ARTICLE
At Tuesday’s Santa Cruz City Council meeting the council voted unanimously to support the proposed development on Mission and Laurel presented by Workbench. The developer used a variety of state housing tools to get the project approved. Like many housing projects in Santa Cruz County, neighbors have strong opinions about the location of a project, the height and size of the development and a host of other concerns from traffic, parking, environmental issues — the list goes on and on. In the past seven-plus years the state legislature and the governor have made housing (and affordable housing) priority Number 1 issue in Sacramento. The resounding effort to address our state’s housing crisis has placed a handcuff on the local government’s ability to say no to a proposal as long as the development hits all the objectives set forth in state law. Workbench proposed the development as five stories with 59 units. However, the actual application showed only 48 studio units, with 11 storage rooms it counted as amenities in the initial design. Once the project was approved and built the developer could convert the storage rooms into one-bedroom accessory dwelling units (ADUs). This step is within the guidelines allowed under 2019’s Assembly Bill 68, which says a developer can convert the non-habitable space of an existing building to increase the total unit count by up to 25%. The law even allows that conversion to happen without city council approval; only requiring the city’s planning staff to approve the exchange. Some neighbors and the city council felt this ‘sleight of hand’ approach, while technically legal, seemed to be an overreach by the developer. According to the co-founders of Workbench, Jamileh Cannon and Tim Gordin, who advised Lookout Santa Cruz that the state law did not require them to mention the shift of the storage room into ADUs. In a statement, Gordin said, 'The shady thing to do would be to say, ‘OK, we’re doing 48 units and not tell anyone about the ADUs and then add them after,'” Gordin told Lookout. “We’re doing the opposite, which is to say, ‘Hey, this is a legal path we’re walking down, there is nothing shady about it at all. This is what the code says we can do, and we’re being upfront about it.’” As we all know in Santa Cruz County — the developer is painted as a bad actor and villain in the community — the reality is the developer (or homebuilder) is also a part of the community that is providing our residents more housing options. Therein lies the ‘rub’ that doesn’t feel right to the neighbors. The Food Bin redevelopment is a change to the current smaller one and two-story houses and commercial-focused Mission Street corridor. The core issue for the neighborhood raised questions about what latitude the city council had to reject, or at least shrink, the project. Relying on the current chapter for California’s housing development law, projects that offer affordable housing and align with the city’s general plan are nearly impossible to overturn at the city council. Any changes must be modest and not affect the economic feasibility of the project. Denials can come only on the back of concrete evidence that the project would negatively impact health and safety. However, Councilmember Scott Newsome found a way to narrowly offer an option to take the storage rooms off the project thus returning the project to its original design of 49 units. Newsome and his city council saw this as an opportunity to weigh in on the project which otherwise would meet all other standards outlined in state law. The project can still be constructed as a five-story building but the interior design of the units will most likely be modified. While the neighbors are mixed on the final outcome of the Council’s decision, the project places future projects that are in the pipeline to specifically address the neighbor's concerns. When a proposed project is moving through the planning process, developers usually pick up the phone and ask for the Chamber’s input on the project and if possible to endorse the project before it gets on the City Planning Commission and City Council meeting agenda. Workbench, for whatever reason, never approached the chamber. I personally have great admiration and respect for Jamileh and Tim. I know firsthand the challenges a homebuilder faces to get a project approved, especially in a coastal community and beach town that has for decades limited development rules in place. Several years ago when Jamielh and Tim came to town to create and make Santa Cruz home for their company, we extended an invitation for them to join the Chamber on our annual Community Leadership Visit (CLV). That 2017 CLV group of business, public sector and nonprofit leaders visited seven Bay Area communities on the subject of housing and how each city addresses ways to improve the quality of life and establish housing programs that meet the community’s needs. Community Leadership Visits are an opportunity for Santa Cruz leaders to meet with business, education, and government leaders in different communities with similarities to Santa Cruz County and look at innovative ideas, programs, and initiatives that might be adapted to our community. We learned a variety of housing strategies that are now commonplace throughout the region. This was during the early stages of the California state legislators crafting housing legislation that shifted the housing planning process to the state and away from local government. One of the critical components is to establish a collaborative relationship with the elected officials and the public sector staff who process housing project applications by setting a positive tone in the relationship. And of course, getting to know the residents of the neighborhood where the project is being planned. These public community meetings or cherts offer the residents a way to be a part of the project’s design and hopefully craft a win-win situation. But in today’s combative world, finding common ground is hard work for all stakeholders. Compromise means giving up something in return for gaining that much needed community support or at a minimum reducing the number of arguments that quell the opposition’s plan. Santa Cruz County’s housing future is at a pivotal point where collaboration between all sectors of our community can make or break a project delivery and the home builder is an essential player in the process.
