ARTICLE
There is a bad idea brewing in Santa Cruz. A small group of local citizens have banded together to form an action committee designed to stop local government from meeting its obligations under state law to create affordable housing, build a 21st-century library and provide adequate parking facilities for downtown businesses, residents and customers. This group who are calling themselves affordable housing advocates, yet their idea (to place an initiative on the ballot next year) is actually a ploy to reduce and eliminate affordable housing projects in Santa Cruz. First, the initiative tries to frame itself as a pro-affordable housing measure. They cite their focus on the use of one city parking lot for housing as “proof” of their commitment to housing. As written, their measure bans the use of the single largest parking downtown for affordable housing. The measure notes a conceptual housing idea with no plan and no funding. This is a false narrative that should never happen. Don’t be fooled by this group’s slick PR operation. This same group has multiple talking heads describing their work as “all good things for Santa Cruz.” They consider themselves as a creator of affordable housing funds using ‘excess’ parking revenue to supplement library funding, improve a farmers’ market, and improve downtown transportation. All bold ideas but there is no truth in their platitudes. There are no excess funds available other than funds dedicated to parking improvements in the city from the fees that merchants and businesses pay to the city. I call this bulls… The truth is that, under current city guidelines, funds received from parking lots and parking structures in the downtown parking district are utilized for parking and transportation maintenance and improvements. As written this initiative would not allow any city-owned property to be used for two or more stories for parking. If there is no plan to move forward with a garage, then shouldn't parking rates be lowered for downtown employees, customers, and residents? Otherwise, this is a bait and switch. Crafting such a proposal would deny the current elected officials or any future city councils to make land use decisions in our downtown. This would reverse the city council’s previous actions and promises to businesses, employees and customers who were told that these revenues would be used to provide additional parking opportunities and other parking/transportation improvements. They were not told that these revenues would be directed to other programs including affordable housing. Downtown employees and businesses should have an opportunity to provide input on whether parking rates should be reduced as a result of prohibiting a garage and directing that revenue to affordable housing, or that permits for employees and parking meter rates for customers should be adjusted to reflect the reduced needs of the parking operation. Virtually every professional transportation or parking planner will say, “Parking districts with shared facilities for multiple users are the most cost-effective and environmental strategy for multi-use districts, especially when backed up by a well-funded and promoted program of other transportation options.” That is exactly the current plan for our mixed-use library project adjacent to a “shared” parking structure with affordable housing units. For the past seven years, citizens in Santa Cruz County have actively advocated for and pursued the development and improvement of a countywide library system in Felton, Scotts Valley, Capitola, La Selva Beach, Aptos and the three libraries in Santa Cruz. Each community has given local authority on what type of library improvements they wanted using Measure S library funds for that purpose. The cornerstone to the countywide library system is the downtown library creating a lasting benefit for the next 50 years or more. That downtown library is part of a mixed-use project on Lot 4 in Santa Cruz. Let’s look at the facts: What is the Library Mixed-Use Project? The Library Mixed-Use Project includes a modern library with resources for all, at least 100 units of very low income housing, and a consolidated parking structure with no more than 400 spaces. The new modern library portion of the project, funded by voter-approved Measure S, will replace the existing downtown library. The project is located in Downtown Santa Cruz at a city-owned surface parking lot (Lot 4), bounded by Cathcart, Cedar and Lincoln Streets. The weekly Downtown Farmers’ Market that is currently located at the project site will move to a permanent home in Downtown Santa Cruz. When was the project approved and by whom? The Santa Cruz City Council holds authority to make critical decisions about the project. Here are the key decisions and actions of the City Council: https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/economic-development/development-projects/mixed-use-library-project/mixed-use-project-faqs. As you can read on the City’s website (above link) the city council has directed staff since December 2016 to move this Mixed-Use Downtown Library project forward. This group is crafty, engaging the community with slickly worded ‘sound bites’ and website gimmicks. But the fact remains that the City Council is the decision-making authority on land use decisions and processing general plan amendments. While the Chamber, at times, doesn’t always agree with City Council decisions, there is a public vetting process that is required. We should not allow a misguided group to unravel years of planning process. After seven years of public discussion directed by the City Council, finally in June the City selected Eden Housing and For the Future Housing as the master developer/affordable housing developer team and again in September the City selected Jayson Architects as the Master Architect for the mixed-use project. Today, the City is looking at this project with a range of 107-120 affordable housing units. At risk is millions of dollars that the City is eligible to receive for affordable housing. We can’t risk losing those funds. This group’s intention is disingenuous at best and an underhanded way of overturning the public process for their personal agenda. Not one person in this group has actively worked to support affordable housing. In fact, in writing their poorly designed initiative they never attempted to speak with the dozens of affordable housing groups in Santa Cruz County. They never consulted local businesses about what their priorities are for the future of downtown and they never contacted the workers who would be the beneficiaries of affordable units close to their workplace. Yes, we have an existing plan that meets the needs of the library employees and library patrons. Yes, we have a plan that creates affordable housing units in downtown. Yes, we have a plan that addresses the businesses’ needs for parking for their employees, customers and patrons. The Santa Cruz County Chamber endorsed this project and spoke out in support at the various stages of the lengthy public planning process. We continue to advocate for this project until it is constructed, a library is open to the community and affordable housing units are ready to be occupied by local workers. Let’s do this right. The Chamber encourages you to become active supporters of this mixed use project. You can change the current bad idea narrative with a positive message through a citizen organization called Downtown Forward: https://www.downtownforward.org. This community group was formed in 2019 specifically to support the proposed mixed-use project incorporating a 21st century library, affordable housing, parking and transportation features, and commitment to a permanent nearby home for the Farmers’ Market. Please consider being part of the future.
