News

Marching in the 4th of July Parade

July 5, 2016 by Seb Frey

Marching in the World's Shortest Parade — Marching in the World’s Shortest Parade

The 4th of July has come and gone, and the 55th Anniversary Edition of the World’s Shortest parade is one for the history books. I’ve watched many of these parades roll by over the years, but I’d never actually been in the parade until this year – and many of you never have, either! So I’m sharing with you my experience of marching in the 4th of July parade.

I marched with the crew from Mar Vista Elementary School. We started the morning with the pancake breakfast – I’d never done that, either. It was about what you’d expect from a pancake breakfast, but with notably good orange juice, coffee, and lots of friendly smiling faces – some familiar, many not.

After breakfast, we headed up to the Wells Fargo bank parking lot to join up with the folks marching for Mar Vista. On the way up there, I ran into Steve Bennett who quickly gave me the low-down on the Mar Vista Cheer. One of our contingent – Gigi, who will be in 6th grade this year at Mar Vista, her last year – has quite a set of pipes on her, so she led us in the cheer, I recorded it with my iPhone, check it out:

Video of Mar Vista Marching in the 4th of July Parade

After we marched all the way down the parade route, we headed down to the Party at Aptos Village Park, and checked that out for a bit. Lots of great food, entertainment, and even a petting zoo for the kids.

It turns out that marching in the parade is a lot like watching the parade from the sidelines, except of course you don’t get to see much of the parade itself. But the experience is similar – it’s all about connecting with the community and being part of the whole. I expect I’ll be marching in the parade in the future, but next year, I think I’ll do something else I’ve never done before – set my chair out the day before in a prime spot to watch the Aptos world roll by, in all its kitschy glory. 🙂

Photos of Mar Vista Marching in the 4th of July Parade

County is Planning Big Changes for Vacation Rentals

July 2, 2016 by Seb Frey

More Restrictions are coming for Aptos Vacation Rentals

This article is provided courtesy of Robert Singleton, the Government Affairs Director for the Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors. It is being provided to readers of AptosCommunityNews as many Aptos residents and home owners will be affected by the proposed changes.

During their June meeting the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted to place significantly harsher restrictions on local vacation rental units and property owners. If you have been following this issue for the past couple of years then you were likely already aware of the two existing designated tourism districts in both Live Oak and Seacliff.

Essentially, these districts limit the total number of houses that can be used as short terms rentals, as well as the number of short term rentals per neighborhood block.

Last Tuesday, the Board not only created a new district (encompassing Davenport and the surrounding areas), but also adopted a half measure process that governs how these permits are to be awarded and renewed, both of which will hurt property owners.

Now the original stated purpose for the creation of these districts was twofold:

limit the neighborhood impacts that are associated with vacation rentals, and
protect units that would (could) be used as long term rentals.

The Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors opposed these new regulations from the beginning because we saw them as a violation of private property rights, but also because it’s a classic case of the government picking winners and losers. By creating an artificial scarcity in the marketplace for permits (whose potential value may exceed $100,000), the Board was effectively able to distort the value of all the affected properties in these areas. Starting day 1, the homes that had permits instantly became more valuable than those that didn’t, and thus it was (and still is) within every household’s self-interest to seek out a permit, even if they don’t intend to use it.

Now the unintended consequences of enacting such a policy are pretty clear, but rather than address the fundamental problem in approach (placing arbitrary limits on a high demand market), the Board doubled down with measures meant to diminish the potential negative repercussions of the policy.

First, they decided to not deed restrict the permits (which is unlike almost every other use permit on the books), electing instead to adopt a 5 year period of use, thus making the market distortion in home values a temporary phenomenon; while hopefully allowing for more households to take advantage of this price inflation once the first permits began to expire. They also decided to award the first permits to those homeowners who had already been paying Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), which were few and far between. The rest of the permits: first come first served.

Now here is probably the most significant problem with this policy: If you limit the total number of properties that can be short term rentals, but choose not to pair the permit with the property, who gets to decide which properties get permits and when? Well they took the easy way out and basically created a process where no one decides, it’s as simple as whoever shows up first.

