Letter: Approve La Bahia Hotel project

EDITOR,
Early in 1985 began the study of the redevelopment of the Santa Cruz beach area, including the La Bahia Hotel. Now, more than a quarter-century later, we may actually be on the verge of seeing the La Bahia Hotel redevelopment. One of the last hurdles will be approval by the Coastal Commission at the March meeting to be held in Santa Cruz.
Mark Stone, our county supervisor, is a voting member of the Coastal Commission. I ask Mark Stone to vote for this project and take leadership in gaining support from the other voting commissioners.
In 1986, when I first read about the redevelopment of the La Bahia Hotel, I was just two years out of college and working in the electronics industry. Twenty-five years have passed in this process, and they are still waiting for government approval of the current redevelopment plan for the La Bahia. In 1986, there was an expression of willingness on the part of the developers and business community to move ahead with the redevelopment. Many considerations have been taken by the developers to ensure that this is an environmentally sustainable project. A project which will provide good local construction jobs and year-round hospitality career positions. The question that remains is, will the government get in the way of this project after 25 years of process and planning?
Mark Stone should vote for this and champion the project with the other voting members of the Coastal Commission. The La Bahia will be a quality development that will be a catalyst for further improvements in the beach area. This project fulfills the Coastal Act mandate, as it provides visitor-serving uses. It increases public access by adding high-quality hotel rooms, which Santa Cruz certainly needs. Thousands of local employees depend on the commerce in the beach area to support their families. A new La Bahia Hotel would be a great step forward toward a healthier Santa Cruz economy.
Matt Twisselman, beach area business owner, Scotts Valley