General Plan Update.

3. Update the Town Center Specific Plan, now nearly 10 years old, to reflect current City goals, market realities, site-specific factors, and emerging opportunities.

4. Leverage regional economic development resources.

5. With increased fiscal stability, consider adding staff to prevent bottlenecks and execute basic economic development functions.

6. Consider marketing and branding opportunities.

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Goals, Policies & Actions
Proactively manage land uses to provide and enhance economic development and job growth in Scotts Valley.

Policies
Region
Policy ED-1.1 Regional Economic Development Coordination Work with regional organizations involved in land use and economic development to strengthen strategic alliances, ensure the efficient use of City resources and encourage mutually supportive efforts.

Policy ED-1.2 Regional Housing Supply
Work at the regional level to promote a shared responsibility for sufficient housing supply to accommodate the changing demographics and a growing population.

City
Policy ED-1.3 Land Capacity for Employment
Maintain land capacity for employment uses and protect and improve the quantity and quality of land designated exclusively for industrial uses.

Policy ED-1.4 Balanced Supply of Commercial Uses
Support land uses and development trends in the City that ensure a balanced supply of commercial, industrial, and mixed-use designations and development intensities.

Policy ED-1.5 Economic Diversity
Support a diverse economic base including industrial suppliers and services, commercial/retail support services, clean technologies, high technology manufacturers, business services, and other related industries.

Policy ED-1.6 Parcel Consolidation
Support efforts to consolidate parcels for commercial development to improve economic conditions and create conditions for higher quality development projects.

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Policy ED-1.7 Technical Assistance to Businesses
Provide technical assistance to businesses wanting to locate or expand within Scotts Valley. Services may include site location assistance, employment linkages, marketing and public information, permit processing, financial referrals, façade improvement grants, and economic analysis.

Policy ED-1.8 Housing Balance
Encourage a balance between job types and housing development to reduce the negative impacts of long commutes and provide a range of employment opportunities for a diverse community of Scotts Valley residents.

Policy ED-1.9 Taxation
Maintain a local tax burden for business that is competitive with other jurisdictions in the region.

Actions
Town Center Specific Plan
Given the dynamic changes in the retail sector, maintain and update, as necessary, the Town Center plan with an appropriate mix of land uses that are supported by a new market and financial feasibility analysis that is economically attractive to investors and developers.

Business Supporting Amenities
Work with local businesses and economic development/promotion organizations to identify and cultivate business-supporting amenities such as full-service restaurants and conference and meeting room facilities.

Promote the City as a positive environment for economic development.

Policies
Region
Policy ED-2.1 Economic Partnerships
Actively participate in regional economic partnerships in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties. Explore joint marketing efforts that would attract desirable businesses to locate in the City of Scotts Valley and the region.

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City
Policy ED-2.2 Job Creation Incentives
Provide incentives that promote the creation of high-quality jobs across all industries.

Policy ED-2.3 Business and Job Attraction
Attract and retain a diverse mix of businesses and industries that can provide jobs for the residents of various skill and education levels.

Policy ED-2.4 Marketing and Brand Identity
Promote and market a unique brand identity for Scotts Valley, capitalizing on the City’s valley setting and strong community values.

Policy ED-2.5 Start-up and Locally Owned Businesses
Support strategies and programs that facilitate the development of start-up companies and locally owned businesses.

Policy ED-2.6 Economic Activity in Public Spaces
Explore policies and programs to lease parts of public spaces (e.g., parks, community center, library) to private businesses and non-profit organizations to activate the space with programs and activities, such as small product vendors, bike rentals, exercise programs, events and festivals.

Policy ED-2.7 Community Events
Work in cooperation with community organizations to promote community events such as farmers market, annual festivals, music venues, library events, etc. that will draw visitors to Scotts Valley.

Policy ED-2.8 Cultural Facilities
Work in cooperation with community organizations to seek the establishment of a performing arts center, amphitheater, and/or other cultural facilities.

Policy ED-2.9 Funding for Improvements
Work in partnership with property and business owners to provide funding for physical improvements, public art installations, arts programming, and marketing.

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SCOTTS VALLEY GENERAL PLAN | ED - 13
Actions
Business Round Table
Consider forming a Scotts Valley Business Round Table made up of business and property owners, business organizations (including the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce) and City officials where topics related to economic development can be freely expressed.

Business Attraction and Retention
Meet periodically with the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders to discuss strategies to attract and retain businesses. As part of these meetings, review:
 City regulations that may limit businesses from locating in Scotts Valley.  City investments and improvements that may help attract desired types of businesses, such as environmentally conscious businesses.  Ways to strengthen the City’s reputation as a business-friendly environment.
 Methods to assist property owners and managers to attract desired types of tenants.
 Methods to assist property owners to consolidate lot ownership as part of redevelopment efforts.

Business Surveys
In collaboration with the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce, conduct surveys of business owners and operators to assess their needs and issues.

Chamber Coordination
Work with the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce in developing promotional materials which tell the story of our community’s positive business environment.

Marketing and Branding
Create a brand image for the City of Scotts Valley and identify means to market the City locally and regionally to promote economic development.

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Encourage business expansion and retention.

Policies
City
Policy ED-3.1 Diversified Economy
Support a diversified economy to maintain Scotts Valley’s long-term economic and fiscal health.

Policy ED-3.2 Business Attraction
Attract and sustain a growing concentration of companies to serve as the economic engine for Scotts Valley, particularly industries such as information and communication technologies, clean environment-related technology, niche manufacturing, health care, hospitality, and other sectors based on creativity and innovation.

Policy ED-3.3 Business Assistance
Provide business assistance and support to facilitate job creation, develop new businesses, spur private investment, and promote industry growth.

Policy ED-3.4 Property Development
Encourage business and property development that will provide jobs and generate revenue to support city services and infrastructure.

Policy ED-3.5 Tax Revenue
Support additional visitor accommodation uses and retail to grow transientoccupancy and sales tax revenues.

Policy ED-3.6 Fiscal Impacts of Development
Consider the fiscal impacts from new development on the City when reviewing major development projects. Fiscal impacts should be considered as one of many criteria when taking action on a proposed project.

Actions
Coordination with Real Estate Brokers
Periodically meet and confer with commercial real estate brokers to assess market trends.

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Strategic Engagement with Vulnerable Businesses
Use the Scotts Valley Business Round Table and individual meetings to identify opportunities and strategies that encourage business retention.

Civic Wayfinding Signage
Develop continuity in civic wayfinding signage throughout the City to better facilitate the use of public facilities and services.

Update City Policies and Regulations
Periodically evaluate and update, as needed, the City’s policies, regulations and ordinances to maintain Scotts Valley’s competitive ability to attract and grow businesses, including small businesses and home occupations.

Foster a healthy commercial sector that provides goods and services necessary to meet the shopping needs of both the region and the local community.

Policies
City
Policy ED-4.1 Retail Development
Promote an appropriate level of retail development to help generate City revenue, create jobs, improve customer convenience, and enhance neighborhood livability.

Policy ED-4.2 Regional-Serving Retail
Maintain and adapt the retail base to changing market conditions which meet the needs of regional shoppers and residents.

Policy ED-4.3 Entertainment Venues
Support private efforts to achieve a broader mix of evening uses including restaurants and entertainment venues (e.g., theaters) in and around the Town Center to promote a vibrant City center that generates jobs, increases revenues, and attracts visitors to Scotts Valley.

Policy ED-4.4 Mixed-Use Development
Support mixed-use development with residential densities that will help support a vibrant and active commercial corridor and Town Center for Scotts Valley.

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Policy ED-4.5 Mt. Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive Streetscape Work with property owners, businesses and stakeholders to improve the streetscape on Mt. Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive. Improvements may include added center medians, landscaping, pedestrian amenities, improved transit stops, crosswalks, limiting ingress-egress points (where practical), and signage. (See also Goal LU-4 and related policies.)
Actions
Database of Local Businesses
Maintain a database of businesses offering goods and services locally. Work with the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce to attract new businesses to fill leakage areas.

Assure that municipal services and public infrastructure will support and encourage a viable business climate.

Policies
City
Policy ED-5.1 Municipal Fiscal Prudence
Support policies and regulations that direct the City to follow prudent financial standards and to maintain strong financial reserves as inherent parts of the budget decision-making process.

Policy ED-5.2 Strategic Infrastructure Investment
Invest in strategic infrastructure improvements to encourage private investment, reduce new construction costs, increase business efficiency, support business retention and growth, stimulate economic activity, and employ people.

Policy ED-5.3 Infrastructure Coordination
Coordinate infrastructure upgrades and extensions, environmental remediation, land acquisition and/or assembly as necessary to provide for the orderly development of commercial, industrial, and mixed-use properties.

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Policy ED-5.4 Prioritize Funding Resources
Maintain close coordination between City departments to plan and prioritize funding resources that are allocated to the City’s most critical economic needs.

Policy ED-5.5 Technology Investment
Support investment in technology that reduces the costs of City services and result in more efficient use of City resources and revenues.

Policy ED-5.6 Efficient and Timely Services
Maintain City government practices attuned to business needs for clearly and timely use of incentives, regulations and development entitlement processes, and valued access to local officials and city staff.