Buying a house is likely the most important investment a person will make in their lifetime, and now the County has the power to either add or takeaway a significant portion of that home’s value based upon what criteria? A permit that could easily be worth over $100,000 (in just revenue) over the 5 year period, and they have absolutely no process for determining who does or does not reap that benefit. First come, first served.

The Planning Commission, based upon a recommendation from staff, voted unanimously to build in a “grace period” whereby existing and legal short term rental units could reapply for the permit that they had already been enjoying. They were to be given up to 60 days to decide if they wanted to opt back into operation, so to speak, which they undoubtedly would because who wants to lose $100,000 of appraised value from their house?!? On Tuesday the Board (minus absent Zach Friend) voted to end that grace period entirely, and when paired with the first come first serve policy, basically means once those permits are up, no one knows what’s going to happen.

Staff and the Planning Commission both outlined multiple ways in which this problem could be avoided. They gave multiple options, including a lottery system and a criteria system. But the Board justified their stance in favor of the first come first served policy by stating “well we don’t know what’s going to happen when these permits come up for renewal, so let’s just wait until then.”

So there is now a massive economic interest in getting a vacation rental permit and no criteria for awarding that permit other than being one of the first people to grab it. They are no incentives for good financial standing, or good management, just incidental penalties for bad behavior. On top of this you don’t even have to use the permit. You only have to prove “significant rental use” when reapplying for your permit, 5 years later.

The County then also mandated that all new vacation rental units with 4 or more bedrooms (admittedly arbitrary) have to have a public hearing before the Zoning Administrator (ZA). Now beyond the practical problems associated with a public hearing (time of day, opportunity cost, etc.), there is no reason to even have one in the first place. Why? Because all new permits can already be appealed to that same ZA, through an already established process. Furthermore, the ZA has no grounds to deny an individual a permit anyway. If you meet all the requirements upon application then there are no other legal reasons why the ZA would be allowed to deny you.

So why do it?

The purpose is to intimidate would-be vacation landlords from going through the process to begin with. A mandatory public hearing creates the space for public shame. Again, even if the ZA can’t deny your permit you are still required to attend a hearing in which your neighbors (and frankly anyone who doesn’t like the idea of your vacation rental) are encouraged to show up and list all of the reasons why they don’t like your idea, despite the inherent economic benefit of getting one.

So this brings us to the most important part of this article: What can we do about this?

Good news! The ordinance has not yet been finalized and must go through both the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors again before becoming law. This means we need still have time to fight this! Here’s what you can do:

Attend any and all hearings of the County Planning Commission, Housing Advisory Commission, and Board of Supervisors as possible. Even if they aren’t hearing this particular item on the day you attend, you should still stand up to speak during oral communications to let them know how you feel. The schedules for each of these bodies can be found here:
a. Board of Supervisors
b. Planning Commission
c. Housing Advisory Commission
If you cannot attend these meetings then please send a letter via email to all of the Supervisors and their staff: john.leopold@co.santa-cruz.ca.us, zach.friend@co.santa-cruz.ca.us, ryan.coonerty@santacruzcounty.us, greg.caput@co.santa-cruz.ca.us, bruce.mcpherson@co.santa-cruz.ca.us
Write a letter to the editor to the Sentinel expressing your dissatisfaction with the new rules. Need material? Email me and I can provide you with some samples, or we can even write a letter together: gad@mysccar.org
SHARE THIS ARTICLE! Seriously, share this article with all of your friends, post it on Facebook NextDoor, email it to your coworkers, send it to anybody who will listen!
If you are interested in any of the above options but have questions or comments about anything in this article do not hesitate to email me: gad@mysccar.org. I can help you with what you want to say and how to say it. I am also going to start holding regular organizing meetings with people who are interested so that we can stay ahead of this issue.

See The Cabrillo Stage Production of Chicago!

June 29, 2016 by Seb Frey

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This past Friday, my wife and I went to see the opening night of the Cabrillo Stage production of Chicago at the Crocker Theater on the campus of Cabrillo College. We live not far from there, and for years I’d been driving under the pedestrian bridge across Soquel Drive and seeing the various banners for Cabrillo Stage productions hung there. I’d long been enticed to check it out, but I’d never actually gone to see a performance, until last week.