There is a bad idea brewing in Santa Cruz. A small group of local citizens have banded together to form an action committee designed to stop local government from meeting its obligations under state law to create affordable housing, build a 21st-century library and provide adequate parking facilities for downtown businesses, residents and customers. This group who are calling themselves affordable housing advocates, yet their idea (to place an initiative on the ballot next year) is actually a ploy to reduce and eliminate affordable housing projects in Santa Cruz. First, the initiative tries to frame itself as a pro-affordable housing measure. They cite their focus on the use of one city parking lot for housing as “proof” of their commitment to housing. As written, their measure bans the use of the single largest parking downtown for affordable housing. The measure notes a conceptual housing idea with no plan and no funding. This is a false narrative that should never happen. Don’t be fooled by this group’s slick PR operation.
This same group has multiple talking heads describing their work as “all good things for Santa Cruz.” They consider themselves as a creator of affordable housing funds using ‘excess’ parking revenue to supplement library funding, improve a farmers’ market, and improve downtown transportation. All bold ideas but there is no truth in their platitudes. There are no excess funds available other than funds dedicated to parking improvements in the city from the fees that merchants and businesses pay to the city. I call this bulls…
The truth is that, under current city guidelines, funds received from parking lots and parking structures in the downtown parking district are utilized for parking and transportation maintenance and improvements.
As written this initiative would not allow any city-owned property to be used for two or more stories for parking. If there is no plan to move forward with a garage, then shouldn't parking rates be lowered for downtown employees, customers, and residents? Otherwise, this is a bait and switch. Crafting such a proposal would deny the current elected officials or any future city councils to make land use decisions in our downtown. This would reverse the city council’s previous actions and promises to businesses, employees and customers who were told that these revenues would be used to provide additional parking opportunities and other parking/transportation improvements. They were not told that these revenues would be directed to other programs including affordable housing.
Downtown employees and businesses should have an opportunity to provide input on whether parking rates should be reduced as a result of prohibiting a garage and directing that revenue to affordable housing, or that permits for employees and parking meter rates for customers should be adjusted to reflect the reduced needs of the parking operation. Virtually every professional transportation or parking planner will say, “Parking districts with shared facilities for multiple users are the most cost-effective and environmental strategy for multi-use districts, especially when backed up by a well-funded and promoted program of other transportation options.” That is exactly the current plan for our mixed-use library project adjacent to a “shared” parking structure with affordable housing units.
For the past seven years, citizens in Santa Cruz County have actively advocated for and pursued the development and improvement of a countywide library system in Felton, Scotts Valley, Capitola, La Selva Beach, Aptos and the three libraries in Santa Cruz. Each community has given local authority on what type of library improvements they wanted using Measure S library funds for that purpose.
The cornerstone to the countywide library system is the downtown library creating a lasting benefit for the next 50 years or more. That downtown library is part of a mixed-use project on Lot 4 in Santa Cruz. Let’s look at the facts:
What is the Library Mixed-Use Project?
The Library Mixed-Use Project includes a modern library with resources for all, at least 100 units of very low income housing, and a consolidated parking structure with no more than 400 spaces. The new modern library portion of the project, funded by voter-approved Measure S, will replace the existing downtown library. The project is located in Downtown Santa Cruz at a city-owned surface parking lot (Lot 4), bounded by Cathcart, Cedar and Lincoln Streets. The weekly Downtown Farmers’ Market that is currently located at the project site will move to a permanent home in Downtown Santa Cruz.
When was the project approved and by whom?
The Santa Cruz City Council holds authority to make critical decisions about the project. Here are the key decisions and actions of the City Council: https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/economic-development/development-projects/mixed-use-library-project/mixed-use-project-faqs.
As you can read on the City’s website (above link) the city council has directed staff since December 2016 to move this Mixed-Use Downtown Library project forward.
This group is crafty, engaging the community with slickly worded ‘sound bites’ and website gimmicks. But the fact remains that the City Council is the decision-making authority on land use decisions and processing general plan amendments. While the Chamber, at times, doesn’t always agree with City Council decisions, there is a public vetting process that is required. We should not allow a misguided group to unravel years of planning process. After seven years of public discussion directed by the City Council, finally in June the City selected Eden Housing and For the Future Housing as the master developer/affordable housing developer team and again in September the City selected Jayson Architects as the Master Architect for the mixed-use project.
Today, the City is looking at this project with a range of 107-120 affordable housing units. At risk is millions of dollars that the City is eligible to receive for affordable housing. We can’t risk losing those funds.
This group’s intention is disingenuous at best and an underhanded way of overturning the public process for their personal agenda. Not one person in this group has actively worked to support affordable housing. In fact, in writing their poorly designed initiative they never attempted to speak with the dozens of affordable housing groups in Santa Cruz County. They never consulted local businesses about what their priorities are for the future of downtown and they never contacted the workers who would be the beneficiaries of affordable units close to their workplace.
Yes, we have an existing plan that meets the needs of the library employees and library patrons.
Yes, we have a plan that creates affordable housing units in downtown.
Yes, we have a plan that addresses the businesses’ needs for parking for their employees, customers and patrons.
The Santa Cruz County Chamber endorsed this project and spoke out in support at the various stages of the lengthy public planning process. We continue to advocate for this project until it is constructed, a library is open to the community and affordable housing units are ready to be occupied by local workers. Let’s do this right.
The Chamber encourages you to become active supporters of this mixed use project. You can change the current bad idea narrative with a positive message through a citizen organization called Downtown Forward: https://www.downtownforward.org. This community group was formed in 2019 specifically to support the proposed mixed-use project incorporating a 21st century library, affordable housing, parking and transportation features, and commitment to a permanent nearby home for the Farmers’ Market. Please consider being part of the future.