The appeal was originally filed by Ron Pomerantz, a Santa Cruz local and former San Jose fire captain, on Feb. 2. Read Santa Cruz Locals previous stories on the Riverfront project. The project finally received a final vote Tuesday after being continued several times by the City Council. To achieve this, the site was designed to incorporate outdoor pedestrian passageways and gathering spaces. Contact Information: Riverfront Apartments is an apartment community located in Santa Cruz County and the 95060 ZIP Code. Pomerantz also stated the height of the building, which is seven stories and 80 feet, is taller than what is allowed by the Local Coastal Program. The part that steams me is the fact that affordable units are a calculation of a percentage of market value. Were anticipating engaging with the local artist community to put murals on the walls there, and were still working out exactly what that art will ultimately be, said Wang. Then the Coastal Commission has the final vote. 244 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<75AAFADC6CC1804C98197477EE263394>]/Index[221 42]/Info 220 0 R/Length 105/Prev 195771/Root 222 0 R/Size 263/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream Schiffrin says there are only so many parcels, mostly in the downtown area, that are suitable for high-density housing. Lead/Public Agency Address. The paseo will feature steps up to the riverwalk as well as design elements to entice passersby. She alluded to the possibility of an increased number of affordable units causing costs to rise for the remaining units in the building. The Front Street/Riverfront Project will be a seven-story, mixed-use building with 175 residential units and 11,498 square feet of the ground floor and levee front commercial space. (Via City of Santa Cruz) Quick Take It will create affordable housing and is placed in an area with a high concentration of jobs, entertainment, retail and transportation. Pomerantz claimed the project, a mixed-use seven-story apartment building, violated the citys Local Coastal Program and the Coastal Act. For more information about classes and other offerings at The 418 Project, go to its website. In: Featured news, San Lorenzo Valley. Above a first-floor retail level would be six stories of housing. Among them is the fact that Santa Cruzs housing affordability rules are quite old, and that voters approved the rules themselves some 40 years ago. Coastal Commission staff wrote that the projects mass and scale exceeds the limits allowed by the Coastal Commission in the Local Coastal Program. Six Blocks: A Lookout series at development happening around Front Street in downtown Santa Cruz, A field guide to downtown Santa Cruzs many in-progress housing developments, Santa Cruz City Council advances plan for more than 3,700 housing units a fourfold increase by 2031. You can also contact the City Project Planner by using the Question or Comment section below. Riverfront Project. He also writes The Here & Now, a periodic column that offers his take on the news of the day and the news youd otherwise miss. . The Housing Choice wait list has been closed since 2018. (Partly with his nudging, the City Council essentially axed its corridor plan last year.). The ordinance at the time (until deemed against our charter and our inclusionary ordinance with a lawsuit) allowed land trade of only 5.5% to the inclusionary value. The goal is to attract restaurants and retail to the area, and maximize the San Lorenzo River as an attraction. Let little Santa Cruz take that one onand so it goes. Matt Huerta, housing program manager for Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, says theres an immediate need for affordable housing. He admits, nonetheless, that his interpretation could make it tougher for at least some developers to build high-density housing, at least at first. I want as many people to get a voucher as possible, and as many units to be available to those voucher holders as possible, and will comply with state law. Lawlor added that he believes a lack of housing supply has hurt tenants with vouchers. The additional height is a reference to whats known as the density bonus, a waiver that developers can request to build vertically beyond downtown height limits if they also offer a percentage of units as affordable housing. Were going to be learning our new space. As for residents of the new complex, Wang said that the Riverfront will offer some amenities unique to Santa Cruz and its setting near the river and the beach. But to get an allowance for additional height, Lawlor agreed to make 11% of those units15 condominiumsavailable to very-low-income renters. They fretted over the possible impact to the nearby birds