Policy ED-5.7 User Fees for Services
Levy fees charged by the City to reflect actual costs for providing such services and consider offsets from other funding sources when considered strategically advantageous to the long-term economic interests of the City.

Policy ED-5.8 Permit Process
Maintain a clear, efficient process for processing business licenses and building permits/entitlements.

Policy ED-5.9 Fiscal Health Monitoring
Maintain the City’s ability to provide accurate accounting records that keep the City Council, City Manager and community informed of the City’s financial conditions.

Actions
Resource Checklist
Support and maintain the resource checklist that can be used by new businesses to explain our processes, regulations, promotions, and City assistance.

City Staffing
With increased fiscal stability, consider adding staff to prevent bottlenecks and execute economic development functions.

Development Activity Status
Maintain a list and map that identifies current development projects and vacant and underutilized land in the City.

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Periodic Update to Economic Development Data
Periodically update economic development, as needed, to stay informed regarding economic trends and help inform strategic decisions to maintain a healthy economic balance in the City.

HOUSING

HOUSING E LE MENT
The Housing Element is bound as a separate document.

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The Scotts Valley Mobility Element establishes a
framework for a balanced transportation system in
Scotts Valley that meets the needs of residents,
workers, and visitors. It aims to support a range of
transportation choices, including vehicle travel,
transit, bicycling, and walking. The Mobility Element
envisions a transportation system that enhances
resident’s quality of life, supports a vibrant local
economy, and promotes environmental sustainability
goals.

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MOBILITY ELEMENT
Introduction
State law requires that the Mobility Element include “the general location and extent of existing and proposed major thoroughfares, transportation routes, (and) terminals…, all correlated with the Land Use Element of the Plan” (Govt. Code, Sec. 65302[b]). In addition, the California Complete Streets Act (AB 1358), passed in 2008, requires all General Plan updates after January 1, 2011 to “plan for a balanced, multimodal transportation network that meets the needs of all users of streets, roads, and highways for safe and convenient travel” and defines “users of streets, roads, and highways” to include pedestrians, bicyclists, users of public transportation, motorists, children, persons with disabilities, and seniors.

The passage of SB 1000 in 2016 requires local governments to address environmental justice considerations related to circulation such as access to transportation systems, air quality related to transportation, delivery routes and transit options for nutritional food access, and promotion of physical activity.

Creating connected, accessible, and complete systems of circulation networks and ensuring access to opportunities within a community and region requires coordination between land use and circulation planning. Due in part to the connection between transportation funding and greenhouse gas reduction established in SB 375, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is an increasingly important metric of impact in the Mobility Element.

Current Status
Recommended by Planning Commission to City Council – DATE Accepted by City Council at Public Hearing – DATE

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Correlation with the Land Use Element
Creating connected, accessible, and complete systems of circulation networks and ensuring access to opportunities within a community and region requires coordination between land use and circulation planning. Due in part to the connection between transportation funding and greenhouse gas reduction established in SB 375, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is an important metric of impact in the circulation element. Because the circulation element is required to correlate with the land use element, it needs to account for the features such as connectivity between residential uses, services and employment centers.

The circulation element articulates equitable access for all community members. Pedestrian and bicycle routes should connect residential areas with job centers, parks, schools, and other destinations. Truck routes should be directed away from noise- and emissions-sensitive residents and designated instead to serve areas designed for commercial and industrial uses.

The design speed of a roadway should equal its target speed (in other words, a street should be designed to accommodate intended auto speeds, not faster speeds).

Background and Context
Street Classifications
The roadway network in Scotts Valley consists of freeways, arterials, collectors, and local streets as classified by their function, commonly referred to as the functional roadway classification system (FCS). This traditional FCS is based on the mobility and access functions of roads for motor vehicle, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic and allows the City to design and manage roads to ensure safety and ease of maneuverability.

The street classifications described in Table M-1: Roadway Classifications are illustrated in Figure M-1: Roadway Network.

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Table M-1: Roadway Classifications
Street
Classification Description
Existing Average
Daily Traffic
Range
Examples of Scotts Valley
Streets
Freeway
Serves major centers of activity
with the highest traffic volumes and
longest trip lengths. Integrated
internally and between major rural
and urban connections. Service to
abutting lands is subordinate to
travel service to major traffic
movements.

More than
80,000 Highway 17
Arterial
Trips of moderate length at a lower
level of mobility than principal
arterials. Some emphasis on land
access. Often carries local bus
routes and provide intracommunity continuity but does not typically access residential
neighborhoods.
6,500 to 45,000
Mt. Hermon Road
Scotts Valley Drive
Collector
Provides both land access and
traffic circulation. Accesses
neighborhoods and communities
collecting and attributing traffic
between residential neighborhoods
and the arterial streets.
800 to 4,500
Glenwood Drive, Bethany Drive,
Granite Creek Road, Green Hills
Road, Kings Village Road, Bean
Creek Road, La Madrona Drive,
Lockewood Lane
Local
Primarily permits direct land access
and connections to the higher order
streets. Lowest level of mobility.

Through traffic is deliberately
discouraged.

Less than 2,000 All other streets.

Public vs. Private Roadways
As of 2023, the City of Scotts Valley is responsible for the maintenance of approximately 32 centerline miles of paved roads. This includes 4.57 miles of arterials, 12.18 miles of collectors, and 15.27 miles of local residential streets (City of Scotts Valley, 2017 Pavement Management Program Implementation). Of these roads, 60% are considered in good to very good condition, 14% in fair condition, 17.6% in poor condition, and 9.8% in very poor or failed condition.

There are a considerable number of streets that are privately owned and maintained. A figure showing these roadways is maintained by the City’s Public Works Department and is incorporated herein by reference. Many of these private roads were established prior to City incorporation (1966) and some of which are owned and managed through a property owners association or similar entity; however, many are not.

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Traffic Analysis Methodology
Vehicle Miles Traveled
In 2013, the State of California passed Senate Bill (SB) 743, which mandates that jurisdictions can no longer use automobile delay – commonly measured by Level of Service (LOS) – in transportation analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The State has issued guidelines calling for the use of a broader measure called Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), which measures the total amount of driving over a given area.

The State’s intent in making this switch is to promote:
 The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
 The development of multimodal transportation networks (i.e., networks that serve a variety of users including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and drivers).  A diversity of land uses (i.e., neighborhoods and cities with housing, jobs, shops and services near each other).

As of July 1, 2020, SB 743 requires jurisdictions to evaluate transportation impacts under CEQA to use vehicle miles traveled as an alternative metric to LOS for evaluating transportation impacts. With this change in criteria, auto delay will no longer be considered a significant impact under CEQA. Particularly within areas served by transit, this alternative criterion must “promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of multimodal transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses.” (Public Resources Code Section 21099(b)(1).)
Consistent with SB 743, the City’s VMT Implementation Guidelines (VMT Guidelines) and a VMT Calculator establishes baselines and VMT thresholds. For the purposes of VMT, implementation of the General Plan would have a significant transportation impact if it would result in VMT exceeding the thresholds as shown in Exhibit 5: Scotts Valley VMT Thresholds of Significance for Land Use Projects of the City’s VMT Guidelines. A detailed VMT analysis is not required for land use elements of a project that meet the screening criteria, as shown in Exhibit 4: Screening Criteria.

VMT also allows for an analysis of a project’s impact on a more regional basis rather than only in the vicinity of a proposed project, allowing for a better understanding of the full extent of a project’s transportation-related impact.

VMT impacts above the adopted thresholds of significance are considered to be significant environmental impacts under CEQA. Lead agencies are required to identify feasible mitigation measures to avoid or substantially reduce those impacts. Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs are a critical component to achieve VMT reduction targets, thus potentially aid in reducing a project’s significant environmental impacts.

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It should be noted that SB 743 allows the City of Scotts Valley to use LOS for other planning purposes outside the scope of CEQA. Adopting VMT thresholds does not preclude the City from continuing to conduct LOS analysis for project specific transportation analysis addressing delay, consistent with its General Plan policies and for the purpose of collecting traffic impact fees, consistent with the City’s Municipal Code and City policy. The City’s methodology for evaluating the need for traffic impacts improvements based on LOS outside of the CEQA requirements are described in the latest version of the City’s Guide for the Preparation of Traffic Impact Studies.

Level of Service
To evaluate the performance of roadways and levels of traffic congestion, Scotts Valley uses a measurement know as level of service (LOS). LOS is a scale that measures the amount of auto traffic that a roadway or intersection can accommodate, based on such factors as maneuverability, driver dissatisfaction, and delay. Based on these measurements, it is possible to determine the impact of auto traffic at intersections throughout Scotts Valley.

LOS is typically represented by a letter scale that ranges from LOS A to LOS F. Table M-2:

Signalized and Unsignalized Intersection LOS Criteria summarizes the relationship between the control delay and LOS for signalized and unsignalized intersections.

