ARTICLE
Since its inception in 1889 as the Santa Cruz Board of Trade, later rebranded as the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, this organization has stood as the steadfast voice of the local business community, advocating for economic vitality. Over the years, as the county shifted away from its reliance on the lumber industry towards burgeoning tourism and agriculture, the Chamber played a pivotal role in shaping the region's identity. It actively spearheaded initiatives such as the creation of the first redwood park in collaboration with the Sempervirens Club, the promotion of Santa Cruz as a burgeoning tourist destination, and the continuous lobbying efforts post-1906 earthquake for a paved road across the Santa Cruz Mountains. • In the early 1900s, the Chamber had second-story offices on Pacific Avenue at Lincoln Street. In 1904, Fred Swanton and leading members of the Board of Trade toured California and Nevada promoting Santa Cruz as a vacation destination. • In 1908, the Chamber lobbied for Santa Cruz to be part of the celebrations to welcome the entire U.S. Atlantic Fleet to Santa Cruz Harbor. There were three days of celebrations, parades, parties, and balls, plus a Chamber-sponsored trip for 500 sailors to see the Big Trees. • The early 1910s was a time for growth in Santa Cruz, with new tourist attractions being developed, movies being made throughout the area, and the county's dreams of a paved highway over the summit finally being realized. In 1910 the Chamber established a committee to construct a municipal wharf for shipping. The Chamber issued $165K in bonds to be guaranteed by the city to build the new wharf in 1913, which just celebrated its 114 year anniversary this year.. • In 1910, the Chamber issued a telegram inviting Andrew Carnegie to visit the library and Big Trees on March 11. The Chamber arranged all the festivities for the visit. To beautify the area near the beach, the Chamber established the Chamber of Commerce Park in 1910 on the spot of the current home of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center in Santa Cruz. The Chamber installed sidewalks, trees and shrubbery, pergola, and a “public necessity.” Why the history lesson? It tells a unique story about our beach community and how we have transcended from the tourist destination with an internationally recognized University to a place where some residents want the city to progress at every corner of our town. Let’s fast forward to January 9, 2024. The Santa Cruz City Council finally approved an updated Master Wharf Plan — albeit — a plan that had been in the works for over a decade. The recent storms and large pounding waves have taken their toll on the Wharf. It was clear that reimagining or addressing the deficiencies of a 114-year-old wharf were needed. But as is the case in Santa Cruz, when a project of any size whether a public or private development begins to take shape, the community activities rise up to say — hold on — we want this project to be smaller, less of a tourist destination and serve our local residents. Somewhere lost in this translation is whether revitalizing an old 114-year-old public facility should be downsized or whether it should be open to a more grandeur scale is left to the decision makers on the City Council. And of course to the community activists who threaten the City with a lawsuit if they don’t get their way. That is exactly what occurred two years ago, when the City staff report and the City Council approved Wharf Master Plan was challenged in an environmental lawsuit. The sitting judge in Santa Cruz County weighed the merits of the community activists’ position and agreed that the staff report was lacking more protection and downsizing. The City Staff went back to work to address the judge’s decision. More than two years later after numerous community meetings, revising the plan, the project came back to the City Council on Tuesday. The staff report was prepared as noted on the agenda: 1) Adopt a resolution adopting the Santa Cruz Wharf Master Plan and certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report; 2) Adopt a resolution approving Findings of Fact and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Santa Cruz Wharf Master Plan under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); 3) Adopt the Santa Cruz Wharf Master Plan, subject to one of the following packages of modifications proposed by staff; and a) The Revised Master Plan, as is, plus additional revisions recommended in this report; or, b) The Revised Master Plan, with the alternative chapter for end of Wharf development and all references of the Landmark Building removed, plus additional revisions recommended in this report. 4) Direct staff to prepare a Public Works Plan with the California Coastal Commission (CCC) for implementation of the Wharf Master Plan. However, during the public discussion and with vocal opposition to the staff report, option C was added to the report. C) Adopt the revised Santa Cruz Wharf Master Plan subject to one of the following packages of modifications proposed by staff; and, a) The Revised Master Plan, as is, plus additional revisions recommended in this report; or, b) The Revised Master Plan, with the alternative chapter for end of Wharf development and all references of the Landmark Building removed, plus additional revisions recommended in this report, or c) The Revised Master Plan, with the alternative chapter for end of Wharf development and all references of the Landmark Building removed, plus additional revisions recommended in this report, approving Alternative 2 of the Revised EIR (Project without Westside Walkway), directing staff to make conforming changes to the Wharf Master Plan consistent with Council’s approval, directing staff to obtain additional technical studies of options to improve the resiliency of the Wharf to climate change and wave damage and return to Council with recommendations from the studies; and 4) Direct staff to prepare a Public Works Plan with the California Coastal Commission (CCC) for implementation of the Wharf Master Plan. The City Council diligently reviewed the staff revised report, listened carefully to public comment and unanimously voted to accept Option C. What seems missing is the economic impact that an updated and modernized wharf would bring to Santa Cruz for the next 50 years? A restaurant owner who spoke in favor of the plan (he did not specify which option) but made the point that his family has owned and operated two restaurants on the wharf since the 1980s; they pay a significant lease price for those buildings and employ over a hundred people. The revenue generated, taxes paid and employee salaries stays in the community The city staff report and the city council emphasized that all of the options provided flexibility on the wharf’s design. Now that the Wharf Master plan has been approved the next step is to seek a grant from the California Coastal Conservancy that helps finance the project. As we know, public works projects take time to move through the planning, design and public vetting process. Let’s hope that the project meets the needs of the Santa Cruz community, our residents, visitors and for future generations.
