Santa Cruz council aims for transparency with new state housing law
Excerpt from the Article By Jesse Kathan | September 9, 2021
YIMBYs, developer urge compliance with state law
Although many commenters at previous meetings related to the 831 Water St. have urged city council members to exert more oversight in SB 35 proceedings, Tuesday’s meeting was dominated by commenters aligned with the city’s YIMBY movement to promote housing construction. YIMBY stands for yes in my backyard.
Santa Cruz resident Kristina Covall urged the council to let staff — rather than council members — determine whether projects are eligible for expedited approval. “Any decisions you make have political consequences for yourself or your supporters, and should not be a factor in a ministerial process,” Covall wrote in a letter to the council.
Anne Paulson, a member of Los Altos Affordable Housing Alliance, also described a lawsuit faced by her city after the city council blocked the development of a project eligible for SB 35. “They lost, and it cost residents of Los Altos literally millions of dollars — money that could have been used for much better purposes than repairing city council blunders.” said Paulson. “Don’t follow our example. Hire good people and let them do their jobs.”