Table M-2: Signalized and Unsignalized Intersection LOS Criteria Level of
Service Description
Average Control Delay (Seconds Per
Vehicle)
Signalized Unsignalized
A Operations with very low delay occurring with favorable traffic signal progression and/or short cycle lengths. < 10.0 < 10.0 B Operations with low delay occurring with good progression and/or short cycle lengths. > 10.0 to 20.0 > 10.0 to 15.0 C
Operations with average delays resulting from fair
progression and/or longer cycle lengths. Individual cycle failures begin to appear.
> 20.0 to 35.0 > 15.0 to 25.0
D
Operations with longer delays due to a combination of
unfavorable progression, long cycle lengths, or high
volume-to-capacity (V/C) ratios. Many vehicles stop and individual cycle failures are noticeable.
> 35.0 to 55.0 > 25.0 to 35.0
E
Operations with high delay values indicating poor
progression, long cycle lengths, and high V/C ratios.

Individual cycle failures are frequent occurrences.
> 55.0 to 80.0 > 35.0 to 50.0
F
Operations with delays unacceptable to most drivers
occurring due to over-saturation, poor progression, or very long cycle lengths.
> 80.0 > 50.0
Source: Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board, 2010

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Traffic conditions are measured by average daily traffic (ADT), peak hour traffic volumes, level of service (LOS), average delay, and volume to capacity (V/C) ratio. Average daily traffic is the total number of cars passing over a segment of the roadway, in both directions, on an average day. Peak hour volumes are the total number of cars passing over a roadway segment during the peak hour in the morning (AM) or afternoon/evening (PM). Based on traffic counts and location, the peak hours may vary, but typically the weekday AM peak occurs between 7:00 am and 9:00 am and weekday PM peak occurs between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

Complete Streets
The California Complete Streets Act (AB 1358) requires Scotts Valley to plan for multimodal transportation networks in the General Plan. Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Complete streets make it easy to cross the street, walk to shops, and bicycle to work. A complete street may include; sidewalks, bike lanes (or wide paved shoulders) and separated bikeways, special bus lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe crossing opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, narrower travel lanes, roundabouts, and more.

By adopting a complete streets policy, Scotts Valley can ensure that the City’s rights-of-way are designed and operate to enable safe access for all users, regardless of age, ability, or mode of transportation. This means that every transportation project can help make the street network better and safer for drivers, transit users, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

More information can be found at: https://smartgrowthamerica.org/program/nationalcomplete-streets-coalition/ Safe Routes to School
The three public schools in Scotts Valley were included in the County of Santa Cruz/City of Scotts Valley Complete Streets to Schools Plan (2019). The Plan includes infrastructure and program recommendations for each school, with the goal of improving safety and encouraging more walking, biking, and carpooling to school.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a concept to increase the number of children who walk or bicycle to school by funding projects that remove the barriers that currently prevent them from doing so. Those barriers include lack of infrastructure, unsafe infrastructure, lack of programs that promote walking and bicycling through education/encouragement programs aimed at children, parents, and the community.

According to Caltrans, as of 1990, 60% of children living within a two-mile radius of a school walked or bicycled to school. Today, that number has dropped to less than 15%. Approximately 25% commute by school bus, and well over half are driven to or from school in vehicles. And back then, 5% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 were overweight or obese. Today, that

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number has climbed to 20%. These statistics point to a rise in preventable childhood diseases, worsening air quality and congestion around schools, and missed opportunities for children to grow into self-reliant, independent adults.

Safe Routes to School programs are intended to reverse these trends by funding projects that improve safety and efforts that promote walking and bicycling within a collaborative community framework. It is through local champions working with a coalition of parents, schools, professionals in transportation, engineering, health, and law enforcement, that the most sustainable projects are expected to emerge.

There are two separate Safe Routes to School Programs administered by Caltrans: 1) The Statelegislated program referred to as SR2S, and 2) The Federal program referred to as SRTS.

The City of Scotts Valley has been successful in receiving grant funds to improve access to schools. The most recent Safe Routes to School project, completed in 2014, was the installation of sidewalks along Vine Hill School Road and Tabor Drive (adjacent to Vine Hill Elementary School) and a path through the Glenwood Preserve to Glenwood Drive.

Traffic Calming Methods
Figure M-2: Traffic Calming Methods illustrates various method to help to slow down traffic and create a safer environment for non-vehicular users such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and the disabled.

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Figure M-2: Traffic Calming Methods

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Truck Routes
The City of Scotts Valley does not have an ordinance that establishes designated truck routes.

Truck routes restrict vehicles that are within a gross vehicle weight, licensed commercially as a truck, and used for carrying goods for pickup and delivery. Such an ordinance would require trucks to only drive on truck-designated streets, except when necessary for egress and ingress by direct route to and from a restricted street for the purposes of loading or unloading.

A majority of the existing truck traffic travels along the existing arterial roads, particularly Scotts Valley Drive and Mt. Hermon Road.

Transit Service
Bus transit service and paratransit service for people with disabilities in Scotts Valley is provided by Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit (Metro). Metro serves all of Santa Cruz County and the cities of Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, Capitola, and Watsonville. Metro partners with the Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC), the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG), UC Santa Cruz Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS), and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in overall transportation improvement planning and transit services.

The Cavallaro Transit Center, located at 246 Kings Village Road is an important, regionally serving center that is a stop for Route 17 (the Amtrak Highway 17 Express to San Jose) and Routes 35 and 35A, which provide transit access to the San Lorenzo Valley and the City of Santa Cruz.

Bicycle Network
As of 2023, the City of Scotts Valley maintains 1.27 miles of Class I bike lanes and 17.44 miles of Class II bike paths. The City’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP, 2020) provides recommendations for infrastructure projects and programs to enhance the bicycle and pedestrian network in Scotts Valley. These recommendations are designed to support Scotts Valley residents of all ages and abilities, including students traveling to school, employees traveling to work, and seniors walking for their daily errands. The ATP includes recommendations for infrastructure improvements, education and encouragement programs, bicycle parking, and wayfinding. The ATP also identifies funding sources and provides a system for prioritizing projects according to five broad categories; namely:
 System Continuity
 Design Construction, and Maintenance
 Commuting
 Bicycle Parking
 Funding
 Safety and Education

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In addition to remaining consistent with major City planning documents, the ATP implements the goals and policies of the City’s General Plan. The ATP is intended to aid City of Scotts Valley planners and engineers in prioritizing bicycle and pedestrian projects with the goal of improving safety and encouraging more active transportation trips. Therefore, the projects listed within the ATP are eligible for local and State funding.

The ATP identifies existing and proposed bikeways and is incorporated herein by reference. All new bike-related capital improvement projects are presented to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Bicycle Committee prior to construction for comment and education.

Pedestrian Circulation
Pedestrian circulation is accommodated primarily through sidewalks and dedicated pathways.

The City relies on the State Streets and Highways Code, which requires property owners to maintain sidewalks fronting their property. However, sidewalks are generally limited to commercial areas and most residential neighborhoods throughout Scotts Valley do not have sidewalks.

The City’s Active Transportation Plan (2020) provides recommendations for infrastructure projects and programs to enhance the pedestrian network in Scotts Valley. These recommendations include filling key sidewalk gaps, measures to improve pedestrian safety and comfort on Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive, and opportunities for new pedestrian pathways.

To address issues associated with accessibility, particularly for seniors and those persons with disabilities, the City created the Scotts Valley ADA Accessibility Committee in 2008. This Committee identifies opportunities to increase accessibility throughout the City and make recommendations to the City Council.

Modes of Travel
Mode share is a term used to define how individuals travel. The American Community Survey (ACS) provides a comparison of the ways Santa Cruz County residents get to work. The convenience of driving alone still attracts the majority of people and the percent of people driving by themselves to work has not changed significantly since 2000. As shown in the Figure M-3: Mode Share of Travel for Cities in Santa Cruz County, Capitola and Scotts Valley have the greatest number of residents working from home but also the greatest percentage of drive alone trips. This mode share data shows people’s travel preferences are influenced by the type of land use and transportation facilities that are available in their community.

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Figure M-3: Mode Share of Travel for Cities in Santa Cruz County Source: AMBAG 2040 Regional Transportation Plan

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Goals, Policies & Actions
Provide a balanced, multi-modal transportation system that is well integrated, efficiently designed and supports mobility in a sustainable manner.

Policies
Region
Policy M-1.1 Regional Infrastructure Alternatives
Support regional efforts for alternatives to expanded infrastructure that reduce single occupant vehicle trips, conserves energy, and reduced air pollution.

Policy M-1.2 Regional Agency Coordination
Participate with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, Santa Cruz County, and private transit operators to create and implement programs that coordinate the multi-modal transportation needs and requirements across jurisdictions, including but not limited to the Regional Transportation Plan and the Metropolitan Transportation Plan.

Policy M-1.3 Regional Agency Funding
Work with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, Santa Cruz County, Caltrans, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, and other relevant organizations to seek funding in support of local mobility improvement projects.

City
Policy M-1.4 Transportation and Economic Development
Transportation access, accommodations, and circulation should contribute to creating a supportive environment for economic development for both residents and visitors.

Policy M-1.5 Transportation and Land Use
Encourage higher intensity residential, commercial and mixed-use development near existing activity and transit centers and along corridors

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well served by non-motorized transportation infrastructure and public transportation.