The Chicago Lineup doin' All That Jazz — The Chicago Lineup doin’ All That Jazz

I think the reason I’d never gone before was that I assumed that the productions would be the Community College version of a High School theater production. I’d imagined a rag tag group of enthusiastic but amateurish thespians belting out classic Broadway show tunes accompanied by canned music against a backdrop of cardboard cut-outs.

Cabrillo Stage is a Professional Production

It turns out, Cabrillo Stage is a production company separate and apart from Cabrillo College. Cast and crew are first rate professionals who work on productions all throughout California, and in fact many of them have worked nationwide and on Broadway in New York City. The quality of the performance I saw is not unlike what you’d find at the Curran Theater in San Francisco or the well-regarded and very popular San Jose Stage Company.

As a boy, I was an understudy for a couple of roles with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco (Happy Landings, A Christmas Carol), and I also performed with the San Francisco Boys Chorus in several productions of the San Francisco Opera (Carmen, Tosca, and La Bohème). I’ve never actually seen a Broadway play, and now you know the extent of my stage experience.

I’m a real estate broker, not a theater critic, so I’m really not one to be able to judge the quality of the Chicago production that I saw. What I can tell you though is that the crowd was buzzing – people were jazzed, laughing, and clapping, and the show ended with a standing ovation. I had a great time, and left genuinely impressed with what I’d seen. It’s amazing to me that this kind of entertainment can be had literally a 15 minute walk from my front door, and that I’d never availed myself of it before. If only I’d known! Well now I do, and so do you. 🙂

Janie Scott, Director and Choreographer

A couple of days before opening night, I had a chance to sit down with Janie Scott, the director and choreographer. Ms. Scott is no stranger to Cabrillo Stage, having directed and choreographed number of productions for Cabrillo Stage over the years, including Guys and Dolls, Kiss Me Kate, Swing, Honk! and Some Like It Hot. She has a career spanning decades and has a wide gamut of talent: she’s been a singer, dancer, actor, director, and choreographer, having appeared on Broadway in A Chorus Line, Peter Pan, and Merrily we Roll Along. She also served over 20 years as a Professor in the School of Music and Dance at San Jose State University.

When speaking with her, I hardly knew where to begin our conversation (I’m not a professional journalist, either!). But our talk gravitated around her professional career. She’s been at this for decades, honing her craft in numerous roles. She’s a consummate artist, and I was very curious to hear how she’d been so successful for such a long period of time.

I came away learning that success in theater comes down to several key elements: passion, persistence, talent, and some degree of luck. Watching the show, you could see and feel the passion and talent on stage – it was palpable. The experiences of the director, cast, and crew all blended together to create an extraordinary night out in Aptos, one that I won’t soon forget.

Cabrillo Stage Tickets and Events

The production of Chicago runs until July 10th, and Fiddler on the Roof runs between July 21st and August 14th. Ticket prices for Chicago range from $18-$45 and $16-$45 for the production of Fiddler.

Cabrillo Stage is having a couple of special events, where the public is welcome to join the creative team for a Directors and Cast discussion. The event is hosted by Jon Nordgren, the artistic director for Cabrillo Stage, and is free to attend. Anyone who is interested in professional theater should find these events to be fun and insightful.

Aptos Real Estate Update June 2016

June 22, 2016 by Seb Frey

Hey Aptos – we’re officially – finally! – in summer, so it’s time for the Aptos Real Estate Update June 2016! And this time – for the first time in ages – there is actually some NEWS in the Aptos Real Estate market! And the news could be good, or bad, depending on your perspective…so check this out:

Aptos Real Estate Market Showing Weakness

You’ll probably want to know that the median home price for single family homes in Aptos in May 2016 was $855,000. This is 1.8% higher than the year-ago median of $840K – but after accounting for inflation, the “real” median price is virtually unchanged from a year ago.

But a lot of other numbers did change, like sales volume. We sold 22 homes in Aptos in May 2016, a decrease of 24% from a year ago when 29 homes sold in May 2015.

