Santa Cruz Changes 152: Two informational presentations next week

The City of Santa Cruz announced two pre-application "virtual community meetings" upcoming next week to introduce the public to a pair of new mixed-use development proposals.

On Monday, the subject will be 617 Water Street (webinar link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81250325525, city project page: 617 Water Street, CP26-0016). The site is a narrow lot on the north side of Water Street, just east of Branciforte Creek.

 On Tuesday, it's 930 Mission Street (webinar link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81734464595, city project page: 930 Mission Street, CP26-0015). The site is at the northwest corner of Mission and Otis (Otis is one street south of Walnut Avenue.

We'll take a closer look at each of those proposals if/when they become actual permit applications. Here's a screen shot of the city informational email.

 

Santa Cruz Changes 151: the "off-site" option

 This week, the City of Santa Cruz Planning Commission will likely approve (it's on the consent agenda) the development permit application for the Neptune Apartments parcels at 407-415 Pacific Avenue (see Changes 147). As noted in the earlier post, ". . .  this development will have 100% "affordable" (below-market-rate-rent) units. That's happening because of a recent city rule that allowed the development proposed for 201 Front Street (see Changes 126) to be 100% market-rate, in return for 100% below-market-rate in another location." The City's notice reads:

The SC City Planning Commission will meet Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 pm at City Council Chambers, 809 Center Street in Santa Cruz. Click HERE for the agenda. Agenda items include:

Consent Public Hearing Agenda

• 407-415 Pacific Avenue – Coastal Permit, Residential Demolition Authorization Permit, Nonresidential Demolition Authorization Permit, Lot Line Adjustment, Design Permit, and Density Bonus request to demolish the existing buildings and construct an 8-story, 102-unit, 100-percent affordable apartment building with ground floor commercial space serving as the off-site affordable housing required for redevelopment of 201 Front Street (CP25-0116) on a parcel located in the CBD/CZ-O/FP-O (Central Business District/Coastal Zone Overlay/Floodplain Overlay) zone district and within the South of Laurel Area of the Downtown Plan. Environmental Review: Statutory Exemption pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.66. This project requires a Coastal Permit which is not appealable to the California Coastal Commission.

Although I haven't had the chance to quiz anyone who knows how this works, I presume that the reason a developer might want to use the "off-site" option for meeting affordability inclusion requirements is that if an entire building is "affordable", then construction costs can be reduced more by reducing amenity levels for a whole building than if it's done on a unit-by-unit basis. 

This is not the first use of the "off-site" rule, and it probably won't be the last.  

Santa Cruz Changes 150: Affordable housing news

Current City of Santa Cruz multifamily development projects come in all shapes and sizes: from the all-market-rate River Row (Changes 9) to the all-below-market-rate Pacific Station North (Changes 22), and various mixes of the two. Now comes news from Santa Cruz Local about significant changes for two projects that have already received all necessary City planning approvals, but have not yet begun construction.

At 136 River Street (Changes 76), a 50-unit all-below-market-rate project on the former Outdoor World site received its building permit in March. Construction is expected to begin this year.

At 130 Center Street (Changes 54), a 233-unit project originally approved as entirely market-rate is now 100% below-market-rate. The site near Depot Park (photo below) was formerly home to several auto-related businesses.