Policy M-1.6 Capital Improvement Program
Use the City’s capital improvement program to develop and maintain an integrated transportation system that is within the City's ability to finance and operate.

Policy M-1.7 Transportation Funding
Pursue feasible, available, and/or practical available public and private sources of funding for transportation system development, improvement, and maintenance to minimize fiscal impacts on the City's general funds.

Policy M-1.8 Transportation Grants
Pursue state and federal grants by assigning a staff member the task of monitoring and applying for appropriate programs which are complementary to the City’s funding needs for transportation and mobility.

Policy M-1.9 Adjacent Land Uses
Transportation improvements should be designed to coordinate with adjacent land uses to the extent practical and feasible.

Projects
Policy M-1.10 Electric Vehicle Facilities
Encourage new commercial development to provide facilities that support alternative mobility options such as electric vehicle stations, rideshare zones, bike and scooter parking, etc.

Policy M-1.11 Residential Vehicle Charging Facilities
Encourage new residential development to provide facilities for electric vehicle charging.

Actions
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Work with local business and employers to establish charging stations, preferably employing sustainable energy generation, for electric vehicles in public parking lots in accordance with the future growth in the number of electric vehicles.

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Trip Reduction Ordinance
In partnership with local business organizations, actively coordinate with local businesses to encourage compliance with the City’s Trip Reduction Ordinance.

Alternative Transportation Incentives
Implement financial and parking incentives for new development projects and for existing commercial facilities to encourage developers and business to provide alternative transportation, including bicycles, electric vehicles, transit systems and ridesharing.

Rideshare Ordinance
Develop a rideshare ordinance to coordinate the implementation and management of all forms of transportation rideshare programs.

Provide “complete streets” that serve their expected modes of transportation, which may include vehicles, public transit, cycles, scooters, and pedestrians.

City
Policy M-2.1 Complete Street Initiatives
Support projects, program, policies, and regulations to maintain a balanced multi-modal transportation network that meets the needs of all local roadway users in a manner that is suitable to the scale and character of Scotts Valley.

Policy M-2.2 Design Standards
Follow accepted and adopted design standards when implementing improvements intended to fulfill “complete street” characteristics. Consider innovative or non-traditional design options, particularly where it can be demonstrated to improve the level of safety for users.

Policy M-2.3 Dedications
Require a dedication or irrevocable offer of dedication of real property for streets, alleys, and additional land as may be necessary to provide complete street facilities such as bicycle paths and local transit facilities, consistent with the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act or as otherwise allowed under State law.

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Policy M-2.4 Community Context
Support opportunities to repurpose existing rights-of-way or create new rights-of-way to enhance connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Policy M-2.5 Non-Motorized Connectivity
Focus complete street improvements on primary connections from residential areas to schools, parks and recreation uses, civic uses, and community-serving commercial areas.

Policy M-2.6 Maintenance
Accommodate bicycling, walking, and public transit as a routine part of the City’s maintenance of roadways in Scotts Valley, within the City’s ability to finance.

Policy M-2.7 Exceptions
Balance the construction of new alternative mobility improvements with the derived benefits. Exceptions that should be considered include:
 The costs of providing such facilities are excessively disproportionate to the need or probable use; or
 The existing and planned population, employment densities, traffic volumes, or level of transit service on a particular roadway, as confirmed by the Public Works Director, is so low that future expected users of the roadway will not include those seeking mobility options (i.e., pedestrians, bicyclists, or public transit riders).

Actions
Complete Street Standards
Update the City’s existing street standards to include minimum and preferred complete streets standards that can be referenced when retrofitting existing roadways.

Capital Improvement Program
Incorporate complete streets projects as part of the City’s annual Capital Improvements Program update.

Dedications Ordinance
Prepare an ordinance or other appropriate mechanism that requires a

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dedication or irrevocable offer of dedication related to the provision of complete street facilities such as bicycle paths and local transit facilities.

Safe Routes to Schools
Continue to pursue funding sources for the Safe Routes to School Program and work with local schools to make improvements that promote safe walking and bicycling to schools that serve Scotts Valley residents.

Provide a roadway system than supports mobility and protects residential neighborhoods.

Regional
Policy M-3.1 Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
Work in cooperation with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, and Santa Cruz County to reduce VMT.

Policy M-3.2 Coordination with Santa Cruz County
Maintain the City street and highway system to integrate with the road system already established by Santa Cruz County. The Public Works Director shall ensure a coordinated system design.

Policy M-3.3 Mt. Hermon Road Maintenance
Seek funding and/or shared maintenance expense agreements with the County and Caltrans for Mt. Hermon Road corridor which serve as a primary access for the San Lorenzo Valley.

Policy M-3.4 Caltrans Coordination
Continue to work with Caltrans to improve the Granite Creek and Scotts Valley Drive intersection, as well as Caltrans on/off ramps located within the City limits.

Policy M-3.5 Highway 17 Access Management Plan
Work in cooperation with Caltrans to implement their Highway 17 Access Management Plan which establishes a framework for reducing conflicts, maintaining safety, reducing traffic congestion, and improving access for residents.

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City
Policy M-3.6 Arterial Streets
Actively discourage diversion of traffic to local streets by maintaining adequate capacity on arterial streets and locating high traffic-generating uses on arterial streets.

Policy M-3.7 Street Widening
Whenever possible, implement solutions that improve the efficiency of the roadway network without adding vehicle traffic lanes.

Policy M-3.8 Ongoing Road Closures
Maintain closure of Sunridge Drive at Disc Drive and South Navarra Drive at Green Hills Road.

Policy M-3.9 Level of Service Standard
To help ensure a safe and efficient roadway network, maintain the established level of service C or better at intersections throughout Scotts Valley; except for Scotts Valley Drive at Mt. Hermon Road and Granite Creek Road at Scotts Valley Drive, which shall be required to maintain a level of service D or better. Utilize these standards as the basis for maintaining a nexus between the City’s transportation impact fees and proposed development projects.

Policy M-3.10 Lower Level of Service
Consistent with the concept of Complete Streets and Goal 2 and its associated policies, consider accepting a lower level of service and greater congestion at major arterial intersections. Factors that should be considered include, but are not limited to; right-of-way constraints, the economic feasibility of roadway infrastructure improvements, environmental impacts, or other factors as deemed inconsistent with this General Plan, as determined by the City Council.

Policy M-3.11 . On-Street Truck Loading
On-Street truck loading and unloading shall be prohibited on major arterials during peak traffic flow hours and discouraged at all other times.

Policy M-3.12 Limited Access on Arterials
Encourage the consolidation of driveways and discourage mid-block access points and non-signalized intersections along arterials to improve circulation and safety.

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Policy M-3.13 Granite Creek Overpass Realignment
In coordination with Caltrans, support the realignment of the Granite Creek Overpass at such point it should be rebuilt, to create safer and more efficient mobility for vehicles, pedestrian, and bicyclists.

Project
Policy M-3.14 Traffic Impact Analysis
Consistent with the City’s traffic impact fee assessment program, require new development projects to prepare a traffic impact analysis, when necessary, per the requirements as defined in the City’s Guide for the Preparation of Traffic Impacts Studies.

Policy M-3.15 Fair Share Contribution
Require those benefiting from transportation improvements to pay an appropriate share of the costs.

Policy M-3.16 Traffic Impact Mitigation Fees
Collect traffic impact mitigation fees from developers of new projects. Use these fees to construct various transportation and mobility improvements including bikeways, pedestrian pathways, and transit facilities.

Policy M-3.17 Mitigation for Alternative Mobility Options Through the environmental review process, consider mitigations for traffic impacts which encourage the use of public transit and non-motorized vehicles.

Policy M-3.18 Vehicle Miles Traveled Standards and CEQA Evaluation The City shall require evaluation of General Plan land use designation changes, zone changes, and discretionary development for their individual (i.e., project-specific) and cumulative transportation impacts based on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the methodology and thresholds of significance criteria as set forth in the City of Scotts Valley SB 743 Implementation Guidelines.

Policy M-3.19 Projects with Significant Vehicle Miles Travelled Impacts General Plan land use designation changes, zone changes, and discretionary development that would cause an individual (i.e., project-specific) or cumulative significant transportation impact based on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) shall be prohibited unless:

1. There are no feasible mitigation measures available that would reduce the

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impact to a less than significant level; and

2. The City’s decision-making body, after balancing, as applicable, the economic, legal, social, technological, or other benefits, including regionwide or statewide environmental benefits, of the project against its unavoidable transportation impact and any other environmental risks, determines that the benefits of the project outweigh the unavoidable adverse environmental impacts and adopt a statement of overriding considerations pursuant to CEQA.

Policy M-3.20 Highway 17 Access
Where a proposed project would require direct access to/from Highway 17, confirm that it is consistent with Caltrans’ Access Management Plan.

Actions
Neighborhood Traffic
Consider installing traffic calming measures if cut-through traffic increases due to adjacent development.

Signal Timing
Implement a plan to install and maintain coordinated signal timing equipment on arterial corridors, particularly on Mt. Hermon Road.

Traffic Monitoring
Monitor traffic as new development is proposed or when increased traffic volumes are observed to ensure that planned improvements are scheduled prior to deterioration of level of service below the desired standard.

