Tag: Santa Cruz County
County offers limited amnesty for unpermitted dwellings, if certified as safe
The County Planning Department knows there are hundreds of unpermitted dwellings throughout the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County, especially up and down the San Lorenzo Valley. Aimed at insuring a basic level of health and fire safety in these living spaces, the county has rolled out a new “Limited Immunity Amnesty Program,” called the Safe Structures Program, to improve the safety of both residents and neighbors of these “not-entirely-legal” residential spaces, while trying to avoid the dreaded “Red Tag” that puts people out of much needed affordable housing.
Rent caps for Section 8 program successfully challenged
It would seem the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would be the last agency that needs convincing rents have risen sharply in Santa Cruz County. Yet that is what the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz needed to do- prove the HUD-imposed rent caps for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program were simply too low for the program to be successful.
Home prices ‘inflated’ by tech giants
High-paying Silicon Valley employers like Google and Apple helped drive home prices up 16.9 percent in commuter-friendly Scotts Valley over the last 12 months, but new local and federal laws may cool that red-hot pace.
Another try for a new charter middle school
After being denied in March, Nicky Ramos-Beban, executive director of Integrative Leadership Academy, with the support of several parents and teachers, submitted a revised proposal to build a new independent charter middle school as part of the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District. The SLVUSD board of trustees heard public comments on the petition at a board meeting on June 13.
Superior Court judge race heating up before primary next week
Syda Coglaiti and Zach Schwarzbach, candidates for Superior Court Judge, squared off in a face-to-face community forum on May 17th – answering the same, wide-ranging questions read to them by the moderator Brenda Griffin- responding with often similar but somewhat nuanced answers, but also with answers that differed substantially.
Marijuana growers stepping up to professional business management
Lawyers, accountants and insurance agents were on hand to pitch their services at a meeting for one of the largest and now legal industries in the county growing and selling marijuana. On May 9 at the Freight Building at Depot Park, the county’s premier cannabis industry trade association, Green Trade of Santa Cruz, hosted a meeting for their members to network with the business support professionals needed to be successful.
A plan to reduce animal-vehicle collisions on Hwy 17
Several local agencies are working towards creating a way for wildlife to cross Highway 17 without causing vehicle-animal collisions. Still in the early stages of implementing the project, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) hosted a public information meeting in Scotts Valley last week.
SLVWD wants to focus on upcoming projects and improvements, not lawsuits
If any consensus was made at the conclusion of the April 19 board of director meeting for the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, it was the desire for the public and the district to stay focused on keeping the infrastructure of the water district in top working condition.
Local Rotary Clubs assist with renovations to the Homeless Service Center
In a first-time-ever collaborative project, five Santa Cruz County Rotary Clubs joined forces to refurbish parts of the Homeless Services Center (HSC) on Coral Street on Sat. April 7. Nearly 50 volunteers sanded and painted support pillars, benches, and picnic tables. They also installed new flooring and baseboards in the HSC dining hall.
Housing boom on the horizon for Scotts Valley
Despite Santa Cruz County’s reputation as one of the least affordable places to live in the state, if not the country, real alarm has been expressed at recent Scotts Valley City Council meetings about the housing boom the city is facing in the not too distant future. Public comment at city council meetings has included emotional criticism and strong recommendations of caution- that the small town character of Scotts Valley is directly threatened by actual and proposed housing developments.
Free workshop offers tools for families to navigate college admissions process
Are you a parent who is about to tread into the world of college admissions? If so, Lizette Paredes, founder and educational consultant with...
