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I'm looking forward to reading the environmental impact reports that may address some of the issues you raise. I'm curious. As a city council candidate do you have any answers to the questions you raise?

Do you think that it is too much retail, not enough, or just right?

What significance do you think is the reduction in lane width on Mt Hermon Rd to allow for wider medians?

Do you think the use of recycled water will be enough to mitigate the new construction?

The election is barely 5 weeks away so I have some question for you. Are you a candidate for city council or a gadlfy? I'm looking for answers Frank and all you ever raise are questions. Either you really don't have any idea or you are very passive aggressive in your leadership style and want the rest of us to do your work for you. Votes: +10

There is actually a rather confusing process occuring with the Town Center DEIR and Town Center. The comment period for the Draft EIR closes on October 3. Comments really need to be in writing because we're not having any public hearings until later in October when the Final EIR (FEIR) should be available. We've typically had public hearings during the DEIR stage, so members of the public can speak at a meeting and have their verbal questions responded to. Maybe it's different in this case because the City is sponsoring the EIR work. I've been through the document and am about halfway through composing my set of questions.

This is a difficult project to deal with because we all want a town center but is it this town center as proposed? Can we ask questions and make adjustments to optimize the project without jeopardizing the project? Can we reduce impacts and increase quality without running off those who may be willing to risk such a substantial investment in our town in such uncertain economic times? This is really the first time that the City has really promoted a project, so it will be interesting to see how well we manage our own potential conflicts -- wanting to shape the best possible project but not pushing so hard for expensive amenities and minimizing adverse impacts that we make it unfeasible for those interested in putting up the funds.

This is the kind of balancing act we should be looking for in Council candidates. I think we'll struggle to learn much about each candidates position on this very complex project before the election. A candidate forum that spent a healthy amount of time on this subject alone could be very enlightening. Votes: +3

"The plan includes up to 300 multifamily units"

Wonderful, is this what we want or what the city council wants (or the state). And all these people going back and forth to Target in addition to the already congested roads? Great. It was described as a place with quaint shops and outdoor cafes where people could congregate and hang out. Not high-density housing. And of course a new stoplight on Mt. Hermon rd.. Whoopy, that's one of my favorite things to do in Scotts Valley, sit in traffic moving from one stoplight to the next.

"Rooftop structures would be allowed that would result in some buildings reaching a height of 60 feet."

Awesome! I hope it blocks out all the beautiful views in the distance and gets rid of that awe full open-space feeling.


Even the decorative border around the edge of the Town Center plan is New York style sky-scraper buildings (aptly).




Votes: +1

Actually, it was always described as a place for high density housing. It's the 24 hour presence of people that will give it a true (small) downtown feel. The Draft EIR does recognize the loss of open space and tall structures as an aesthetic impact. It also includes a (brief) assessment of an alternative project that includes no residential, and since must of the residential is planned to sit above commercial storefronts, this alternative would clearly result in lower building heights. It's not clear that such a project would be financially feasible; typically the residential component is where a developer can recover most of their investment (although who knows if that model still holds true today!).

If you want to influence the decision process, I'd encourage you to bring your concerns to the Council, either through the DEIR comment process, which closes this coming Friday, or at an upcoming public hearing when they will be discussing the project itself. The Council wants what is best for the City, and if you also have an interest in what is best for the City then you should share your thoughts with them. The best decisions are made after a wide diversity of input. Votes: -1

"It's the 24 hour presence of people that will give it a true (small) downtown feel."

Huh? You lost me there. How is 24 hour people "small town"? I thought the streets rolled up at 9:00 in a small town and New York city was the city that never sleeps with 24 hour people. The more traffic that gets added to our town the lower our quality of life gets. It's already pretty miserable to drive in Scotts Valley.

I'll try but I feel talking to the city council will fall on deaf ears. They're obviously hell bent on turning this town into San Jose. Actually, isn't Jim Reid from San Jose? He moved here a few years back and mounted this big campaign against our skatepark project. Now I see why. He wanted that land for his San Jose Town center project. We've got a guy from San Jose running our town and turning it into like where he came from. What the heck? Do we get to vote on this our are they just going to force it on us? I guess nobody wants to live in a rural area anymore. I think it's a crying shame to turn fields, meadows and horse pastures into ugly urban blight; shopping centers, high-density housing and traffic jams. There's already plenty of that surrounding us if that's what people like but very little rural area left. We should preserve it. But that's just my opinion, some people think we should plow it all over. And sadly they'll probably get their way. I think this town has been taken down the wrong path by the wrong leaders.


Votes: +1

Skyscrapers?

Height of the Empire State Building: 1050 ft. give or take.
Height of "downtown Scotts Valley": 60 ft.

Definition of blight: ...the process by which a city falls into disrepair.

What horse pasture is being turned into urban blight?

Answer: None

What open field is being turned into urban blight?

Answer: None

How can building new buildings be defined as "blight"?


Votes: -2

The New York city skyscrapers are a decorative border around the town center proposal document. And rightly so. It fits what they're doing.