Transportation Impact Fee Program
Prepare and implement a transportation impact fee program to ensure that new development pays its appropriate share of the costs, also known as “fair share contribution,” for improvements needed to accommodate the development when considered in the context of a complete streets transportation system.

Traffic Impact Studies
Periodically update the City’s Guide for the Preparation of Traffic Impact Studies to reflect current professional standards.

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Financing
Finance circulation system improvements by using local revenues as a match to leverage federal and State funds.

Private Roads
Explore options to address the long-term maintenance and management of deficient private roads.

Provide a roadway system that enhances community aesthetics and promotes a high quality of life.

City / Projects
Policy M-4.1 General Design
Ensure that new and reconfigured roadways and roadway improvements are safe, functional, and aesthetically appropriate.

Policy M-4.2 Street Standards
Require streets to be dedicated and improved in accordance with City street standards.

Policy M-4.3 Consolidation of Properties on Scotts Valley Drive Encourage the consolidation of properties along Scotts Valley Drive to improve circulation and limit the number of driveways, mid-block access points, and non-signalized intersections.

Policy M-4.4 Joint Driveways
During permit processing, require development to utilize joint driveways or frontage roads between properties, where appropriate.

Policy M-4.5 Traffic Calming
Consider using traffic calming measures on local and collector streets, such as narrow street openings, turning prohibitions, one-way streets, landscaping, etc. to improve vehicular and non-vehicular traffic safety and enhance the aesthetic character of Scotts Valley’s neighborhoods.

Policy M-4.6 Utility Work Coordination
Minimize disruption of newly paved or resurfaced streets by ensuring that road projects are coordinated with utility work.

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Policy M-4.7 Utility Undergrounding
As part of capital improvement projects or new development, require the undergrounding of utilities along roadways.

Policy M-4.8 Visual Screening of Vehicle Storage
Continue to enforce the City’s ordinance prohibiting the storage of construction equipment, tractor-trailers, camping trailers, vehicle dismantling facilities and similar uses where there is inadequate screening from arterials, collectors, and local streets.

Policy M-4.9 Visual Screening
Require appropriate landscaping and/or barrier screening in all new projects to screen off objectionable views along roads, streets and highways.

Policy M-4.10 Signage
Prohibit the placement of unsightly advertising and street directional signs along roadways.

Policy M-4.11 Scotts Valley Drive and Mt. Hermon Road Corridors Employ a cooperative planning effort among public and private interests to implement appropriate land use controls and architectural techniques for improving and enhancing the scenic beauty and aesthetic qualities of Scotts Valley Drive and Mt. Hermon Road.

Policy M-4.12 Highway 17 Corridor
Continue to work with Caltrans and adjacent landowners to; enhance the landscaping and visual character along the Highway 17 corridor, preserve the views from the freeway, and buffer nearby properties from noise and lights.

Require new developments to screen their parking, roof-top equipment, storage and loading areas to improve and enhance views from Highway 17.

Improve and expand public and private transportation services for residents, workers, and visitors.

Regional
Policy M-5.1 Regional Cooperation
Support regional efforts to improve the availability, affordability, reliability, and convenience of public transportation service in Scotts Valley.

Policy M-5.2 Cavallaro Transit Center
Support the continued presence of the Santa Cruz METRO Cavallaro Transit

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Center and work cooperatively to identify and implement measures to increase transit ridership through service and facility improvements and encouraging transit-oriented development on properties within one-quarter mile.

Policy M-5.3 Paratransit
Support paratransit alternatives such as the Santa Cruz METRO Paracruz program to ensure that public transportation in the City is responsive to the needs of the young, aged, disabled and disadvantaged.

Project
Policy M-5.4 Encourage new developments to provide for and promote transit use, where feasible. This may include providing fixed transit facilities such as bus shelters and pull-outs, consistent with anticipated demand. When applicable, submit development plans to the Santa Cruz Transit District for review and incorporate transit facilities, as appropriate, per district standards.

Policy M-5.5 Private Bus Transit
Work cooperatively with private bus transit operators to ensure potential impacts to roadways, on- and off-street parking, and adjacent sensitive land uses are minimized.

Provide a complete network of bikeways and bicycle facilities in Scotts Valley.

Regional
Policy M-6.1 Regional Bike Network
Ensure that the bikeways in Scotts Valley are well integrated with existing and proposed regional bikeways in Santa Cruz County, particularly to/from downtown Santa Cruz.

Policy M-6.2 Bike Improvement Funding
Pursue opportunities for bicycle grant funding from federal, state, and local agencies to implement bicycle system improvements.

City
Policy M-6.3 Accessibility for All Bicyclists
Provide bikeways in Scotts Valley that are safe and convenient for bicyclists of all ages and abilities.

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Policy M-6.4 Safety
Improve public safety by minimizing conflicts between bicyclists and motor vehicles on Scotts Valley’s roadways.

Policy M-6.5 Bikeways Maintenance
As funds are available, perform the necessary maintenance on all established bikeways to keep them free of obstacles that would pose safety hazards for bicycles.

Policy M-6.6 Bicycle Lane Construction (1)
Include bicycle lane construction enhancements in all road improvement and expansion projects on designated bikeways and construct them in conformance with established safety standards. Encourage the construction of bikeways on private property, particularly where they provide an important link to the City’s bikeway network.

Project
Policy M-6.7 Bikeways Construction (2)
Where available, require new developments located along designated bikeways to provide an appropriate bike way (path or lane) including rightsof-way and construction.

Policy M-6.8 Bicycle Facilities
Encourage new development to provide bicycle amenities, such as bicycle racks, lockers, and showers for employees, that support commuting by bicycle.

Actions
Active Transportation Plan
Maintain and update the Scotts Valley Active Transportation Plan as necessary.

Capital Improvement Program
Incorporate projects identified in Scotts Valley’s Active Transportation Plan into the City’s Capital Improvement Program.

Intersection Standards
Update the City’s road standards and Active Transportation Plan to ensure accommodation for safe biking on City streets. Design features include separated bikeways, front queuing zones, painted sharrow lanes, and bike

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detection signal systems, which are appropriate to detect and accommodate bicycles and their safe movement.

Bicycle Parking Ordinance
Develop bicycle parking ordinance to require provision of secure bicycle parking in new construction.

Highway 17 Interchanges
Work with Caltrans to ensure that any future modifications to Highway 17 interchanges in Scotts Valley improve safety and convenience for bicyclists and pedestrians, including bicycle detection sensors at controlled intersections.

Bike Safety
Work with the Scotts Valley Police Department and other appropriate organizations to promote bike safety education programs, particularly with youth.

Provide high quality pedestrian facilities that support walking and the enjoyment of the outdoors in Scotts Valley
City
Policy M-7.1 Pathways
Maintain and improve pedestrian pathways, particularly pathways providing pedestrian access to natural areas and commercial areas.

Policy M-7.2 Priority Investment
Prioritize pedestrian facility improvements that address public safety concerns, complete gaps in the existing pedestrian circulation system, and enhance pedestrian mobility in high-use areas.

Policy M-7.3 Accessibility for All
As part of new development and City capital improvement projects, ensure that sidewalks and other pathways are accessible including accommodation for disabled persons and designed for use by people of all abilities. Construct crosswalks and sidewalks that are universally accessible.

Policy M-7.4 Driveway Ramps
Design driveway access ramps to not interfere with the safe use of sidewalks.

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Projects
Policy M-7.5 Development Projects
Require all new development to provide pedestrian pathways and associated pedestrian amenities (e.g., benches, signage, etc.), particularly along arterial roadways and within one quarter mile of the Cavallaro Transit Center.

Policy M-7.6 Sidewalks
As part of capital improvement programs and new public or private roadway improvement projects, require the installation of sidewalks and pedestrian crossings in appropriate areas.

Actions
Funding
Seek funding from State and local agencies to expand and improve sidewalks, pathways, and other pedestrian facilities.

Active Transportation Plan
Maintain and update the Scotts Valley Active Transportation Plan as necessary.

Obstacles and Obstructions
Identify and inventory significant obstacles and obstructions, such as utility poles, traffic signal control boxes, overgrown vegetation, and root damage, on sidewalks. Eliminate or mitigate these obstacles and obstructions as funding becomes available.

Pedestrian Access Survey
Conduct a citywide survey to identify pedestrian barriers on key pedestrian routes or access points and identify how and these barriers could be removed. Include top priority pedestrian projects in the Capital Improvements Program update.

Pedestrian Access Near Transit
Include sidewalk improvements in the Capital Improvements Program update with a focus of constructing new sidewalks and maintaining existing sidewalks within a quarter mile of the transit center and bus stops.

Sidewalk Construction
Work to complete the construction of sidewalks along Mt. Hermon Road and

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all collector streets with pedestrian access connecting complimentary land uses wherever feasible or when development occurs.

Commercial Parking Lots
Work with commercial property owners to improve the safety of pedestrians throughout parking areas. Require new development to include appropriately protected pedestrian paths.

Disclaimer: This Map was developed for the Genereal Plan. The City is neither liable nor responsible for the use of this map beyond its indended purposes.

