There are quite a few important land use policy items on tomorrow’s agenda of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Items #57 and #58, the first two items on the Regular Agenda, propose amendments to the County’s General Plan and Local Coastal Program, and to related provisions in the Santa Cruz County Code.

Item #57 proposes modifications to the development standards governing the construction of hotels in the unincorporated parts of Santa Cruz County. This issue was considered by the Board before, and there were complaints that the proposed changes might have adverse neighborhood impacts. The regulations being considered now are more stringent. If you think you could be affected, you might like to check them out.

Item #58 is about a proposal to allow exceptions to the normal rules governing commercial signs. If the staff and Planning Commission recommendation is adopted, staff will be able to grant certain exceptions to the normal rules without a public hearing. This will help commercial developers. Again, you might want to review the actual proposal, to see if you think it adequately protects the public interest.

Finally, Agenda Item #65, scheduled for 1:30 tomorrow afternoon, would set up regulations governing the cultivation of medial marijuana.

You can get information on all these items below.

More Information

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• County Board of Supervisors Agenda for January 28, 2014
• Agenda Materials, Agenda Item #57 – Hotel Development Standards
• Agenda Materials, Agenda Item #58 – Sign Standards
• Agenda Materials, Agenda Item #65 – Medical Marijuana Cultivation

The Santa Cruz City Council will meet this evening, at 7:00 o’clock, to consider final adoption of the City’s Ocean Street Area Plan. The Plan covers the entirety of the Ocean Street corridor, from Grant Street to East Cliff Drive. The Plan area generally extends about one property, or one block, away from Ocean Street, on either side. The entirety of the County Government Center is included, but not San Lorenzo Park.

If you own property along Ocean Street, or live in the area, or run a business in the area, you probably need to study the map, and to review the various policies that are proposed for future development along the Ocean Street corridor. You can find some links below.

The City held its first community workshop for the Ocean Street Area Plan on August 11, 2008. So, this plan has been in the works for a long time. Longtime listeners to the Land Use Report may remember me urging you to get involved. This evening is probably going to be your absolute last chance! One “big idea” contained in the plan is to turn the County Government Center and the hotel property next door into the site for a major retail operation, including a public plaza and open space, and with a large parking structure to facilitate park and ride transportation for area visitors.

Lots of big changes are being envisioned. Tonight’s meeting should be one worth attending!

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• City of Santa Cruz City Council Agenda – January 28, 2014
• Agenda Report – Ocean Street Area Plan
• Ocean Street Area Plan, Executive Summary

Big changes seem to coming to the Eastside of the City of Santa Cruz. Specifically, it appears that the U.S. Post Office located at the corner of Soquel Drive and Morrissey Boulevard is going to disappear around the first of next year.

As listeners probably know, budget problems have led the U.S. Postal Service to close post offices all across the country. In this case, though, it doesn’t appear that the Postal Service has initiated the closure. It seems that they have simply lost their lease. Obviously, budget and financial issues do play a role whenever a lease comes up for renewal. Usually, being willing to pay more lets an existing user continue to occupy a rented property. Whatever the negotiations may have been, however, a letter dated January 13th informed at least some Eastside residents that changes were on the way.

The letter sent out on January 13th wasn’t from the Postal Service. It was from Grocery Outlet, a self-described “bargain market.” Grocery Outlet plans to join Safeway, Whole Foods, Staff of Life and Shoppers Corner to make the two-block area between Branciforte and Morrissey, into a kind of “Grocery Central.” Grocery Outlet has announced its intention to host a neighborhood meeting at the end of February. No specifics are currently available. At least some City planning approvals will be required, and if residents want to get engaged on this issue, I’d suggest sooner rather than later!

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Santa Cruz Sentinel Article on Grocery Outlet plans

Let me tell you about a couple of meetings being held today in Monterey County during which important water policy issues will be discussed.

At 2:00 p.m. today, the Regional Advisory Committee of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency will be meeting in Salinas. The Advisory Committee is supposed to be giving the Agency advice on how to allocate available water from the Salinas River. If you have been following this issue at all, you will remember that the Monterey County Board of Supervisors has been discussing this very topic in a series of closed personnel sessions. The County Counsel thinks that this was legal; others disagree. What seems to be admitted by all involved is that the Board of Supervisors hasn’t been waiting around for the Regional Advisory Committee to present its thoughts. Reportedly, the Board has been discussing the sale of available water for non-agricultural, urban uses. Farmers seem to be concerned.

Another important meeting today begins at 9:00 a.m. in Watsonville. The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board will consider, among other things, the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program that is of such importance to both farmers and to those concerned about improving the environmental quality of local water bodies.

Naturally, you are invited to attend these public meetings. I have put links to more information below.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Monterey County Water Resources Agency Home Page
• Agenda, January 30, 2014 Meeting of MCWRA Regional Advisory Committee
• Central Coast Region Water Quality Control Board Home Page
• Agenda Notice, January 30, 2014 RWQCB Meeting in Watsonville

Water activists in the City of Santa Cruz are hoping to encourage public participation at an upcoming meeting of the City’s Water Commission. The City’s website isn’t listing the meeting at the time I am recording this, but activists are distributing flyers and email alerts asking concerned residents to show up at the Santa Cruz City Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 3rd, to let the City’s Water Commission know about the immediate need for aggressive water conservation efforts.

When I tell you that California is currently facing what may be one of the most severe droughts in recorded history, I am not delivering any news you haven’t heard before. It’s pretty obvious. In fact, it has been kind of spooky to go outside each morning, and to encounter what is truly perfect summer weather, right in the middle of January.

The flyers I have seen urge the City of Santa Cruz to take aggressive and immediate action to reduce water consumption, in the face of the current drought. One suggestion is that the City stop using drinking water to irrigate the City’s golf course. If we were to run out of drinking water partly because of trying to keep the golfers happy lots of other people would end up being very unhappy. In general, the message that the water activists want to convey is that we need to start cutting back water use sooner, rather than later. If you care about the issue, from whatever perspective, mark your calendar for the Monday meeting!

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Santa Cruz City Water Commission Website
• Santa Cruz Desal Alternatives on Facebook
• Desal Alternatives Website