at Neary Lagoon. As the area median income increases, finding affordable housing for people who work low-paying jobs will get harder. Santa Cruz Riverfront Details 71 bedroom units. MBEP talks about need for a regional solution for housing San Jose General Plan 2040 plans for 342,000 jobs and 120,000 housing starts and looks for surrounding Counties to make up the difference. A teacher in Santa Cruz County with 15 years of experience still would not be able to reach a level of income to afford housing at market price, according to the County Office of Education. That causes those even in affordable units to see rent increases or change the income level to qualify. We specialize in investigative reporting on our communitys pressing needs. Our journalism responds to your questions and priorities. A $50,000 contribution to the city, for San Lorenzo River management, maintenance and enhancement, A $400,000 contribution to the citys Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which helps subsidize affordable housing development. The layering of fears adds tension to each conversation. Divided into 3 separate building massings, the design reflects the varied architectural styles seen in the surrounding area and includes both traditional and modern aesthetics. While it is an important question to whether there should be more than 20 affordable units and really probably a question for the state legislature to take up in a review of state density bonus law outcomes. Commissioners ultimately found they could not appeal the project, as the city did its due diligence. Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Only one public commenter was qualified to comment during the appeal. Lipscomb said that while the city council likely could not require it, the developer could agree that if a market-rate unit is vacant for longer than a month, it would be offered to someone with a Section 8 voucher. Show all. Butler warned last month that this approach might not fly in court, according to legal experts he consulted. Cypress Point, the property owner, would have needed a zoning exemption in order to add new buildings, and 20% of the new units would have been affordable. At least 11% of the base units must be dedicated to very-low-income housing, 20% dedicated to low-income housing, or 40% dedicated to moderate-income housing. The complex will likely be in between two other major developments along the river, the Cruz Hotel and the Five 30 Front apartment complex. A federal judge has since temporarily prohibited the camps closure. An additional contribution of up to $100,000 to the citys Affordable Housing Trust Fund if the city finds funding to help pay for improvements to the Front Street signal near the project. However, Coastal Commission Staff did not find evidence to support that claim. if you cant afford to live somewhere, there are beautiful places elsewhere. Category: In the News; Tag: Bautista, downtown tucson development, west side; Related Projects. Santa Cruz Six Blocks: Downtown redo aims for 1,000s of new residents, 6 multistory buildings and revived riverfront By Wallace Baine Source: Lookout Santa Cruz Quick Take You can see the big new building fast rising at Front and Laurel in downtown Santa Cruz. Santa Cruzs Local Coastal Program and the Coastal Act both aim to improve equity along the coastline. Lease Details & Fees Fees Parking Surface Lot Parking Available Details Property Information Built in 1983 71 units/2 stories Location Property Address: 148 Blaine St , Santa Cruz , Tropical Storm Franklin forms as forecasters monitor Emily, TD Six, two other disturbances, Shop owner shot, killed over rainbow flag outside clothing store, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. That use of the density bonus law will create a reduction in affordable units, according to Pomerantz. People say they are for affordable housing or for housing, she said, but its always not here.. This is smart growth.. %%EOF Phone (831) 420-5196 . About 8% of housing units are designated affordable according to stats on City website from a couple years ago. The developer, Owen Lawlor of SC Riverfront LLC, is set to demolish three existing buildings and construct a trio of seven-story buildings totaling a 188,694-square-foot project. Near Me. SANTA CRUZ RIVERFRONT is a Subsidized, Low-Rent Apartment located at 148 S Blaine St, SANTA CRUZ CA. Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) Since this property has a Project-Based Section 8 contract with HUD, some or all of the rents at this community are based on tenant incomes. A new housing project has the potential to reshape the future of downtown Santa Cruz and the towns relationship with the San Lorenzo River. Note Lawlors previous project at 100 Laurel for 205 luxury condos was under lock and key even from the City Council. The Riverfront project, a mixed-use apartment complex that will supply the city with 160 market-rate units and 15 affordable units, has been brought to the forefront of opposition again. If this area of town is deemed an Opportunity Zone, the capital gains can be deferred. In recent weeks, city staff have met with Coastal Commission staff to discuss the Coastal Commission staff. This project requires review by the Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning Commission, who will provide recommendations to the City Council for final action. In an effort to avoid an appeal by Coastal Commission staff and a costly delay, Lawlor offered the following concessions, to which the city council agreed Tuesday: It is unclear whether these concessions are enough to avoid an appeal by the Coastal Commission staff or members of the public. The Riverfront project represents a big leap forward in the city's efforts to develop along the San Lorenzo River levee. This is the most sustainable place to develop in the entire region, Butler said. There were more than 12,000 applicants on that wait list last year, according to county housing authority staff. In a 3-2 vote, the council voted to deny Cypress Points application to begin an environmental and zoning reviewwith votes from Mayor Justin Cummings, Councilmember Katherine Beiers and Councilmember Brown, whos currently running for reelection. Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option. Riverfront Apartments in Santa Cruz, reviews by real people. 148 Blaine St Unit S Santa Cruz, CA 95060. I am fully supportive of councilmember Cummings intent with the substitute motion, I also think that having a project pencil out and being built is a benefit to the community, Golder said. The ground floor includes residential amenities such as lobbies, fitness facilities, bike parking, community rooms and commercial. And if in fact we support this project and if in fact we want to see it built, then the best thing we can do is approve a project that comports with what will stand though a court challenge.. What's happening at the Brookdale Lodge. Editors Note: There was a correction made to the number of affordable units in the project. Neighbors raised a long list of concerns. He was raised in a suburb outside of Seattle and he got his degree in journalism at Washington State University. Coastal Permit, Historic and Non-Residential Demolition Authorization Permits, Design Permit, Tentative Map, Special Use Permit, Administrative Use Permit, Revocable License for Outdoor Extension Area, Heritage Tree Removal Permit, and Street Tree Removal to remove one street tree and two heritage trees, to combine five parcels, demolish two historic commercial buildings including one of which is listed on the City's Historic Building Survey, and construct a seven-story, mixed-use building with 175 residential condos (15 of which will be affordable to incomes at 50% AMI, 5 at 80% AMI) and 11,498 square feet of ground floor and levee front commercial space on property located within the CBD/CZ-O/FP-O zone district and within the Front Street/Riverfront subarea of the Downtown Plan. He was raised in a suburb outside of Seattle and he got his degree in journalism at Washington State University. Development Paseos to the future? Thirty-two people attended the meeting and included surrounding business owners, residents, and property owners, as well as one member of the Planning Commission. Project Size: Significant Development Project. Major residential, commercial riverfront development goes before Santa Cruz City Council today - Lookout Local Santa Cruz Whos vision is this? Theres just one small problem with that assessment: A majority of Santa Cruz planning commissioners disagree with it. And well get in there as soon as the city says we can and just start doing our thing.. The real goal for having those three buildings was to open up the view corridors to the river, Wang, so its not just one large wall. During open public comment, at least three city residents urged the city council to address the displacement of homeless people along the San Lorenzo River. no more communist programs. Demolition has begun along Front Street in downtown Santa Cruz for the new apartment complex to be known as the Riverfront Apartments, which is to include 175 rental apartments with 20 set aside for low-income residents. Prior to Santa Cruz Local, she served as the Santa Cruz Sentinels managing editor. The item found its way onto the Dec. 8 City Council agenda, but was continued once again with little explanation during the