S C O T T S V A L L E Y G E N E R A L P L A N
Figure M-1: Roadway Network ±

M O B I L I T Y

L E G E N D
Note: All streets are considered Local unless classified State Highway
Highway Ramp
Principal Arterial
Minor Arterial
Collector
Planning Area City Limit

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The Scotts Valley Open Space and Conservation
Element addresses the conservation and
management of natural resources and open space
areas. This includes the protection of sensitive plant
and animal species, preservation and enhancement
of Scotts Valley’s creeks and watersheds, and
balanced management of open space areas. It also
includes measures to protect the City’s cultural and
historic resources and improve air quality and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.

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OPEN SPACE & CONSERVATION ELE MENT
Introduction
California State law requires that a General Plan include both an Open Space and a Conservation Element. This General Plan combines these two elements into a single element that addresses the concerns and satisfies the legal requirements for both.

State-required topics that must be addressed in this element (where relevant) include conservation, development, and utilization of natural resources including forests, rivers and other waters, fisheries, plants and wildlife, minerals, and soils.

Federal and State regulations also require communities to address the production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air quality, and solid waste and to develop impact reduction strategies, all of which are addressed in this element.

Current Status
Recommended by Planning Commission to City Council – DATE Accepted by City Council at Public Hearing – DATE

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Background and Context
Six major categories of open space that are required to be addressed per State Law are listed below, followed by a description of existing conditions for each of the four categories applicable to Scotts Valley.
 Open Space for the Preservation of Natural Resources
 Open Space Used for the Managed Production of Resources  Open Space for Outdoor Recreation and Scenic Resources  Open Space for Public Health and Safety
 Open Space in Support of the Mission of Military Installations1  Open Space for the Protection of Native American Sacred Sites2 Open Space for the Preservation of Natural Resources
Topography
Scotts Valley is typical of a mountain/alluvial environment. The alluvian valleys of Carbonera Creek and Camp Evers Creek form the historic and modern core of the urban area, which is bordered by mountains.

Open space areas include areas of extreme slopes and poor soils which are unable to support development. Outside of the relatively flat valley formed by Carbonera Creek and its tributaries, the Planning Area is characterized by the varying slopes of the Santa Cruz mountain ridges, foothills, and gulches. Slope steepness depends largely on the geology, elevation, and soils of an area.

As shown in Figure OSC-1: Slopes, most of the Scotts Valley uplands have steep hillsides, some of which are over 40% slope and are considered unsuitable for development. In these areas, existing access is poor. Safe, all-weather roads cannot be developed, soils may be unstable and/or highly erodible, and the slopes are often heavily wooded. In addition, steep slopes may 1 There are no areas associated with military bases in Scotts Valley. Therefore, this category of open space is not applicable to Scotts Valley. 2 There are no local tribal lands located in Scotts Valley. Therefore, this category of open space is not applicable to Scotts Valley. Protection measures related to the potential identification of Native America cultural sites are included in the Land Use Element of this General Plan.

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require extensive cut and fill grading to establish buildable sites which can be prohibitively expensive.

Steep banks near the area’s creeks are often evidence of the erosive force of floodwaters and may be hazardous. Limited areas of moderately steep slope (25%-40%) exist within the Planning Area and could be developed under certain circumstances, but some of them are surrounded by very steep areas and are inaccessible. Gentle slopes (0%-25%) are found on mountain ridges in the Granite Creek, Glenwood, and Carbonera Creek valley, lower Bean Creek Road, Whispering Pines, and La Cuesta Drive areas and in most of the Mount Hermon Road area.

Most of these areas have experienced some degree of development. Gentle slopes which remain rural in character are located west of the City limits in the Bean Creek area.

Watersheds
As shown in Figure OSC-2: Watersheds, Scotts Valley lies entirely within the watershed of the San Lorenzo River, a major drainage basin of northern Santa Cruz County. Within the Planning Area, are parts of three watersheds of major creek tributaries to the San Lorenzo River, as well as a small area which drains towards the river itself. The three creeks are Branciforte Creek, Bean Creek, and Carbonera Creek.

Most of the 7.4 square mile Carbonera Creek watershed is in the Scotts Valley Planning Area.

Carbonera Creek is the major surface hydrological feature in the Planning Area. It generally runs northeast to southwest through the length of the City. Camp Evers tributary, about three quarters of a mile long, roughly parallels Mount Hermon Road, and the approximately onemile-long west branch of Carbonera Creek drains the Glenwood Drive area. Less than 10% of the Branciforte Creek watershed lies in the Planning Area and approximately one third of the Bean Creek watershed forms the north portion of the Planning Area.

Groundwater
The Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin (SMGB)is a primary water supply source for Scotts Valley, San Lorenzo Valley, and Santa Cruz. It covers over 30 square miles in the Santa Cruz Mountains foothill, forming a triangular area that extends from Scotts Valley to the east, Boulder Creek to the northwest and Felton to the southwest.

The SMGB consists of a sequence of sandstone, siltstone, and shale that are underlain by granite that lie within a geologic trough called the Scotts Valley Syncline. This sequence of sedimentary rocks is divided into several geologic formations. These units are defined on the basis of the type of rock and their relative geologic age based on studies by the United States Geological Survey. In the SMGB, the sandstone units serve as the primary aquifers that provide the majority of groundwater production for the local water supply. The main aquifers in the Basin include:
 Santa Margarita Sandstone (Santa Margarita)

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 Monterey Formation (Monterey)
 Lompico Sandstone (Lompico)
 Butano Formation (Butano)
Over the past 25 years, groundwater levels in many parts of the SMGB, especially in the Lompico Aquifer, have declined more than 200 feet. The greatest declines occurred between the late 1960s and mid-1990s. A variety of factors probably contributed to these declines, including:
 Increased groundwater pumping due to growth in area.
 Reduced recharge from the surface to groundwater due to an increase in paved areas and other land use changes associated with urbanization.  Reduced groundwater recharge due to the drought.

The Groundwater Reporting Area (GWRA) is the area of reported annual data for the SVWD Groundwater Management Area and the Pasatiempo Groundwater Subarea, located south of the SVWD GWRA. The Pasatiempo Groundwater Subarea includes the portion of the SMGB served by the San Lorenzo Valley Water District and the Mt. Hermon Association.

The SMGWA is a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) that was formed as a Joint Powers Authority in June 2017 to manage water in the GWRA. It has three member-agencies: SVWD, SLVWD and County of Santa Cruz and is governed by the Board of Directors comprised of two representatives from each member agency, one representative from the City of Scotts Valley, the City of Santa Cruz, one from Mount Hermon Association and two private well owner representatives.

The major water purveyors that directly rely on the supply from SMGB are Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD), San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD), and Mount Hermon Association (MHA). The SMGB is the sole supply source for 13 small water systems and over 1,100 private well users. In addition, the City of Santa Cruz derives a major portion of its supply from the San Lorenzo River watershed, which overlaps the basin.

A decline of groundwater levels in many parts of the basin occurred during 1985-2004, representing a loss in groundwater storage in SMGB by an estimated 28,000 acre-feet. The diminished groundwater storage reduced sustaining base flows to local streams that support fishery habitats. Due to the water use efficiency measures and other management efforts at local water agencies, the total extraction from the SMGB has decreased about 45% since 1997.

Over the last 10 years, the demand and supply in the basin have been in balance.

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Scotts Valley Water District
Apart from a small area in the southwestern boundary of the City limits, a major of water supply is provided by the SVWD. SVWD currently operates five production wells: #3B, Orchard, #10A, #11A, and #11B. Groundwater pumping by well varies seasonally and annually to meet changing local water demand and allow for well maintenance activities.

Groundwater pumping is highest in the dry season months of May through October and lowest in the wetter months of December through March due primarily to seasonal changes in outdoor use. The timing of increased outdoor water use typically shifts with the amount of springtime precipitation. If March through May rainfall is above average, outdoor water usage tends to be below-average, whereas below-average spring rain tends to increase outdoor water use.

SVWD has actively managed groundwater in the area since the early 1980s in an effort to increase water supply reliability and to protect local water supply sources. In 1983, SVWD instituted a Water Resources Management Plan to monitor and manage water resources, in 1994 the agency formally adopted a Groundwater Management Plan in accordance with AB3030, also known as the Groundwater Management Act under Water Code section 10750.

In 1995, SVWD, SLVWD, MHA, Lompico Water District (LCWD), City of Scotts Valley and County of Santa Cruz signed a Memorandum of Understanding forming the Santa Margarita Groundwater Basin Advisory Committee. The committee was actively involved in the cooperative groundwater management of the basin until its dissolution and substitution with Santa Margarita Groundwater Agency (SMGWA) in 2017.

Additional information can be found in Community Services & Facilities Element and the following websites: www.svwd.org and www.smgwa.org.

Biological Resources
As shown in Figure OSC-3: Riparian Woodlands, there are three habitat communities in Scotts Valley: Riparian woodland, Ponderosa pine, and Zayante/Santa Cruz Sandhills. These habitats are discussed below, followed by a discussion of special-status plant and wildlife species and on-going habitat conservation plan efforts occurring in and around Scotts Valley.

