Project Overview

The City of Santa Cruz is embarking on a planning study to consider future redevelopment of the area south of Laurel Street. City objectives include: 

1. Providing additional affordable and market-rate housing in the downtown,
2. Creating public amenities like parks, public plazas, or better pedestrian infrastructure,
3. Improving the connection to the San Lorenzo River and beach areas, and
4. Creating new economic opportunities for local businesses and workers
5. Coordinate with the Santa Cruz Warriors to construct a new permanent arena.

A complete list of project objectives can be found below under Project Objectives. 

Public Review Draft

Comments are closed for now*. The plan consists of two equally important parts. The two pieces work together to create the public and private spaces that will evolve over the coming decades within this neighborhood:

1. A New Appendix 8 for the Downtown Plan 
2. Proposed amendments to the existing Downtown Plan, Chapter 4, Development Standards and Design Guidelines

*Environmental Review is underway, and the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR),  Traffic Analysis, and updated planning documents will be complete and released for Public Review in late 2024.

Upcoming Events

Environmental Review

The City released the Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in late August, 2022, as required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The NOP has been submitted to the State Clearing House and relevant state and local agencies have been notified. This notice makes sure that both agencies and members of the public are able to provide comments about the topics that will be analyzed as part of the EIR, so the City can make sure that any potential environmental impacts are evaluated and mitigated as may be necessary.

There was a scoping meeting held via zoom on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, to receive these comments. Written comments were due no later than October 17, 2022.

Review the NOP for further details about the project and environmental analysis.

The Draft EIR is currently being prepared and will be released for public review with the Final Draft Plan in late 2024. 

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Study Area

The southern boundary of the City’s current Downtown Plan is Laurel Street. The City is interested in extending the boundary south, generally to the Depot Park roundabout.  The project study area represents the area for consideration to include in the Downtown Plan. (click map to enlarge)

Project Objectives

The following objectives have been identified by the City for the project:

1. Increase the total number of housing units that can be built in the City by adding capacity for multi-family housing

2. Create opportunities for public amenities and infrastructure including parks, the Santa Cruz Riverwalk trail, or other spaces for community use

3. Better connect downtown with the river and beach areas, which will: 

   1. Give the community better access to the river and beach

   2. Help visitors see more of Santa Cruz, including its local businesses

4. Work with the Warriors to establish design standards and use allowances that accommodate potential development of a permanent arena facility

5. Create new economic opportunities for local businesses and workers 

6. Generate new tax revenue for the City

7. Improve the pedestrian experience through thoughtful urban design measures 

At their June 14, 2022 meeting, the City Council directed staff to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) analyzing the potential for environmental impacts of the Downtown Plan Expansion, and to study the following features as part of the project:

• A minimum of 1600 housing units;
• Maximum heights not to exceed one taller building of 175 feet and three additional building components not to exceed 150 feet, with each height being inclusive of anticipated height increases associated with a 50% density bonus and with the taller building elements comprising only a portion of shorter podium building forms;
• An option for auto circulation including the permanent closure of Spruce Street east of Pacific Avenue;
• The creation of new civic space in the closed Spruce Street right of way;
• Enhanced pedestrian connections between the Downtown and the beach;
• Options for the location of a permanent arena facility for the Santa Cruz Warriors, with a preferred location being on the south side of Spruce Street between Pacific Avenue and Front Street.

The development scenario described by this Council motion has been mapped and illustrated. This scenario will be the basis of the analysis conducted for the EIR, and will be the foundation of the policies and standards that are drafted into the amendments that will be proposed to the City's Downtown Plan, General Plan, Municipal Code, zoning map, Local Coastal Program and Implementation Plan, and Beach-South of Laurel Area Plan.

On January 10, 2023, the Santa Cruz City Council provided additional direction to staff, replacing the above direction in part and adding to it. The City Council directed staff to study a development option that:

• Includes a maximum of 1600 housing units
• Limits heights of the tallest parts of buildings to no more than 12 stories, inclusive of any density bonus incentive
• Achieves a full 20% of the total number of housing units built as permanently below-market-rate affordable housing units

Further, the City Council directed that the EIR should continue studying a maximum of 1800 housing units as one of the development alternatives. EIRs typically consider two to three development alternatives for this type of project.

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