meeting. Under normal circumstances, the development would be a 133-condominium project. The 148 Blaine St. location in the Riverwalk neighborhood of Santa Cruz is a terrific place to live. However, the city has a different density bonus ordinance. Santa Cruz Local is a local news organization that serves Santa Cruz County, Calif. Our newsroom exists because we love Santa Cruz County. Its somewhat of a canvas, if you will, to engage local artists on multiple sides of the building.. She will take a deep look at the inner workings of the cities of Santa Cruz, Capitola, Watsonville and Scotts Valley, with the goal of holding local leaders accountable. However, landlords can reject tenants based on credit history. SANTA CRUZ The Riverfront project, a mixed-use apartment complex that will supply the city with 155 market-rate units and 20 affordable units, has been brought to the forefront of opposition again. Last year, it was $66,200 for a family of four in Santa Cruz County. Several members of the public tried to speak on the matter but found themselves unable. The building is higher than the zoning in parcel would typically permit. The Riverfront proposal is not exactly a modest concept. Free music outdoors, wine, beer and art and Pajaro Valley Pride its a packed weekend in Watsonville, Stained glass Dancing Waters now adorns downtown Santa Cruzs River and Front entryway, Santa Cruz County home sales drop in July as real estate agents hope for a fall resurgence, Copyright 2023, Lookout Santa Cruz All Rights Reserved. Cruz stands 7-stories tall with 1 level of below-grade parking. The approval of the project does not align with the goals of the Coastal Commission, he continued. View the January 12th, 2021 City Council meeting to listen and read the staff report:City Council Meeting page. But the distinctions are significant, Schiffrin argues. When sports paused, he made the transition to hard news. Of the 175 condos the project proposes, 15 will be affordable to low-income households at 50% of the area median income and an additional five at 80% of the area median income, according to the project description. To review the agenda, visit the Planning Commission page. That makes the project 11% affordable housing and eligible for the maximum density bonus of 35%, of which the project only requested 31.58%. How Lara Love Hardin survived addiction, incarceration and shame to rebuild her life, A brave new world: Sandy Skees shares how businesses can succeed with a new generation of consumers, Fourth of July parades showcase Americana in all its star-spangled, Santa Cruz County glory, Copyright 2023, Lookout Santa Cruz All Rights Reserved. Please correct the field(s) marked in red below: Historic Preservation Program Information, Other Development Agencies and Organizations, City-Wide Creeks and Wetlands Management Plan, Sphere of Influence Amendment - Final EIR, Draft EIR for the Draft General Plan 2030, Rental Housing Task Force Feasibility Assessment, Museum of Art & History Blue Plaque Landmark Award Program, National, State and Local Registry Criteria, visit the Historic Preservation Commission page, Notice of Completion & Environmental Document Transmittal, Notice of Preparation of Environmental Impact Report, Appendix C - Historical Significance Diagrams, 418 and 428 Front Street Historic Alternatives Analysis Memo, 418 and 428 Front Street Historic Resource Memorandum, 418 and 428 Front Street Historic Resource Memorandum Significance Diagrams, 504 Front St. Housing Apartments; Add New Listing - FREE . If city staff can find funding for part of a Front Street traffic signal improvement project next to the project, Lawlor offered a 50% matching gift, up to $100,000, to the citys Affordable Housing Trust Fund. MAY 16, 2023 | 5:33 AM Have something to say? https://santacruzlocal.org/author/kara-meyberg-guzman/, Copyright 2022 | Santa Cruz Local | All Rights Reserved, A Guide to the California Coastal Commission, Santa Cruz Locals Election Guide: Nov. 8, 2022. Riverfront Project. This sort of back and forth quibbling is an insult to us all. The project sets aside 20 of its 175 units 11% as rentals to low-income and very-low-income people, leaving the development a few units shy of the citys 15% threshold, which was recently updated to require that one out of every five new units be affordable. . City zoning ordinance only requires 5% of units to be affordable to very-low-income households. Box 377 Santa Cruz, CA 96051-0377 Email: owen@lawlorlanduse.com Prepared by: Charles M. Salter Associates, Inc. Justin P. Reidling Philip N. Sanders, LEED AP 100 W. San Fernando, Suite 595 San Jose, CA 95113 With so little space for so many years, I think weve become expert space