At Tuesday’s Santa Cruz City Council meeting the council voted unanimously to support the proposed development on Mission and Laurel presented by Workbench. The developer used a variety of state housing tools to get the project approved. Like many housing projects in Santa Cruz County, neighbors have strong opinions about the location of a project, the height and size of the development and a host of other concerns from traffic, parking, environmental issues — the list goes on and on.
In the past seven-plus years the state legislature and the governor have made housing (and affordable housing) priority Number 1 issue in Sacramento. The resounding effort to address our state’s housing crisis has placed a handcuff on the local government’s ability to say no to a proposal as long as the development hits all the objectives set forth in state law. Workbench proposed the development as five stories with 59 units.
However, the actual application showed only 48 studio units, with 11 storage rooms it counted as amenities in the initial design. Once the project was approved and built the developer could convert the storage rooms into one-bedroom accessory dwelling units (ADUs). This step is within the guidelines allowed under 2019’s Assembly Bill 68, which says a developer can convert the non-habitable space of an existing building to increase the total unit count by up to 25%. The law even allows that conversion to happen without city council approval; only requiring the city’s planning staff to approve the exchange.
Some neighbors and the city council felt this ‘sleight of hand’ approach, while technically legal, seemed to be an overreach by the developer. According to the co-founders of Workbench, Jamileh Cannon and Tim Gordin, who advised Lookout Santa Cruz that the state law did not require them to mention the shift of the storage room into ADUs. In a statement, Gordin said, 'The shady thing to do would be to say, ‘OK, we’re doing 48 units and not tell anyone about the ADUs and then add them after,'” Gordin told Lookout. “We’re doing the opposite, which is to say, ‘Hey, this is a legal path we’re walking down, there is nothing shady about it at all. This is what the code says we can do, and we’re being upfront about it.’”
As we all know in Santa Cruz County — the developer is painted as a bad actor and villain in the community — the reality is the developer (or homebuilder) is also a part of the community that is providing our residents more housing options. Therein lies the ‘rub’ that doesn’t feel right to the neighbors. The Food Bin redevelopment is a change to the current smaller one and two-story houses and commercial-focused Mission Street corridor. The core issue for the neighborhood raised questions about what latitude the city council had to reject, or at least shrink, the project.
Relying on the current chapter for California’s housing development law, projects that offer affordable housing and align with the city’s general plan are nearly impossible to overturn at the city council. Any changes must be modest and not affect the economic feasibility of the project. Denials can come only on the back of concrete evidence that the project would negatively impact health and safety.
However, Councilmember Scott Newsome found a way to narrowly offer an option to take the storage rooms off the project thus returning the project to its original design of 49 units. Newsome and his city council saw this as an opportunity to weigh in on the project which otherwise would meet all other standards outlined in state law. The project can still be constructed as a five-story building but the interior design of the units will most likely be modified.
While the neighbors are mixed on the final outcome of the Council’s decision, the project places future projects that are in the pipeline to specifically address the neighbor's concerns. When a proposed project is moving through the planning process, developers usually pick up the phone and ask for the Chamber’s input on the project and if possible to endorse the project before it gets on the City Planning Commission and City Council meeting agenda. Workbench, for whatever reason, never approached the chamber. I personally have great admiration and respect for Jamileh and Tim. I know firsthand the challenges a homebuilder faces to get a project approved, especially in a coastal community and beach town that has for decades limited development rules in place.
Several years ago when Jamielh and Tim came to town to create and make Santa Cruz home for their company, we extended an invitation for them to join the Chamber on our annual Community Leadership Visit (CLV). That 2017 CLV group of business, public sector and nonprofit leaders visited seven Bay Area communities on the subject of housing and how each city addresses ways to improve the quality of life and establish housing programs that meet the community’s needs. Community Leadership Visits are an opportunity for Santa Cruz leaders to meet with business, education, and government leaders in different communities with similarities to Santa Cruz County and look at innovative ideas, programs, and initiatives that might be adapted to our community. We learned a variety of housing strategies that are now commonplace throughout the region. This was during the early stages of the California state legislators crafting housing legislation that shifted the housing planning process to the state and away from local government.
One of the critical components is to establish a collaborative relationship with the elected officials and the public sector staff who process housing project applications by setting a positive tone in the relationship. And of course, getting to know the residents of the neighborhood where the project is being planned. These public community meetings or cherts offer the residents a way to be a part of the project’s design and hopefully craft a win-win situation. But in today’s combative world, finding common ground is hard work for all stakeholders. Compromise means giving up something in return for gaining that much needed community support or at a minimum reducing the number of arguments that quell the opposition’s plan. Santa Cruz County’s housing future is at a pivotal point where collaboration between all sectors of our community can make or break a project delivery and the home builder is an essential player in the process.