What’s YOUR Aptos House Value?

Aptos Home Prices — Find YOUR Home’s Value!

Interested to know what your Aptos house is worth in today’s real estate market? Then head over to SellForSure.com for an instant, on-line evaluation of your Aptos home’s value.

Homes also took longer to sell than a year ago – the homes which sold did so in an average of 43 days, nearly 23% slower than this time last year, when homes sold in an average of 35 days.

Sellers also received less compared to their asking price this year, receiving just 99.6% of asking price. That sounds great, but last year, sellers received 101.9% of asking price in May 2015.

Aptos Seller’s Market May be at its End

The big news in this month’s Aptos real estate news is that we may be reaching the end of this amazing seller’s market we’ve had for the past several years. There are presently a total of 104 single family homes listed for sale on the Aptos MLS, with 21 of them under contract. The way I figure it, that means there is now a 5.9 month supply of homes.

What happened? How did we go from less than 3 months’ supply of homes to nearly six? Check out this chart below:

This chart shows listing and sales activity in the “Spring” period in Aptos (March 20th through June 20th) from 2003 through 2016. As you can see, there were relatively few houses listed in Aptos this spring – 22% fewer than average, with just 116 homes having been listed this spring versus an average of 149 homes in the other years.

While new listings are down – sales volume is way, way down. Between 2003-215 we averaged 87.8 homes sold in the spring period; this year, we had 64 go ‘pending’ – many of which are under contract still as of this writing and may fall out. But assuming that all of those ‘pending’ homes close, we’re still have 27% fewer sales this spring than average – and 33% fewer closings than last spring.

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When you add it all up, it’s clear that May 2016 was a poor month for home sales in Aptos, and that the whole spring selling season was remarkably soft.

It’s too soon to call this a trend, but the fact is we are now poised on the precipice of leaving a seller’s market (defined as a market with less than 6 months’ supply of homes). There is more inventory available today than we’ve seen in a long, long time – and if buyers don’t step up to buy these homes chop-chop, we can expect to see this translate into lower home prices.

What about the rest of our area?

Want to know what’s going on with home prices in the Bay Area? For a complete report on our regional market as a whole, check out my recent article about making sense of Bay Area Home Prices

Low, Median, and Highest Sales – Single-Family Homes

1943 Redwood Drive - 3/2 1418sf sold $552,800 after 20 DOM — 1943 Redwood Drive – 3/2 1418sf sold $552,800 after 20 DOM

144 Camino Pacifico - 3/2.5 184sf sold $885K after 11 DOM — 144 Camino Pacifico – 3/2.5 184sf sold $885K after 11 DOM

540 Beach Drive - 3/3.5 1952sf sold $1,823,000 after 140 DOM — 540 Beach Drive – 3/3.5 1952sf sold $1,823,000 after 140 DOM

Low, Median, and Highest Sales – Condos/Townhomes

There were 10 sales of condos and townhomes in May 2016, a drop of 8.3% compared to a year ago. The median sales price was $626,000 – a gain of 9.8% compared to the prior year’s median of $570,000. These 10 homes sold in an average of 39 days on market, and sellers received 99% of asking price for their homes, similar to last year when they received 99.6%.

408 Sailfish Drive - 2/1 844sf sold $550K after 10 DOM — 408 Sailfish Drive – 2/1 844sf sold $550K after 10 DOM

122 Stephen Road - 2/2.5 1224sf sold $622K after 14 DOM — 122 Stephen Road – 2/2.5 1224sf sold $622K after 14 DOM

230 Rio Del Mar Blvd #L - 2/2 972sf sold $775K after 188 DOM — 230 Rio Del Mar Blvd #L – 2/2 972sf sold $775K after 188 DOM

Learning to Surf

June 22, 2016 by Seb Frey

Ahh, summertime! Last year I wrote about how we registered our son for Capitola Junior Guards. That was the last year, it seems, when folks had to get up at o’dark:30 to wait in line to make sure they got the session they wanted (now it’s all done online, boo hoo!).

