831 Water Street - Virtual Community Meeting

Project Information: 831 Water Street
Join the Applicant Virtually via Zoom

Date: Thursday, August 12th, 2021
Time: 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Where: Virtual Webinar - Zoom

Commentary on the 831 Water Street project from former Santa Cruz County Supervisor Gary Patton:

"This huge, out of scale proposal, which would be located at 831 Water Street, is on a "fast track" for approval as a so-called "Ministerial Project." That means NO Environmental Review, NO Planning Commission hearing, NO City Council hearing on the merits, and NO vote on the merits by our elected officials. Normally, huge projects with profound public impacts are "discretionary," meaning that our elected officials get to vote "yes" or "no," and can modify or impose conditions. NOT with this project (based on SB 35, a state law that removes local discretion for qualifying projects). If this proposed project goes forward as the developer requests, the public and our elected officials will be bystanders, not participants. There WILL be a so-called "community meeting," which is basically to inform the public, and let the public vent."

More information:

Save Santa Cruz
https://www.facebook.com/livableSC


Background from City of Santa Cruz:

On July 1, 2021, the City received an application for an SB35 project that consists of a five-story mixed-use building with 149 residential apartments and ground floor commercial space. The state legislature passed SB 35 in 2007 in order to remove barriers to the development of affordable residential urban infill projects and to limit certain types of discretionary home rule oversight that have prevented the development of an adequate supply of housing within the state. When a project qualifies for streamlined ministerial approval under SB 35, the City has a limited time to apply its objective standards to the project, and is strictly prohibited from applying any discretionary standards that would chill the development of affordable housing on a suitable site identified in its general plan. The application is currently under review for compliance with objective standards.


Contact info:

Applicant: Novin Development
info [at] novindevelopment.com

City of Santa Cruz Project Planner: Ryan Bane
rbane [at] cityofsantacruz.com


To sign up for future updates, review plan sets, and for all other information about the proposed project, please visit the 831 Water Street project page: https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/?navid=4208