Santa Cruz Changes 79: San Lorenzo Park redesign

Back in 2020, the Santa Cruz City Council approved a future-planning document called the "Parks Master Plan 2030". Part of that master plan is a redesign of San Lorenzo Park. Developing an actual redesign proposal began in earnest in 2023, and continues into 2024. 

On Monday, January 8, the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting will be devoted to finalizing Commission recommendations to the City Council. The site plan shown above is the redesign version recommended to the Commission by staff. A complete agenda packet can be found here. 

The Parks and Rec decision will not be the final word, just a recommendation to the City Council, although staff recommendations are not often rejected. In this case, there is another redesign-plan option that will also remain available for consideration. That other option has more riparian restoration and less community-park-type amenities.

No doubt there will be more to say about this as 2024 proceeds.

Santa Cruz Changes 78 - 2024: It's gonna be wild!

 As noted in the last post, multiple downtown-area projects area will be completed in 2024. At least one other major project previously noted here - known as Pacific Station North - is scheduled to begin construction next year. Because part of that project is a rebuild of the Metro Center, Metro bus loading/unloading will be moved to a temporary on-street site for the 2 years until the new facility is ready. 

Thanks to Lookout Santa Cruz for publishing the map below, showing how that will work. The 3 bus stops A, B, and C surround the CVS drugstore south parking lot on River Street, Soquel Avenue, and Front Street. Those are very busy streets, so we could be in for 2 (more) years of very slow downtown traffic. I plan to avoid driving in that area as much as possible.

Santa Cruz Changes 77: End of 2023 Development Updates

Only one of the development projects previously reported in this blog was completed in 2023, but a number of them are under construction and scheduled for completion in 2024. 

Those include:

• Beach Street - two projects. The Marea Sol hotel opened in 2023 (see photo). The La Bahia hotel hopes to open later in 2024.
• 530 Center Street Mixed-Use project: announced opening in February, with its adjacent paseo, but likely later.
• Pacific-Laurel-Front mixed use project: announced opening in February, but likely later.
• Aptos Library. Move-in is expected to begin soon.
• Rail Trail. The segment from California Street to Pacific Avenue is expected to open in 2024.
• Pacific Station South mixed use project: announced opening in April.
• 418-508 Front Street mixed use project: demolition completed and site work underway, no announced completion date. 

Construction may begin in 2024 on:

• Cruz Hotel. The project had a Dec. 21 City Council hearing to approve its demolition permit, but that approval has been postponed until at least February because of amendments to the project that need approval from the Coastal Commission. 

A previously planned project was canceled in 2023:

• Kaiser Medical Offices on Soquel Avenue in Live Oak.

Santa Cruz Changes 76 - 136 River Street

The Google Maps 3D view above looks from the south to the area around the former site of Outdoor World, which closed its store at the corner of River and Lindberg streets in 2021. It's the big building in the center of this view, with a cream-colored roof and a parking lot to its right. Surrounding the site, moving clockwise from Lenz Arts at 9 o'clock, there's N. Pacific Avenue at 10 o'clock, El Rio Mobile Home Park at 11 o'clock, Riverwalk Apartments at 12-3 o'clock, the Riverwalk and San Lorenzo River at 1-2 o'clock, adjacent retail and parking lot at 4 o'clock, and the condo complex across River Street at 6-7 o'clock. 

The City has received a development project proposal for the site, and a public online meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 13. Below is the city's Project Description:

The proposed single building is similar in height and shape to other projects now under construction, such as 524/532/538 Center Street (see "Changes" #50). Unique to this project are 1) its location outside the downtown core, and 2) that no onsite car parking is proposed. Instead, there's a large indoor bike parking room on the ground floor. Required car parking has been cited as a major obstacle to building new affordable housing, and a 2019 state law exempted 100% affordable projects from any onsite parking requirements, so we'll see how the public process plays out for this project - which I believe is the first in Santa Cruz to test the relaxed parking law.

Below is an architect's rendering of the project in its River Street setting, which shows how the proposed height is much greater than the surrounding existing buildings. That height, although consistent with downtown projects previously approved and under construction, is likely to be an issue in public debate:

  

Santa Cruz Changes 75 - Model Trains Headed For the Roundhouse

Five or six years ago, while walking on Ocean View Avenue, I noticed an unusual feature of one residence. The entire yard - front, back, and one side - was filled by an F Scale (1:20.3) model railroad layout. 

Seeing a news item saying that Sunday, October 8, would be the final chance to see the Fern Creek & Western Garden Railroad in operation before it is dismantled. That motivated me to again take a walk over there, joining a considerable crowd of other model-railroad-watchers.

The FC&GR website explains the circumstances necessitating the dismantling of the layout:

"Eric Child, the owner of the property upon which the FC&W sits, passed away on June 19, 2023. Without his involvement, the railroad cannot go on in its current form. Do not miss this last opportunity to see the FC&W in operation before the layout is gone forever."

I hope the trains will soon find a new home.

Santa Cruz Changes 74 - ebike-share (again)

Santa Cruzans will remember the first attempt by the City of Santa Cruz to create a fleet of shared rental ebikes. From its 2018 inception, the bright red Jump bikes were a common sight. 

But too many were found abandoned with dead batteries in the middle of sidewalks, or in remote locations, before the City abandoned the program in 2020.

