April 2021 Newsletter
At our March meeting, we encouraged everyone to check out, sign and promote our petition supporting 831 Water Street - the NIMBYs have one with 2000+ signatures! If you haven’t, done so, now is the perfect time.
We also discussed the growing trend for cities, like Berkeley and Sacramento, to end exclusionary zoning and legalize fourplexes everywhere. Why not here?
Other highlights:
There are 100 bills related to housing currently in the legislative process! Check out the YIMBY Action position tracker. Let us know if you are a policy/legislative wonk and want to decide along with others in YIMBY Action which to endorse.
We discussed the California Coastal Commission (CCC), its effect on local housing production and what we can do to help them fulfill a relatively new mission of environmental equity.
Members noted that with the retirement of the Santa Cruz City Manager, there is an opportunity to chart a new and positive direction for city leadership.
Next Meeting - April 8 at 5:30PM
Join us for our next meeting on Thursday, April 8 at 5:30PM. Register for the Zoom meeting via the button below. You will receive a confirmation email with the link after registering. If you can't attend, feel free to email your ideas by responding to this email.
Register for the April Meeting
Some Upcoming Events
March 29 - California YIMBY Presents: YIMBY Master Class: A Crash Course in Solving the Housing Crisis
March 31 - Central Coast Climate Series: Planning for a Sustainable Central Coast Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP)
April 14 - The International Influence of YIMBY
Local Housing News
Yes! to UCSC Housing: Regents — once again — approve UCSC’s controversial Student Housing West plan after years of delays | Lookout Santa Cruz (March 17)
Santa Cruz Riverfront project clears hurdle: Coastal Commission rejects Riverfront project appeal in Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz Sentinel (March 13)
Santa Cruz County says MORE housing: County Homelessness Plan Sets Goal of More Than 700 New Units | Good Times Santa Cruz (March 10)
Watsonville approves two (2) multi-family affordable housing projects: City Council approves 103 new apartments, more than half ‘affordable’ | The Pajaronian (February 24)
$$ to city for affordable housing: Santa Cruz receives state funding for affordable housing | Santa Cruz Sentinel (March 1)
Bigger downtown may mean more housing: Santa Cruz Downtown Plan could expand to build more housing | Santa Cruz Local (March 23)
The Santa Cruz City Planning Department has developed a handy document of terms and abbreviations: Housing 101 Guide - English (PDF download) and Housing 101 Guide - Espanol (PDF download). One of the tools the City uses for creating more housing is Objective Zoning Standards.
Objective Standards
“Too tall!” “Too ugly!” “ Doesn’t respect neighborhood character!” We hear these subjective NIMBY comments with every proposed multi-family housing development in Santa Cruz.
The City of Santa Cruz has an active project to adopt Objective Standards which should make approval of housing development more straightforward and time-efficient. The purpose of the Objective Standards for housing development are to:
Set clear expectations for approval
Avoid subjective interpretations being applied differently
Streamline the review process
Objective Standards cover things like building heights, setbacks, landscaping, lighting, or other quantifiable, measurable features of buildings and property. State law requires objective standards to hold communities responsible for allowing new multi-family housing.
On March 11th and March 24th, the City Planning Department held webinars to introduce and shared context for the project. City Planners did a fine job of outlining the history of racism and zoning, and what kinds of things can be done to right the wrongs. Recordings of the events: March 11th (English) and March 24th (Spanish)
City Planners will be developing the standards from now through summer with outreach throughout the process. Their goal is public hearings and adoption in the fall (November!).
SIGN UP to Stay Informed About Objective Standards
Learn more about Objective Standards:
The SC City Planning Objective Standards project website has a wealth of source material and resources at the bottom of the page.
Housing design standards advance in Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz Local | March 10, 2021
Racial exclusion, zoning and potential change in the city of Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz Local | March 13, 2021
What we are reading
Zoned out: One woman’s half-century fight to desegregate Berkeley | Grist.org (March 24) The story of the beginning and possible end of exclusionary zoning in Berkeley.
A rant about lawns in America | Volts substack newsletter by David Roberts (March 24). “They are bad and symbolize bad things.”
Renting Is Terrible. Owning Is Worse. | The Atlantic (March 11) “A third option is necessary: a way to rent without making someone else rich.”
Mayor’s message | Housing crisis threatens Scotts Valley | Santa Cruz Sentinel (March 6) “[T]he current housing crisis threatens even the strongest of communities.”
Should People Lose Their Jobs? | YIMBY Action Blog (March 9) by Laura Foote. “ “Shortages bring out the worst in people, and a housing shortage is no exception.”
What we are streaming
The Houses that Can't be Built in America - The Missing Middle | Not Just Bikes YouTube Channel (March 8) “In many US and Canadian cities you really only have two choices for living: an apartment/condo, or a single family home.”
Lots of Angry Letters with Liam Dillon | YIMBY Action Infill Podcast (Feb 15) “Liam Dillon talks through the big picture of what to expect in housing production legislation in California this year.”
A crash course in housing & urban development | TikTok videos by Jake Gotta, YIMBY Action Housing Elements Watchdogs
Want more to read and stream?
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