Since its inception in 1889 as the Santa Cruz Board of Trade, later rebranded as the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, this organization has stood as the steadfast voice of the local business community, advocating for economic vitality.
Over the years, as the county shifted away from its reliance on the lumber industry towards burgeoning tourism and agriculture, the Chamber played a pivotal role in shaping the region's identity. It actively spearheaded initiatives such as the creation of the first redwood park in collaboration with the Sempervirens Club, the promotion of Santa Cruz as a burgeoning tourist destination, and the continuous lobbying efforts post-1906 earthquake for a paved road across the Santa Cruz Mountains.
• In the early 1900s, the Chamber had second-story offices on Pacific Avenue at Lincoln Street. In 1904, Fred Swanton and leading members of the Board of Trade toured California and Nevada promoting Santa Cruz as a vacation destination.
• In 1908, the Chamber lobbied for Santa Cruz to be part of the celebrations to welcome the entire U.S. Atlantic Fleet to Santa Cruz Harbor. There were three days of celebrations, parades, parties, and balls, plus a Chamber-sponsored trip for 500 sailors to see the Big Trees.
• The early 1910s was a time for growth in Santa Cruz, with new tourist attractions being developed, movies being made throughout the area, and the county's dreams of a paved highway over the summit finally being realized. In 1910 the Chamber established a committee to construct a municipal wharf for shipping. The Chamber issued $165K in bonds to be guaranteed by the city to build the new wharf in 1913, which just celebrated its 114 year anniversary this year..
• In 1910, the Chamber issued a telegram inviting Andrew Carnegie to visit the library and Big Trees on March 11. The Chamber arranged all the festivities for the visit. To beautify the area near the beach, the Chamber established the Chamber of Commerce Park in 1910 on the spot of the current home of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center in Santa Cruz. The Chamber installed sidewalks, trees and shrubbery, pergola, and a “public necessity.”
Why the history lesson? It tells a unique story about our beach community and how we have transcended from the tourist destination with an internationally recognized University to a place where some residents want the city to progress at every corner of our town.
Let’s fast forward to January 9, 2024. The Santa Cruz City Council finally approved an updated Master Wharf Plan — albeit — a plan that had been in the works for over a decade.
The recent storms and large pounding waves have taken their toll on the Wharf. It was clear that reimagining or addressing the deficiencies of a 114-year-old wharf were needed. But as is the case in Santa Cruz, when a project of any size whether a public or private development begins to take shape, the community activities rise up to say — hold on — we want this project to be smaller, less of a tourist destination and serve our local residents. Somewhere lost in this translation is whether revitalizing an old 114-year-old public facility should be downsized or whether it should be open to a more grandeur scale is left to the decision makers on the City Council. And of course to the community activists who threaten the City with a lawsuit if they don’t get their way. That is exactly what occurred two years ago, when the City staff report and the City Council approved Wharf Master Plan was challenged in an environmental lawsuit. The sitting judge in Santa Cruz County weighed the merits of the community activists’ position and agreed that the staff report was lacking more protection and downsizing. The City Staff went back to work to address the judge’s decision. More than two years later after numerous community meetings, revising the plan, the project came back to the City Council on Tuesday.
The staff report was prepared as noted on the agenda:
1) Adopt a resolution adopting the Santa Cruz Wharf Master Plan and certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report;
2) Adopt a resolution approving Findings of Fact and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Santa Cruz Wharf Master Plan under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA);
3) Adopt the Santa Cruz Wharf Master Plan, subject to one of the following packages of modifications proposed by staff; and
a) The Revised Master Plan, as is, plus additional revisions recommended in this report; or,
b) The Revised Master Plan, with the alternative chapter for end of Wharf development and all references of the Landmark Building removed, plus additional revisions recommended in this report.
4) Direct staff to prepare a Public Works Plan with the California Coastal Commission (CCC) for implementation of the Wharf Master Plan.
However, during the public discussion and with vocal opposition to the staff report, option C was added to the report.
C) Adopt the revised Santa Cruz Wharf Master Plan subject to one of the following packages of modifications proposed by staff; and,
b) The Revised Master Plan, with the alternative chapter for end of Wharf development and all references of the Landmark Building removed, plus additional revisions recommended in this report, or
c) The Revised Master Plan, with the alternative chapter for end of Wharf development and all references of the Landmark Building removed, plus additional revisions recommended in this report, approving Alternative 2 of the Revised EIR (Project without Westside Walkway), directing staff to make conforming changes to the Wharf Master Plan consistent with Council’s approval, directing staff to obtain additional technical studies of options to improve the resiliency of the Wharf to climate change and wave damage and return to Council with recommendations from the studies; and
The City Council diligently reviewed the staff revised report, listened carefully to public comment and unanimously voted to accept Option C.
What seems missing is the economic impact that an updated and modernized wharf would bring to Santa Cruz for the next 50 years? A restaurant owner who spoke in favor of the plan (he did not specify which option) but made the point that his family has owned and operated two restaurants on the wharf since the 1980s; they pay a significant lease price for those buildings and employ over a hundred people. The revenue generated, taxes paid and employee salaries stays in the community
The city staff report and the city council emphasized that all of the options provided flexibility on the wharf’s design. Now that the Wharf Master plan has been approved the next step is to seek a grant from the California Coastal Conservancy that helps finance the project. As we know, public works projects take time to move through the planning, design and public vetting process. Let’s hope that the project meets the needs of the Santa Cruz community, our residents, visitors and for future generations.