In June of 2023, the City tried again, with a different vendor, Wisconsin-based BCycle (Wisconsin?!) Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley and transportation planner Claire Gallogly were among the first to try out the BCycle e-bikes (photo credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz).

So far, this system seems to be working better, with equal popularity and plenty of bike locations. 

If all goes well, the program will expand next year into other parts of the County. 

Santa Cruz Changes 73 - 900 High Street

Peace United Church, at 900 High Street, is proposing a development called "Peace Village Housing".  The City project page has this description: "Project Size: Large Development Project; Project APN: 001-022-40; City of Santa Cruz Project Number: CP22-0164

Minor Land Division, Design Permit, Slope Development Permit, and Density Bonus Request to divide a lot into two lots and construct a 40 unit (including 4 Low-Income units and 5 Very Low-Income units), four story apartment building within 20 feet of a 30 percent slope, with a concession for stories/height, on a site with an existing church in the R-1-10 (Single Family Residence) zone district.

On October 4th, 2023, this item will be agendized at the Zoning Administrator meeting. 

• October 4, 2023 Zoning Administrator Meeting 

Contact: Senior Planner: Brittany Whitehill: (831) 420-5134; bwhitehill@santacruzca.gov"

The proposed housing location is uphill from the upper parking lot of the existing church facilities, as shown below (High Street runs left-right at the bottom of this view):

 

Santa Cruz Changes 72 - 1800 Soquel Avenue

 

Another large Santa Cruz mixed use project gets its first public hearing (hybrid) before the Planning Commission next Thursday, Sep. 21, 7:00 pm.  The image above is one of the architect's rendering of the development proposed for 1800 Soquel Avenue, at the corner of Hagemann Avenue (across Hagemann from Walgreen's). Following is the city project description from the Planning Commission agenda:

"1800, 1812, 1818 Soquel Avenue - Commercial Demolition Authorization Permit to demolish an existing commercial building , Boundary Adjustment to merge three parcels, Design Permit, Special Use Permit, and Density Bonus Request involving incentives, concessions and waivers to development standards, including exceeding height, and a reduction in auto and bike parking and open space requirements, to construct a four-story mixed-use project consisting of 1,928 square feet of ground level commercial space, and 84 residential units on a parcel located in the CC (Community Commercial) zone district and within the Eastside Business Improvement Plan Area. (Environmental Determination: Categorical Exemption)"

A video of a May 3 public information meeting staged by the developer is available via a link on the city project page. Project plans and other information can also be found on the project page.

Redevelopment of this corner has been in discussions since May's restaurant closed several years ago, but nothing has happened yet. The Google Street View image below shows the current appearance of the location.

Santa Cruz Changes 71 - Mitigation Measures for Parking Structures

Until we kick the individual-motor-vehicle habit, large unattractive parking structures will remain part of urban landscapes. 

However, Santa Cruz and Watsonville have recognized that those blank concrete facades can become canvases for artists. 

A new mosaic mural now adorns the River Street facade of "Public Parking Lot 10" (aka River-Front parking garage) in Santa Cruz - seen in the image at right (courtesy of Kevin Painchaud and Lookout Santa Cruz).

Meanwhile, in Watsonville a similar project (left) has been proceeding in stages. Mosaic artist Kathleen Crocetti contributed her mosaic skills to both projects, partnering with artists Maha Taitano (Santa Cruz) and Juan R. Fuentes (Watsonville).

Fellow change-trackers will remember that Crocetti did the mosaic tile work on the 2020 China Bridge dragon sculpture, and has previously contributed decorative mosaic tile to the Water Street and Soquel Avenue bridges.

Santa Cruz Changes 67 - South of Laurel (again)

Since the 1970s, Santa Cruz has repeatedly tried to stimulate private redevelopment of the downtown between Laurel Street and the beach. The main tool available to the city for that purpose is zoning regulations. 

Past zoning changes - allowing more height and density - have resulted in the several projects now under construction north of Laurel Street. 

The map at right shows the area now under study. Note: One project has already been approved (construction not started) within this outline - at 130 Center Street (see Santa Cruz Changes 54).

The city website describes the next phase:

"The City of Santa Cruz is embarking on a planning study to consider future redevelopment of the area south of Laurel Street. City objectives include: 
1. Providing additional affordable and market-rate housing in the downtown,
2. Creating public amenities like parks, public plazas, or better pedestrian infrastructure,
3. Improving the connection to the San Lorenzo River and beach areas,
4. Creating new economic opportunities for local businesses and workers,
5. Coordinate with the Santa Cruz Warriors to construct a new permanent arena." 

The most controversial aspect of city proposals to emerge so far is a much taller height limit than anywhere else in the city. Descriptions include "15 and 17-story towers". For comparison, none of the buildings now under construction are more than 7 stories.

A couple of public meetings on this plan were held in late 2022, and an online community survey was announced on August 7 (link to the English-language version here). Response is requested by Sep. 1.

Update Mar. 1, 2024: The city has revised its height limit change down to 12 stories. Meanwhile, residents opposed to the height limit change qualified Measure M for the March 5, 2024 ballot. 

On March 1, a story by Max Chun of Lookout Santa Cruz reports that the Golden State Warriors organization has looked at development feasibility and concluded that buildings taller than the existing Palomar (85 feet; 7-8 stories) do not pencil out for the south-of-Laurel area.