He is now in his second year of Guards, and so he’s spending hours every day at the beach. We got him one of those $100 foam surfboards from Amazon for his birthday, and now, he’s learning how to surf with it! Check out this video:

Aiden is learning to surf! This is from his first day of surf lessons, and this particular clip is like the 5th or 6th time he got up. I’m a proud papa! #kids #surfing #capitola

A video posted by Sebastian Frey (@sebfrey) on Jun 22, 2016 at 7:31am PDT

This is Our Community

I don’t know how to surf – I tried it once, decades ago, and it seemed too much like work. But I’m proud of my boy, and it brings me incredible joy to watch him learn, and see how much fun he’s having.

What’s also cool to me is that when I tell people, “Hey, my kid just stood up on a surf board for the first time the other day!” I get really warm congratulations from them. Around here, it’s like a rite of passage, and folks are genuinely stoked to hear that Aiden is on his way becoming a surfer.

Of course, it takes a village. Since I myself don’t know how to surf, we asked the son of a friend of ours – who I met, years ago, when I helped them buy a house in La Selva Beach – if he could given Aiden a few lessons.

Their son is himself a Junior Guard, and an amazing kid and incredible role model for our boy. Thank you guys so much for being part of our lives! We are all very grateful for your support. 🙂

Aptos Votes Tomorrow on Local Issues

June 6, 2016 by Seb Frey

Although the November elections steal all the attention, voters in Aptos will go to the polls tomorrow, Tuesday June 7th, to vote on a number of issues of considerable importance. The June ballot is also called the primary election, when voters, for example, make their party’s choice for President, but there are a number of other important measures on the ballot tomorrow as well.

There are two ballot measures that Aptos voters are being asked to weigh in on: Measure Q, and Measure S. Measure Q requires 55% of voters to approve it in order to pass, and Measure S requires a 2/3rd Yes vote to pass.

Measure Q is the more controversial of the two. It seeks to raise $310,000,000 through the sale of bonds, to be repaid through a special assessment on property taxes. The amount of tax would be $23 per $100,000 of assessed value, per year (that’s $184/year for a home with an $800K assessed value). The funds are to be used:

To repair/upgrade classrooms to better prepare students, veterans, workers for good jobs/university transfer by upgrading aging classrooms, technology/science labs, repairing outdated, deteriorating wiring, sewer lines, improving campus safety, handicapped accessibility, increasing water conservation/energy efficiency, and acquiring, constructing, repairing sites/facilities/equipment, shall Cabrillo Community College District issue $310,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, no funding administrators’ salaries/pensions, requiring independent audits, and all funds used locally.

That all sounds great, however, there is significant opposition to this ballot measure. You may have seen the “No on Q” signs sprouting up. Opponents – led by Ray Kaupp, a Cabrillo College professor – have built a very nice web page explaining their opposition to the measure.

Measure S appears to have considerable support in the community. In fact, on the county’s web site which details the measures on the June ballot, there were no arguments made against Measure S. Measure S will authorize the sale of bonds totaling $87,000,000 which will be repaid through a $49.50 tax assessment per single-family and multi-family residential parcel and $86 per agricultural, commercial, or recreational parcel. The funds are to be used for:

Special Tax proceeds are to be used for purposes of and relating to modernizing, upgrading and repairing local libraries in County of Santa Cruz, including but not limited to Aptos, Boulder Creek, Branciforte, Capitola, Downtown Santa Cruz, Felton, Garfield Park, La Selva Beach, Live Oak and Scotts Valley, but excluding library facilities in the City of Watsonville. This shall include, without limitation, new construction, building renovations and service model upgrades such as separate areas for teens and children, flexible spaces and/or meeting rooms and study rooms, flooring, painting, shelving, furniture, technology, and power/data to support other upgrades.

Tough Choice for 2nd District Supervisor

Aptos voters will also be asked to choose who they would like to be the 2nd District County Supervisor. We’re given three choices: incumbent Zach Friend, owner of the SeaBreeze Tavern Rich McInnis, and Becky Steinbruner, resident who is well-known as leading the opposition to the Aptos Village redevelopment project.

