There is an important message:

This Holiday Season, Donate to Santa Cruz Gives.

Land Use & Development Image

Santa Cruz County Land Use & Development Articles



Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
As Live Oak Rail-Trail Plans Sharpen, Mobile-Home Owners Dig In

Some mobile homes near 38th Avenue and the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line in Live Oak are in the rail line’s right-of-way and could be moved for the rail-trail project. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
LIVE OAK >> …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Supervisors Green-Light Dispensary Smoking Lounges

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a plan to allow customers in marijuana dispensaries to smoke onsite in so-called cannabis lounges.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Watsonville Community Hospital Once Again Under Local Ownership

Watsonville Community Hospital and the Pajaro Valley Health Care District (PVHCD) announced Friday that the building–and the property that surrounds it–once again belongs to the community.

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Talk of Plans for Iconic Silver Spur Site Kicks Up Debate

Emotions ran high during a recent community meeting to discuss the future of the beloved Silver Spur restaurant and the big changes coming to the neighborhood. More than 60 people packed the Spur’s dining room at 2650 Soquel Drive on …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Cabrillo College Trustees to Choose Developer for Student Housing

A sports field off Cabrillo College Drive near Highway 1 is expected to be redeveloped into a housing project for Cabrillo and UC Santa Cruz students. (Cabrillo College/Jones Lang LaSalle IP)
Cabrillo College trustees meeting:

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
City Council Approves Two New Low-Income Housing Developments

The Watsonville City Council on Oct. 22 unanimously approved two new low-income housing developments that will add 18 units to the city and give some families a chance at home ownership.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Proposed Downtown Santa Cruz Rules Seek to Cap Building Heights

Pacific Station South is a seven-story project with 70 below-market-rate apartments on the 800 block of Pacific Avenue. (Stephen Baxter Santa Cruz Local file)
Meeting: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo LOCAL NEWS
New Weelili Onyenmak Property Helps Protect Endangered Santa Cruz Long-Toed Salamander

With this property acquisition, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County safeguards critical habitat for this endangered, federally and state-listed species.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Capitola City Council Aims for Capitola Mall Redevelopment

The Capitola City Council recently discussed potential incentives for developers to build new housing and shops at the Capitola Mall. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local file)
CAPITOLA >> A mix of tax breaks, fee waivers and other incentives could …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Project Aims to Restore Struve Slough, Improve Water Quality

Work is moving forward on a project to restore native habitat and implement a series of water quality treatment projects to redesign the path of stormwater to Middle Struve Slough.

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
Scotts Valley Tells Developer to Improve Office-Storage Facility Proposal

A developer that wants to build a combination storage-and-office building at 125 Bethany Dr. at the northern end of Scotts Valley has a little more work to do to get the project over the finish line.

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Watsonville Community Hospital to Be Bought by PVHD

Watsonville Community Hospital could soon be owned by the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District. PVHD announced a plan to purchase the building and surrounding property, a major milestone in a years-long endeavor to return the facility to public ownership.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Architects Describe 6-Story Apartment Proposal on Mission St. In Santa Cruz

A housing proposal on the 1800 block of Mission Street in Santa Cruz grew from three stories to six-stories in a new design. (Workbench)
SANTA CRUZ >> A proposed six-story apartment building on Mission Street would provide college students and …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
161 Homes Proposed on Graham Hill Road Near Scotts Valley

A proposed development on Graham Hill Road would include 117 single-family homes and 44 townhomes. (Fletemeyer & Lee Associates Inc.)
SANTA CRUZ >> Forty acres of horse pasture on Graham Hill Road near Rollingwoods Drive could be transformed into a …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Watsonville City Council Slams Tiny Village Plan, Approves Mobile Home Ordinance

The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday expressed frustration at a new planned tiny village community for homeless people slated for the parking lot of Westview Presbyterian Church at 118 First St.

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
4 Years After CZU Fire, Local Family Endures Uphill Battle to Rebuild Home

August 2024 marked the four-year anniversary of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire ripping through the Santa Cruz Mountains. Through fundraisers, educational forums and memorial events, residents—including victims of the fire who remain in the area—have gathered to support and assist …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
What Triggers a Homeless Camp Sweep in Santa Cruz County?

A tent camp floods at the benchlands of San Lorenzo Park in Santa Cruz in December 2021. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
Key takeaways

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Santa Cruz Bolsters Tentant Protections

Over 70 residents of the St. George Apartments in downtown Santa Cruz are breathing a sigh of relief after the Santa Cruz City Council took a big step toward adopting an ordinance extending rental increase protections for renters like them. …

Hilltromper Santa Cruz logo LOCAL NEWS
A Monumental Morning at Cotoni-Coast Dairies

A tour of the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument with the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Featured

Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz, which might be a huge resort if not for the Coastal Commission.
The Public Shore Protectors
Born amid controversy, this public agency is responsible for managing some of the most precious real estate in the world.
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.