sharers, but now well have more flexibility and be able to offer more resources. The Rio Nuevo Board unanimously approved an investment in one of the biggest projects in the history of the District. Riverfront Project to be constructed on Front Street between Broadway and Soquel Avenue. Previously, the developer was required to cover the full cost of the signal upgrade. The Riverfront Project offers 11% of its units at that price range. All three projects have ambitious plans to develop along the riverwalk with public access plazas, cafes and retail shops. She believes people will keep moving to Santa Cruz, and keep putting a squeeze on rents, whether city leaders make room for them or not. endstream endobj startxref 57K subscribers in the santacruz community. Welcome Welcome to the City of Santa Cruz project page for the Front St/Riverfront project. Thats for very-low-income renters who make 50% of the area median income. The goal is to do so by prioritizing coastal-dependent development over other types of development. This project was presented to the Planning Commission on September 3, 2020. Maximum rents for the five units for people with low incomes would be $1,700 to $2,300, Lipscomb said. Ryan Stuart came to the Sentinel in October 2020. SANTA CRUZ - The California Coastal Commission unanimously voted to reject the appeal of the Riverfront Project on Friday. Cummings proposed a substitute motion to the project. The ground floor includes residential amenities such as lobbies, fitness facilities, bike parking, community rooms and commercial space.Theproject has a total of 175 units and includes integrated affordable units, plus resident and commercial parking. Planners say the garage would meet the demand for new downtown housing, while replacing surface level parking lots that are being redeveloped and accommodating new housing all over downtown. A rendering of how the river levee at the Riverfront Apartments might look. The county kisses developer ass and no one stands for real affordable anything here. The city of Santa Cruz, for example, is currently weighing a plan to build a mixed-use project with a library, parking garage and a few dozen housing units, which would hopefully be all-affordable, although the financing isnt yet totally clear. The project offers 8% of very-low-income units out of the projects total number of units. On top of that, the states density bonus allowed another 7 feet and 9 inches to the building. If theyre wrong, their approach could push the city into a costly legal battle or sink a popular project that all the commissioners say they support. Low-paying jobs arent exclusive to working in restaurants, either. In exchange, Lawlor gets the opportunity to raise the height and add more than 40 additional units under state density bonus rules, explains Planning Director Lee Butler. Years in the making, the much-anticipated SC Riverfront project has been slowly wending its way through the citys planning department like a heron drifting across a coastal lagoon. The Urban River Plan goals are to a) Improve the scenic and recreational value of the Riverfront; b) Improve public access and pedestrian/bicycle movement to and along the San Lorenzo River; and c) Improve the urban and neighborhood interface with the San Lorenzo River," (2008, p.H-2). It also works to provide access to the coast to people of all incomes, create more affordable housing along the coast and minimize the impacts of development on coastal resources. The centers current building on Front Street is slated for demolition to make way for the proposed Front Street/Riverfront development project. The specific categories, listed below, will keep you posted on this specific project whether its an update about revised plans, or an upcoming meeting. The Riverfront Apartments will take roughly two years in the construction phase, and the target date for move-in for the complexs first residents is summer of 2025. Business, Economics, and Finance Riverfront Project Santa Cruz, California Environmental Noise Assessment 7 November 2018 Prepared for: SC Riverfront, LLC Owen Lawlor P.O. The Santa Cruz City Council should reject the Planning Commissions recommendation and focus on ways to approve higher density developments in the downtown, streamlining 100% affordable projects on city-owned sites, and upzoning mixed-use parcels in commercial corridors where growth makes most sense to meet climate change and affordability goals, he says via email. If approved, 175 condos, new commercial space and parking could be coming to downtown. MAY 16, 2023 | 6:05 PM Welcome to Tuesday night's Lookout PM. Share. hb```,@(1Aa](KO0YmxY{&@eG@bw5/h{7e.t)/:RJ;00dttt R PBBd=@O=@ H,X$AM1q6cL13d.ae8',ROw"j9B7a