SC residents deserve voice on their future
The “Housing for PeopleNot Unaffordable High-Rises” initiative will most likely be on the March 5, 2024 ballot. This initiative was authored by residents with extensive, land-use planning experience and environmental protection work. It is a thoughtful, simple proposal with two parts:
• If developers want to change our city constitution to build higher than current height limits, the people will get a vote; and,
• It increases the ratio of inclusionary/affordable housing to 25% in large projects of 30 or more units to create housing for ordinary, working people.
We had hundreds of Santa Cruz citizens enthusiastically volunteer and collect almost double the amount of signatures needed in half the time — nearly 7,000 in only three months.
The “Right to Vote on Height” is not an original idea, several groups across the state are fighting for democratic, local control. In Encinitas, they passed “Prop A -Right to Vote” initiative that requires a citywide vote on all increases to density and/ or structure height above the General Plan limits. It was passed by a majority of voters and has stood the test of time, having been upheld twice by a Superior Court judge and constitutionally protected in the face of legal challenges.
The 25% affordable housing increase is from the city Planning Commission's recommendation in researching solutions for the state density bonus “problem” (which reduces the current 20% of affordable units down to only 11-13% in most new buildings in our city). It was squelched by city staff, though the Planning Commission determined it to “pencilout” for developers and to significantly increase the number of low-income units built.
In response to fear-mongering misinformation:
1) The state is not forcing us to build high-rises. We have room for thousands of units, more than the state requires without the need to increase height limits downtown, or anywhere in the city — this is according to the city's own inventory of vacant housing sites.
2) Allowing 12-story highrises downtown will not protect your neighborhood from massive development. Exceeding height limits anywhere will set a precedent allowing developers to unilaterally rezone neighborhoods without public input. Only if our initiative passes will the people have a say on whether neighborhood height limits are increased.
3) There will not be a vote for every new building. Our initiative requires a vote only when developers' proposals exceed height limits. Heights are already tall — up to 8 stories downtown. Voting could occur during regular elections without additional cost.
4) We are already building plenty of dense housing. Downtown Santa Cruz is already zoned for very high density, comparable to compact European cities. Thousands more units can be built along the transit corridors since the city has already rezoned these areas for higher density, and 1,200 units, of 5-8 stories are allowed in the south of Laurel area!
5) Massive development of 12+ stories will not lower housing costs in Santa Cruz. The new buildings will be 8090% market rate, small luxury apartments renting for ~$4K per month - not affordable to the majority of Santa Cruzans! The vast majority of these units will be occupied by highincome, Silicon Valley tech workers, students and as second homes for the wealthy.
The normal laws of supply and demand do not work here; increasing the supply will never lower rents/prices, because the demand is practically insatiable. We are one of the top beach towns in California next to the number one economic engine in the world.
Don't believe the scare tactics. Our initiative will not result in “excessive development in neighborhoods.” Excessive development will more likely occur with the biggest land grab since the gold rush, and if voters don't have any input on how high buildings can go.
Are we building housing and cities for people to benefit our community, or creating uber-exclusive high-rises that benefit out-of-town investors?