A little bit over forty years ago, lots of people in the City of Santa Cruz decided that land use decisions were really important. Their reaction was to get together, and to get organized, and to try to affect land use decision making. Two very prominent groups, the Save Lighthouse Point Association and Operation Wilder, focused on very specific land use proposals, and their success in stopping truly gargantuan development projects helped stimulate the formation of other groups, many of them neighborhood based. Obviously, participation had a payoff!

I think it’s fair to say that the City of Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County experienced about twenty-five to thirty years of rather significant community involvement in land use, with the focus being on the management and control of growth, to prevent the local community on this side of the hill from turning into another version of the Silicon Valley. A growth management system for the County was adopted, a Greenbelt was established around the City of Santa Cruz, and lots of other land use decisions reflected active community participation.

That kind of community and neighborhood organization may be coming back into favor! The Branciforte Bulletin is a new website, organized by Eastside residents, who are concerned about the impacts of the City’s current pro-development policies. You can check it out at kusp.org/landuse.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Branciforte Bulletin Website

In the Wednesday edition of this Land Use Report, I did a little reminiscing about the past history of community participation in land use decision making in Santa Cruz County. Anyone who has listened to the Land Use Report on any kind of a regular basis knows that stimulating community participation in land use issues is the “unhidden agenda” of this little feature on KUSP. I think that more community involvement in land use would be a great thing for all of the communities of our Monterey Bay Region.

So, if you are looking for a New Year’s resolution to implement, let me suggest that you consider investing some time in helping to determine the future your local community by getting personally involved in the land use policy and project decisions that will affect your community in some pretty profound ways.

Most of us, I think, are busy people, and the idea of spending time reading planning reports, or going to meetings, is not the first thing that comes to mind as we think about what to put on our New Year’s Resolutions list. However, I want to let you know something. Effective community participation is a “team sport.” To be effective, you have to work with others who care about the same issues you do, and here’s a secret. The result of your personal involvement (with others) will not only be better land use decisions, it will be lifelong friendships that will enrich your life.

Happy New Year to all!

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog

Next Thursday, January 7th, the City of Santa Cruz Planning Commission will consider a couple of interesting project items on the Commission’s agenda, including a new, affordable housing development at 555 Pacific Avenue. You can get links at kusp.org/landuse.

Let me tell you about the other item, though, which is a proposed residential demolition and conversion project at 412 Ocean View Avenue. Ocean View is one of the city’s nicer streets, with big, old houses and a park at the end. 412 is one of those big, old houses, but a house that was converted some time ago to four separate living units. Relatively recently, the house was acquired by some new owners, and they wanted to eliminate the four units, and to convert the home back to one, huge lovely home just for themselves. When they asked the City Planning Department about that, though, the Planning Department told them that this would eliminate affordable housing, and that this would be against City policy.

Despite that advice, the owners applied for a building permit to the Building Department, not mentioning that the effect of what they proposed would eliminate the four units. The Building Department didn’t confer with the Planning Department, and issued the permit. So, what happens now? Reading the staff report is a cautionary tale. The end of the story may well be known next Thursday night.

More Information:

• Land Use Links
• Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog
• Planning Commission Agenda – January 7, 2016 Meeting
• Planning Commission Agenda Reports
• Agenda Report – 412 Ocean View Avenue Item