Architecturally, the plan to construct three buildings, said Wang, was to discourage the idea of a one giant block building, and to invite locals and visitors downtown toward the river. The most recent version of the Santa Cruz General Plan called for increased housing density along Santa Cruzs bus corridors, like Soquel Avenue and Water Street. It would increase access to the river and activity along the levee, creating civic spaces and staircases leading from Front Street to the Santa Cruz Riverwalk. You can also contact the City Project Planner by using the Question or Comment section below. Ryan Stuart came to the Sentinel in October 2020. Both attorneys said that stacking the state and local requirements conflicts with existing law. Wallace Baine is Lookouts City Life Correspondent, covering arts, music and culture, as well as the people who make Santa Cruz and neighboring communities tick. If you would like to be updated on project related information and meetings please enter your information below to be added to the mailing list. Demolition has begun along Front Street in downtown Santa Cruz for the new complex to be known as the Riverfront Apartments. Far less kitchens and bathrooms and kitchenettes instead and without the need for a car with full use of Metro and Uber. get real. As the only one of the three Front Street projects with a building permit and with construction underway, the Riverfront project will be the first to engage the riverwalk. Consistently, what Ive seen, living in Santa Cruz, is that projects come forward. Posted on: October 22, 2019. The buildings would have 175 condominiums, likely rentals, above commercial space that opens to Front Street and the San Lorenzo Riverwalk. Itll be more restaurant- and cafe-focused on the riverfront, and more casual retail along Front Street.. Along the riverfront, itll be great, because well have picnic tables, soft seating and retail I think theres about 11,000 square feet of retail [in the whole complex]. The item originally sat on the agenda during the City Councils Nov. 10 meeting, but the vote was pushed back after a late letter regarding concerns from the Coastal Commission was presented to the council. Near the western banks of the San Lorenzo River, the project would stretch from 508 Front Streetnow home to the I Love Sushi restaurantto 418 Front Street, which now houses the 418 Project and India Joze. The remaining 158 at market rate drive up the AMI charts which have been going up 10% per year. Briefing: Santa Cruz hits restart on eviction rules. When asked if he can afford to provide those extra affordable units, Lawlor initially bristles at the question. Made up of three separate buildings, the project would loom large, with all three of its buildings topping out at 78 feetstill 17 feet shorter than the nearby historic Palomar Inn. 2019110392 Lead Agency. Mountain Publishing brings you the Santa Cruz Mountains; News, events visitors guide, real estate and much more. The project consists of demolition of existing commercial buildings and the construction of a seven story, 188,694-square-foot, mixed-use building with 175 residential condominium units and 11,498 square feet of ground floor and levee-front commercial space in downtown Santa Cruz. In the case of the Riverfront project, it exists in a zone with a basic height limit of 50 feet that can be increased to 70 feet if it meets certain criteria. 418 Project Purchases Riverfront Theater in Downtown Santa Cruz By Johanna Miller April 12, 2021 The 418 Project's Lead Artist Dandha Da Hora teaches Afro-Brazilian dance, accompanied by live drums, at the organization's original location, 418 Front St. in Santa Cruz. Bishop said that the 418 had been looking at relocation for several years, long before the onset of the pandemic, and that the former movie theater gives her staff and clientele room for expansion. Ryan moved to California in December of 2019 to cover high school sports at the Santa Clarita Valley Signal. During public comment Tuesday, 11 residents spoke, seven of whom urged the council to approve the project. On Dec. 17, City Manager Martin Bernal and Parks and Recreation Director Tony Elliott issued a memo and order to temporarily close San Lorenzo Park due to cost, fire safety, litter, vandalism and other issues related to an unmanaged homeless camp there. How does The 155 Project grab you? Twenty units would be affordable meaning they would be required to be offered at lower rents for people with low incomes and very low incomes based on the area median income. So we figured out a way to just pick it up and move it right into the lobby (of the new space).
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