Riparian Woodland Habitat
Riparian woodland is located along several area creeks, but regionally significant examples extend along Carbonero Creek between Disc Drive and Granite Creek Drive, and along Bean Creek between MacKenzie Creek and Mount Hermon Road. The riparian habitat relies on the year-round presence of fresh water and is often dominated by broadleaf deciduous trees such as box elder, sycamore, black cottonwood, big leaf maple, alder, and willow. The understory is lush, including poison oak, blackberry and an abundance of herbaceous growth and decaying vegetation. Wildlife use this habitat type extensively as a corridor for travel, breeding and feeding. Riparian habitats are rare and considered threatened throughout the state.

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Ponderosa Pine Habitat
The Ponderosa pine habitat is a rare assemblage of vegetation limited to sandy, infertile Zayante soil formed over Santa Margarita sandstone. This habitat is located in the southwestern part of the Planning Area, on the slopes of Mount Hermon, and extends outside the Planning Area.

Due to its sandy soil, Ponderosa pine habitat drains very rapidly and does not retain enough water to support species such as redwood and Douglas fir which are common elsewhere. A substantial portion of the Ponderosa pine habitat in Santa Cruz County has been degraded by development and quarrying activity.

Zayante/Santa Cruz Sandhills Habitat
As shown in Figure OSC-4: Sandhill Habitat, the Santa Cruz sandhills are unique communities of plants and animals found only on outcrops of sandy soils derived from marine deposits in Santa Cruz County, central coastal California. They support diverse assemblages of plants that are uniquely adapted to the droughty, infertile soils, including four endemic plant species found nowhere else in the world. Also distinct, the sandhills fauna includes two endemic insects, isolated populations of two lizard species, and the last known population of the Santa Cruz kangaroo rat.

The endemic sandhills communities and species are naturally rare, due to their limited geographic range (Santa Cruz County) and narrow habitat specificity (inland sand outcrops).

Habitat destruction due to sand quarrying, urban development, and agriculture has reduced and fragmented habitat. As a result, three sandhills plants (Santa Cruz wallflower, Ben Lomond spineflower, and Santa Cruz cypress) and two sandhills animals (Mount Hermon June beetle and Zayante band-winged grasshopper) have been listed as federally endangered. Several other endemic and locally unique plants and animals in the sandhills are also very rare and the two sandhills plant communities — maritime coast range ponderosa pine forest and northern maritime chaparral — are listed as sensitive communities in the California Natural Diversity Database. Ongoing habitat conversion, fragmentation, degradation, and genetic contamination threaten the persistence of these unique species and communities.

Wildlife
Several special-status invertebrate species are known from the Scotts Valley area, including Opler’s longhorn moth (Adela oplerella), the Ohlone tiger beetle (Cicindela ohlone), Mount Hermon June beetle (Polyphylla barbata), and the Zayante band-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis infantilis).

Raptors that may nest or forage in mixed conifer forest and grasslands in the Planning area include Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii), sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus), redshouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), white-tailed kite (Elanus

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leucurus), American kestrel (Falco sparverius), and Northern harrier (Circus cyaneus). These species are protected under California Fish & Game Code Section 3503.5.

A number of special-status songbirds and passerines (relatively smaller perching birds) occur or have the potential to occur in the mixed conifer forest and grassland habitats and include, among others: loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), Vaux’s swift (Chaetura vauxi), and the purple martin (Progne subis).

A number of bat species are common to the Planning Area including the pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus), the Townsend’s Pacific big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii townsendii), and the Western mastiff bat (Eumops perotis californicus). The San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat (Neotoma fuscipes annectens) is often found on the steeper slopes in the mixed conifer vegetation where it builds nests at the base of large trees.

List of Threatened, Endangered, and Other Special-Status Species Threatened, endangered, and other special-status species that are known to occur or have the potential to occur in or near the Planning Area are shown in Table OSC-1: List of Threatened, Endangered, and Other Special-Status Species.

Table OSC-1: List of Threatened, Endangered, and Other Special-Status Species Common Name Scientific Name Status
Ben Lomond buckwheat Eriogonum nudum var. decurrens 1B.1 Bent-flowered fiddleneck Amsinckia lunaris 1B.2
Bonny Doon manzanita Arctostaphylos silvicola 1B.2
California giant salamander Dicamptodon ensatus SSC
Choris' popcornflower Plagiobothrys chorisianus var. chorisianus 1B.2 Coho salmon - central California coast ESU Oncorhynchus kisutch pop. FE, SE Kellogg's horkelia Horkelia cuneata var. sericea 1B.1
Mount Hermon June beetle Polyphylla barbata FE
Northern curly-leaved monardella Monardella sinuata ssp. nigrescens 1B.2 Ohlone tiger beetle Cicindela ohlone FE
Pacific Grove clover Trifolium polyodont SR, 1B.1
Robust spineflower Chorizanthe robusta var. robusta FE, 1B.1 San Francisco popcornflower Plagiobothrys diffuses SE, 1B.1 Santa Cruz black salamander Aneides niger SSC
Santa Cruz clover Trifolium buckwestiorum 1B.1
Santa Cruz cypress Hesperocyparis abramsiana var. abramsiana FT, SE, 1B.2

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Common Name Scientific Name Status
Santa Cruz wallflower Erysimum teretifolium FE, SE, 1B1 Scotts Valley polygonum Polygonum hickmanii FE, SE,1B.1 Scotts Valley spineflower Chorizanthe robusta var. hartwegii FE, 1B.1 Steelhead - central California coast DPS Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus pop. 8 FT Woodland woollythreads Monolopia gracilens 1B.1
Zayante band-winged grasshopper Trimerotropis infantilis FE Source: CDFW, California Natural Diversity Database, 2023.

FE = Federally Endangered
FT = Federally Threatened SE = State Endangered SR = State Rare SSC = State Species of Special Concern CNPS Plant Ranks 1B = Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California and Elsewhere 2A = Presumed Extirpated in California, But Common Elsewhere 2B = Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere CNPS Threat Ranks

0.1 = Seriously threatened in California (over 80% of occurrences threatened / high degree and immediacy of threat)

0.2 = Moderately threatened in California (20-80% occurrences threatened / moderate degree and immediacy of threat)

0.3 = Not very threatened in California (less than 20% of occurrences threatened / low degree and immediacy of threat or no current threats known)
Conservation Areas
There are three designated conservation areas within the Planning Area that are managed to preserve their habitat and plant and animal species: the Santa Cruz Sandhills, Glenwood Preserve, and Polo Ranch.

Santa Cruz Sandhills
The Sandhills Conservation and Management Plan: A Strategy for Preserving Native Biodiversity in the Santa Cruz Sandhills (2004) provides a comprehensive strategy for the maintenance of native biodiversity in the Santa Cruz Sandhills.

Where Santa Cruz Sandhill habitat is located on private land, development is restricted according to the guidelines as described in the Interim-Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan (IPHCP) for the Endangered Mount Hermon June Beetle and Ben Lomond Spineflower (2011).

Within the City limits, these areas are located in three IPHCP “Project Units,” namely the Scotts Valley East Unit (3.2 acres), Scotts Valley West Unit (109 acres) and the Whispering Pines Unit (242 acres within the City and 131 additional units in Santa Cruz County [373 acres total]).

While these areas are largely built out, any new development is limited to small, residential projects and must adhere to the following requirements: (1) Require a County or City discretionary or building permit that involves ground disturbance; (2) Be residential in nature; (3) Be within 1 of 10 identified “Project Units;” (4) Be located within a parcel that is less than or equal to 1.5 acres; (5) involve no more than 15,000 square feet of development activity and

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associated ground disturbance on a single parcel; and (6) incorporate the minimization measures described in Section 5.2 of the IPHCP.

More information can be found at: https://www.santacruzsandhills.com/scmp.html Glenwood Open Space Preserve
The 160-acre Glenwood Preserve is located on the east and west sides of Glenwood Drive. The Preserve was dedicated to the City of Scotts Valley as a condition of approval for the development of 49 single-family residences on Deerfield Drive.

The two federally listed species that occur in the Preserve are the primary focus of this Plan.

The southeast corner of the Preserve is one of 15 currently known locations of the endangered Ohlone tiger beetle (Cicindela ohlone) (USFWS 2001, DFG 2002). The grassland in the Preserve also supports the endangered Scotts Valley spineflower (Chorizanthe robusta var. hartwegii) and is part of designated critical habitat for the species (USFWS 2002).

Several additional special status species are known to occur within the Preserve. The Opler’s longhorn moth (Adela oplerella), a Federal Species of Concern, has been observed in the southeastern portion of the Preserve. Mount Diablo cottonweed (Micropus amphibolus), included on the California Native Society’s (“CNPS”) List 3, and Gray’s clover (Trifolium grayi), considered a CNPS species of local concern, have both been observed in grassland throughout the Preserve.

The Habitat Conservation Plan and Long-Term Management Plan for the Glenwood Preserve (approved December 2017) describes the long-term management and monitoring of these species while providing very limited passive recreation use (trails).