Although he is not without his detractors, Supervisor Friend enjoys deep and wide support from the community, and is expected to win in a landslide.

While voting is easy, it is of course easier not to vote. Please don’t succumb to laziness – GET OUT AND VOTE! Your vote definitely matters, and the choices which we will be presented with will affect our quality of life in many ways for decades to come.

Zach Friend Interview: Aptos Village

May 25, 2016 by Seb Frey

In the ninth and final segment of our Zach Friend Interview Series, the Supervisor talks about the Aptos Village Project. Zach stresses that the county’s role in the project at this point is very specific, focusing primarily on traffic improvements such as new signal lights, sidewalk, widening Soquel Drive, installing a dedicated left turn lane, and crosswalks. These will be some of the first changes we’ll see in the Village, and it’s just the beginning of a multi-year process. To the greatest degree possible, the county and the developer will provide information to the community proactively so people can plan accordingly.

Watch the Video Now

We hope that you have enjoyed all these segments of our Zach Friend Interview Series!

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Aptos Real Estate Update May 2016

May 24, 2016 by Seb Frey

It’s been a cold and damp spring this year in Aptos – it seems like only yesterday we were enjoying 90 degree weather in December, and now we’re here at the end of May and I’m wary about leaving the home without a hat and gloves. But I know that summer is right around the corner, because everyone’s counting down the days until we start up Junior Guards. Let’s hope that we feel some summer heat, otherwise there will be lot of teeth chattering on the beach in a couple of weeks!

If you’re a homeowner, you’ll be glad to know though that the heat hasn’t left the Aptos real estate market. It’s been a hot real estate market for so long that I’m running out of fresh superlatives to describe just how awesome it is to be selling a home in Aptos right now. The median price in April hit a lofty $910,000 – which granted is down from February, but it’s still up nearly 11% from this time a year ago.

What’s YOUR Aptos House Value?

Interested to know what your Aptos house is worth in today’s real estate market? Then head over to SellForSure.com for an instant, on-line evaluation of your Aptos home’s value.

This past April, a total of 27 homes sold in Aptos. That’s actually a decline of 23% from a year ago, when we closed 35 homes in April 2015. But get this: the homes which sold in Aptos did so in an average of 19 days. That’s fast. How fast? Well, how about a year ago, homes sold in an average of 112 days? That’s, like, almost six times faster than a year ago.

You may have seen a lot of “for sale” signs going up in your neighborhood – no, you’re not just imagining it. Homes are coming up for sale, as they tend to in the spring and summer. But those signs don’t stay up for long – there are presently 86 single family homes listed for sale on the Aptos MLS, but 28 of those are under contract with just 54 available for purchase. The way I figure it, that’s just less than a 3 month supply of homes on the market. That’s more competition than sellers had two months ago, but it’s still a very strong seller’s market.

[Home-Search-Callout]

The market for condos and townhomes remains ebullient as well – nine condos and townhomes sold in Aptos in April, and they did so in an average of just 18 days and for a median price of $669,000. A year ago, condos and townhomes sold in an average of 33 days – and with a median price of $557,500. That’s a big jump in condo prices – up 20% year over year, actually.
The Aptos real estate market – and the Santa Cruz real estate market in general – remain piping hot this spring selling season. I know a lot of folks out there are thinking that maybe this is a market they want to take advantage of – and with good reason! If you’re thinking about cashing in on today’s stellar real estate market, consider this:

According to the National Association of Realtors, summer is prime home selling season, with 60% of all annual sales occurring late spring through summer.
Nationally, the number of home sales, as well as home prices, reach their peak in the summer with July being the hottest sales month.
Families with children often try to move during the summer months to avoid disrupting school schedules.
The law of supply and demand is in your sellers’ favor. Nationally, homes sales are up 6% over a year ago, with inventory up only 3.6%.
Analysts predict a possible market slowdown after August, as the presidential election (one of the craziest ever!) draws near. Traditionally, election season tends to create uncertainty in the minds of buyers, and nothing is more of a buzz killer for buyer enthusiasm.

What about the rest of Santa Cruz county?