The horse pasture was at the north end of town and is now tract homes.
The east side of hw17 is being plowed over for new homes as we speak.
The west side of hwy17 wants to be developed into a target.
The skypark open space in the center of town wants to be turned into little San Jose.
The empty lot across from the car wash on SV dr. wants to be turned into high-density housing.
The empty field on Mt Hermon and Glen Canyon has a big white sign that reads "Notice of proposed development". I'm not sure what they want to build there but probably high-density housing, what else?

That doesn't really leave much left but whatever open space that they can find I'm sure they'll plow it over and build something.

Those who were here probably remember when Scotts Valley was fields and meadows and a horse pasture, low traffic and and beautiful, wonderful, rural place to live. Now all that is being replaced by shopping centers, high-density housing and traffic jams. Those kinds of things belong in San Jose not here. This is irresponsible local development.

I guess "Blight" may not have been the right word. Maybe ugly urban sprawl may have been better.



Votes: +2

I miss those days to and yes, we have some very ugly and very cheaply built buildings in Scotts Valley.

I don't disagree with most of what you said with the exception of Skypark. I think the right design could bring cohesiveness to the Mt. Hermon corridor and the fill hole in the middle of our town if the design is attractive and well planned.

Steve Votes: -2

"I think the right design could bring cohesiveness to the Mt. Hermon corridor and the fill hole in the middle of our town if the design is attractive and well planned."

Yes, "right design" and "well planned" are the key words. This plan is neither. Turning our town center into a 3 story apartment building is not the right plan. Replacing our beautiful views with views of apartments is not the right plan. This is not small town character or Scotts Valley style. This is San Jose style. They are bringing a San Jose style to this town that I don't want to see and doesn't belong here. I'd like to see a park there like Vasona. The rest of Skypark is already a park. They should make the whole thing a park. Why do we always get shopping centers, high-density housing and traffic? Is that the future of SV? This used to be a tranquil place. Now the traffic is so intolerable it gives me roadrage that I sometimes take out on the wrong person. It stresses me out and is not a good quality of life. In my opimion they are ruining this town with San jose style overdevelopment.


Votes: +2

I agree with Rich LeBlanc. The combined Town Center and Target projects will effectively double the number of cars on Mt. Hermon road each day. Combined the projects will add up to additional 428,000 sq feet of new retail space in Scotts Valley. The increase in retail amounts to roughly 76% of all current retail in Scotts Valley. 300 additional high density housing units are part of the plan and the EIR report says it can't guarantee that Scotts Valley will have enough water with the develoment. Quoting from the EIR section 4.12-10 section C "This project, combined with those that are proposed or currently under construction throughout the City, could require more water than is currently available to the City given the limited amount of water resources." Despite this ominous statement in the City's document the City rated this concern "Class III, less than significant" The City potentially running out of water because of this project somehow seems more important to me than "less than significant". The City only talks about the good things with this project -of which there are many but they also need to let the Citizens know some of the dangers. If we want the Town Center we should consider not approving the Target project to at least reduce the concerns and dangers. Votes: +2

I tried to drive into town yesterday and couldn't even pull out onto Mt Hermon rd. because of all the backed up traffic. It looked kind of like 41st ave. at Christmas time. I thought to myself there's no way to fit anymore cars onto this road. How the heck are they going to cram even more cars into SV? Why do we need to even build this town center anyway? To get money. How much do we need? We already have business that generates money. Is it not enough? How much are we short every year? If it's just a little then maybe we don't even need to build this at all. You wouldn't need so much city services if you didn't build so much stuff. How much money will the town center generate? If it's way more than we need why do it? Because money hungry developers have dollar signs in there eyes when they see that we sit in the middle of the county and can attract lots of shoppers. At the cost of ruining our town. They want to make this little town a "shopping destination" where people from all over the county can come and crowd it all up like 41st ave. Is that how you want SV? Gridlock for money we may not even need? Sell off our quality of life for money we don't even need, just want.
Votes: +2

This is not designed with the highest quality of life for the citizens of Scotts Valley in mind, it's designed to make the maximum amount of profit. This is not for the residents of Scotts Valley but for the shoppers of the county. It's ugly and doesn't look anything like Scotts Valley. Looking at the overhead map you see the kmart and Nob Hill areas are open and spacious. This proposed town center is densely packed, multi-story buildings.



Votes: +2

Mr. Leblanc, Schulman, Bach, Smith
The only thing all this development rush is designed to do is increase empire building for our civic leaders,more city staff,bigger wages, more entitlements, better health plans, bigger retirement packages,ECT.This development bus is being driven by our city staff who are not representitive of the needs of the citizens of Scotts Valley. This towqn is not Mayberry nor 1917 Chicago. At least we get to vote for the city council members who the staff people are hired to advise while being unbiased.Elections are comming up soon, now is a chance to get the dog wagging the tail. Mike, now is the opportunity for you to twist my words to fit your logic, Steve, now is your chance to investigsate who my neighbors and colleague's are and both of you can go ON and ON responding BACK AND FORTH about important stuff while you and your fans vote down any one who might have the nerve to disagees with you. Votes: +1