More information can be found at: https://www.landtrustsantacruz.org/category/protectedlands/glenwood-open-space-preserve/ Polo Ranch
Approved in August 2009, Polo Ranch, a 40-lot subdivision located at the former Santa's Village park site provides approximately 100 acres of open space lands. The open space includes:
 Natural areas that will remain undeveloped
 A fenced area for protected plant habitat (e.g., Scotts Valley Spineflower) not open to the public
 A private tot-lot park, open to the public
 Trails that start at a tot-lot park and lead to an earthen path near the southern end of the property.

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The homeowner association owns the open space. A land trust is the easement holder for the fenced protected habitat, which is managed by an open space manager.

Open Space Used for the Managed Production of Resources Forest lands/timberland production lands, mineral deposits and subsurface aquifers are natural resources of significance located within the Planning Area. Additionally, water quality and conservation concerns are directly related to open space areas of the City and Planning Area.

Forest Lands
There are no parcels designated for timberland production with the City limits. However, within the Planning Area, two parcels are designated by County of Santa Cruz zoning for potential timberland production (APNs: 056-281-03 and 056-281-12), east of State Highway 17 and south of Lodato Park. These two parcels have County General Plan land use designations of Rural Mountain (R-M) and Rural Residential (R-R), both residential designations.

Mineral Deposits
The “Surface Mining and Reclamation Act” of 1975 required the State geologist to designate mineral resources of regional or statewide significance. The Act also required cities to include the designations in their General Plans, if applicable. There are no identified mineral resource zones with the City limits; however, an area of significant mineral depositions has been identified outside the City limits, within the southwest portion of the Planning Area. Known as the Hanson or Kaiser Quarry, Santa Margarita Sandstone was extracted to produce sand for construction. The 200 acres quarry ceased operation in 2003. All former mineral processing facilities have been removed and disturbed areas have been reclaimed as open space with a native species vegetation similar to naturally occurring habitats in the surrounding area. As such, no mineral extraction activities presently occur within the City limits or Planning Area.

Water Quality
Scotts Valley and the Planning Area derive potable water entirely from local aquifers. The Planning Area is underlain by several geologic formations which form a groundwater basin.

Groundwater recharge is a vital component of natural resource protection. The Santa Margarita Sandstone, the shallowest aquifer unit in the Scotts Valley area, has the highest recharge capability of the several geological formations underlying the Planning Area.

Urban runoff is a major factor that can impact water quality in urbanized communities like Scotts Valley. When stormwater flows over impervious surfaces, it can carry non-point source pollutants like oil, grease, solvents, and petroleum products from roadways and parking lots into creeks and other water bodies into which the stormwater is eventually discharged.

In 2009, the City prepared and approved a Storm Water Management Plan that describes best management practices and adopted a Stormwater and Urban Runoff Pollution Control

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Ordinance (Ordinance No. 184) which establishes regulations regarding the protection of water quality.

Open Space for Outdoor Recreation and Scenic Resources
Open space conservation is important to conserve scenic, cultural, and historic resources.

Recreational Resources
A discussion regarding City and regional parks and recreational programs can be found in the Community Services and Facilities Element.

There are several major physical characteristics of the Scotts Valley community which affect the provision of open space and recreation areas. These include the steep wooded hills which surround and enclose the valley floor, Carbonero Creek and its tributaries which flow the length of the community, and State Highway 17, which bisects the community.

The surrounding hills, creeks and associated tributaries form the foundation of natural resources in the Planning Area. They function as essential elements of the environmental system and are major visual resources for the community. The hills play an important role in the identity of the community, providing visual diversity, as well as a unifying form for an otherwise random urban pattern. Access to the hills is limited and poorly defined and is generally not available for development due to steep slopes.

Lack of access and development within the riparian corridor limit recreational use of Carbonero Creek unless provisions for trail easements and access can be made. The creek and its tributaries do not function as a significant recreational resource.

State Highway 17 is a constraint to open space and recreational development within the community. It forms a physical and visual barrier between the east and west parts of the community.

Glenwood Open Space Preserve
One of the most significant publicly accessible open space recreation areas in the City is the Glenwood Preserve. This 166-acre property located north of Siltanen Community Park is owned by the City of Scotts Valley, and the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County holds a Conservation Easement. This preserve consists of grasslands, riparian forests and wetlands, and is home to several rare species including the Ohlone tiger beetle and the Scotts Valley spineflower. In December 2017, the Scotts Valley City Council approved the Land Trust’s management plan for the preserve, which will enable the construction of trails outside of sensitive areas.

Scenic Resources
Areas of the City and Planning Area offering scenic value are significant open space features.

The generally flat valleys along Carbonera Creek, its west branch tributaries, and the Camp

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Evers tributary form a pocket in the Santa Cruz mountains within which most of the local urbanization has occurred. Hillsides immediately adjacent to these valleys have offered spectacular views for residential development in areas including Tabor Drive, Montevalle, Granite Creek, Navarra Drive and Whispering Pines. Forested ridgetops, which have remained largely undeveloped and have not been logged, are an attractive focal point for many scenic views. State Highway 17, which climbs from Santa Cruz on the south into the valley, offers outstanding vistas of the area. Scenic winding roads through steep redwood forested canyons border the Planning Area on Granite Creek Road, Vine Hill Road, and Bean Creek Road.

Figure OSC-5: Viewsheds and Scenic Corridors identifies prominent forested ridges, scenic road corridors along a portion of Highway 17 and several redwood canyon riparian areas, and vistas (largely from higher vantage points toward the ridges, or toward the broad sweep of the valley below). Prominent ridges parallel State Highway 17 on the east and Scotts Valley Drive on the west, surround the City limits north and west on Glenwood Drive, and follow the Bean Creek/Zayante divide in the southwest part of the City. While the mapped road corridors largely remain scenic because of dense vegetation or absence of development, the areas visible from Highway 17, Scotts Valley Drive, and Mount Hermon Road should all be considered important.

These latter areas are visually accessible to nearly everyone in the Planning Area and therefore make up much of Scotts Valley’s visual image. In the City’s Planning Area, Highway 17, Graham Hill Road, and Mount Hermon Road are designated by Santa Cruz County as scenic and worthy of viewshed protection.

Cultural Resources
The City Hall, site located on Civic Center Drive, exemplifies the City’s rich cultural heritage, as it contains both the historic Scott House and a 10,000-year-old archaeological deposit.

Archaeological sites, dating from prerecorded history, are known to exist based on survey records of the regional site survey at Sonoma State University, from a ground reconnaissance of 95% of the City done in 1977 for the City’s wastewater facilities plan and reports which have been prepared since this time though the environmental review process for proposed projects.

As illustrated in Figure OSC-6: Cultural Resource Areas, there are two zones of primary concern, the high and moderate sensitivity zones. The low sensitivity zones are generally found in the upland portions of the Planning Area away from fresh water sources, while the high and moderate zones are found in the more level areas which historically provided better access to fresh water sources. Because the Planning Area is rich in archaeological resources, most of it is defined as being of high to moderate archaeological sensitivity. To protect undisturbed sites from vandalism, precise locations remain confidential except to professionals and property owners.

Historic Resources
In March 1987, the City adopted a Historic Landmark Preservation Ordinance. The purpose of the ordinance is to protect, enhance, perpetuate uses, improvements, buildings, and other

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structures of historic, architectural, artistic, cultural, engineering, aesthetic, political, social, and other significance, located within the City limits. The ordinance also established the Cultural Resource Preservation Commission whose function is to establish criteria, review, and comment on historical significance on all activity within the City. One of the duties of the Commission is to maintain a local register of historic properties.

In 1990, the City, in cooperation of the Scotts Valley Historical Society (SVHS), completed a survey of all potential historic structures within the City limits. The purpose of the study was to provide the City with specific information to identify which buildings and/or properties may be historically significant. The survey identified two historic structures; the Scott House (described below) and the Polo Barn, which, due to its deteriorating condition, was demolished in June 2014.

Scott House
Built in 1853 by Hiram D. Scott, the Valley's namesake, this Greek revival farmhouse was originally located along Scotts Valley Drive east of its present location at the Scotts Valley Civic Center. The Scott house was originally a very symmetrical, New England style, Greek Revival house with an attached ell. Being from Maine, Scott constructed a home that had the comfort and conveniences of the wooden structures of his New England homeland. The mortice and tenon style of construction used in the house was abandoned in the East coast in 1840. The corner pilasters and open pedimented gable exemplify typical Greek Revival details. Native California redwood is the dominant wood used in the house's construction. Mr. Scott may have borrowed the floor plan and detailing from the popular builder's guide and house pattern books of the day. The original house consisted of a parlor, parlor bedroom, second bedroom, dining room, kitchen, and attic.

The Scott House was moved in 1936 from its location along the old Santa Cruz County Road, near where MacDorsa Drive is today, to its present site west one hundred yards up the hill. The widening of the Santa Cruz-Los Gatos highway, later called California Highway 17 and now Scotts Valley Drive, necessitated this move.

Owned by the City of Scotts Valley, the house is on the National Register of Historic Places, being an example of early 1850's architecture and its association with the Scott family.

Additional information regarding the history of Scotts Valley and the historic structures survey can be found at http://history.scottsvalleychamber.com/index.html and Chapter 1:

Introduction.

Open Space for Public Health and Safety
The conservation of open space areas within the context of public health and safety includes air quality, climate change, and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.