Want to know what’s going on in all of Santa Cruz county? For a complete report on Santa Cruz county as a whole, check out the Santa Cruz County Real Estate Report for May 2016

Low, Median, and Highest Sales – Single-Family Homes

3531 Redwood Drive, 2/2 1,479sf sold for $591,600 in 10 DOM

219 Claudius Drive, 2/2 1,444sf sold for $910,000 in 6 DOM

20 Pleasant Heights Drive, 5/4.5 4,200sf sold for $1,740,000 in 7 DOM

Low, Median, and Highest Sales – Condos/Townhomes

3050 Marlo Court #6, 2/1, 1,045sf, sold for $506,000 in 1 DOM

3030 Arlington Drive, 3/3 1,950sf sold for $669,000 in 17 DOM

120 Rio Del Mar Boulevard, 1/1, 903sf, sold for $842,000 in 30 DOM

Zach Friend Interview: Housing Affordability

May 17, 2016 by Seb Frey

In the eighth segment of our Zach Friend Interview Series, the Supervisor talks about housing affordability and what needs to happen to improve it in Santa Cruz county. According to Friend, too many people live in substandard and overcrowded housing conditions, and it is simply unacceptable for this to be happening in a place and time as wealthy as we live in. The Supervisor notes that if current trends continue, there will be more renters than home owners in Santa Cruz county in a couple of years.

He remarks that many of today’s problems with traffic can be attributed to the fact that most of the new housing in the county has been built in the southern portion of the county, but most of the job growth has been to the north. While the county does not build housing, what it can do is facilitate an environment where housing can be built that fits the present-day and future needs of Santa Cruz county.

The Supervisor also discussed redevelopment of the Par Three Golf Course and the Poor Clares property as well, as there’s been some talk in the community over the years about these properties.

Watch the Video Now

In the ninth segment of the interview, Supervisor Friend wraps up our interview and discusses the Aptos Village Project.

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Aptos Cares

May 13, 2016 by Seb Frey

A couple of weekends ago, Comcast Cares Day came to Mar Vista Elementary School, where my son is currently enrolled in first grade. Each year, the good folks at Comcast sponsor community service events throughout the country, enlisting thousands of volunteers to help make their communities a better place. Comcast provides tools and materials, and actually also donates $10 per volunteer who shows up to help.

Orlando Calderon, Mar Vista Student Parent and Comcast Employee

Mar Vista Elementary School was very fortunate to have been chosen this year, and we owe it to a Mar Vista Elementary school parent, Orlando Calderon, a Comcast employee, who nominated Mar Vista Elementary for the program this year. As it happens, Orlando came to my house and fixed an issue I was having with my high-speed Internet (the first issue I’d had in over 2 years of service) – and he doggedly stuck with it until the issue was resolved. It’s clear that Orlando really cares, about Comcast’s customers and our community as well.

It was great to see so many families from Mar Vista come out to participate in the event. Things got rolling around 7:30 AM, and a whole bunch of folks stayed for the entire day, with a break for lunch provided by Aptos Street BBQ. Lots of kids were out there working too. In an era of omnipresent iPads and other digital distractions, it was really refreshing to see so many kids happily and enthusiastically helping make their school a better place.

Comcast even got Supervisor Zach Friend out of bed early on a Saturday morning, leaving his wife and toddler son back at home, to come and give Principal Rich Determan a certificate from state senator Bill Monning, who, unsurprisingly, could not actually attend in person. I shot a little video of Zach’s remarks, which you can see below.

Zach Friend’s Remarks at Comcast Cares Day

This morning at the gym, I finished watching President Obama’s commencement speech for the 2016 class at Howard University. Say what you like about Obama’s politics, but the guy gives a good speech. What I took away from it is that your personal involvement in the community is really important. It’s not enough to sit and complain and refuse to participate because it’s futile or because the whole system is corrupt.

And I think this is what makes Aptos the amazing place that it is. People are engaged. People care. And you really saw that a couple of weeks ago at Comcast Cares Day. So thanks to Orlando Calderon, to Comcast, and to everyone who came out to help spiff up our school. You’ve helped make the world a better place, one shovel full of mulch and paint brush stroke at a time.