News

Libraries Measure S Presentation

May 11, 2016 by Seb Frey

Janice O’Driscoll, the interim director of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL), and Kate Canlis, Vice President of Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, made a presentation last week at the Capitola-Aptos Rotary Club to discuss the state of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries and Ballot Measure S, a $67 million bond measure to improve the Santa Cruz Public Libraries.

Ms. O’Driscoll began with some background on the Santa Cruz Public library system. She noted that it has 10 branches, a bookmobile and a virtual services branch. It serves 219,000 people in northern Santa Cruz County from past Davenport down to the border of Freedom (Watsonville is not part of the SCPL system). The system handles 2 million circulations per year including “hard” books, e-books and downloaded video. They have 223,000 titles in their collections (including electronic or virtual items). In addition, they also provide 2300 programs a year for people of all ages. Programs vary including helping seniors learn to use iPads and kids learning to play chess.

Santa Cruz Measure S is on the June Ballot

Ms. O’Driscoll stated that the Library has signed a contract for a faster broadband Internet connection, which will go into effect the first part of July. This will necessitate that each branch be rewired and accommodate the faster service. They serve families and individuals who can’t afford Internet access (or a computer) at home. Their goal is to bring everyone in the county into the 21st century.

Kate Canlis spoke specifically about Measure S, which will pay for the upgraded wiring and many other renovations and improvements. These will include new roofs, story-telling space for kids, book clubs for adults, science programs, new bathrooms and a new building in Felton. Capitola also needs a new building which will be partially funded by redevelopment money.

Measure S will be on the ballot in June and will add $49.50 to property taxes per residential parcel, for a span of 30 years. The measure will require 2/3rds voter approval to pass, so strong community support will be needed if the measure is to be successful.

Zach Friend Interview: Fiber Optic Broadband Internet

May 3, 2016 by Seb Frey

In the seventh segment of our Zach Friend Interview Series, the Supervisor talks about Fiber Optic Broadband Internet which will be publicly financed. Zach Friend mentions that the first legislation he brought forward upon being elected was a “dig once” policy to require notification to all utilities when a road would be dug up, so all concerned parties could do whatever work they needed to do at the same site, at a fraction of the cost.

The Santa Cruz Fiber Optic Broadband project is part of the Sunseys project. Every 1600 feet, any Internet provider will be allowed to break into the line to provide “incredibly” high speed Internet to any customer. Providing ultra-high speed Internet to residents of Aptos and Santa Cruz county is very important as it will enable high-tech Silicon Valley companies to open satellite offices here in Santa Cruz county, allowing many workers to stay locally and off the roads. This project has already gone through all the environmental impact reports and is now in the permitting phase.

Watch the Video Now

In the eighth segment of the interview, Supervisor Friend talks about the lack of affordable housing in Santa Cruz county, and what can be done to improve the situation.

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Aptos Real Estate Update April 2016

April 20, 2016 by Seb Frey

I’m not going to bury the lede on this one: the median price for single-family homes in Aptos recently broke $1,100,000. Yes, you read that right: in February 2016, 12 single-family homes sold in Aptos, and the median price was $1,1045,00 (one home was an ocean view home on Kingsbury in Rio del Mar). That’s an increase of over 50% year to year, as the median home price in February 2015 was $700,750.

But in March, we had nearly twice as many closings, and the median home price dropped – all the way down to $829,000 (for another ocean view Aptos home, but one considerably further from the actual ocean). A year ago, in March 2015, the median price in Aptos was was $870,000 so the March 2016 median home price was actually down 4.7% year over year.

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.

Don’t let those March numbers fool you though. As a whole, the median home price in Santa Cruz county in February hit $794,500 and was $790,000 in March. We have officially entered new territory, as both of those numbers are higher than the previous all-time median home price high set in November 2005 – a couple years before the market meltdown.

If you needed any more persuading about what a hot market Santa Cruz is right now, Realtor.com recently reported that Santa Cruz is the 4th Hottest Real Estate Market in the country.

Zillow says Best time to List is May in Aptos

You might say that the Aptos real estate market is in rude good health. There are presently 67 single-family homes listed for sale in Aptos, but of those 26 are under contract, leaving just 41 homes available for purchase. That works out to about a 71 day supply of homes. Homes sold in an average of 33 days in March.

There’s no question about it: the Aptos and Santa Cruz real estate markets have never been better – if you’ve got a home you’re thinking of selling that is. As it happens, Zillow has declared that May is the best time to list a home in Aptos, estimating sellers will receive an additional $11,310 on average versus listing in April. If ever there were a time to sell a home in Aptos – it seems this is it.

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 April 2016

359 Beach Drive sold in March 2016 for $2,100,000

Community Celebration of Historic Aptos Village

April 19, 2016 by Seb Frey

A community celebration of historic Aptos Village is being planned for Saturday, April 30th from 11 AM until 2 PM. The event is to be held at the icon of Aptos Village, the Bayview Hotel. This is a free event, complete with refreshments and live music in the hotel’s garden. A number of long-time Aptos residents will be on hand to recount the history of the village.

Notable among them is Mrs. Anne Isaacs who will tell her story about lying down on the railroad tracks 55 years ago – dressed in costume from the 1880’s – to prevent a train from ruining the Aptos Community Family Picnic Day, and the World’s Shortest Parade. She’ll be joined by other card-carrying members of the famous Tuesday Afternoon Aptos Ladies Society (a group formed in 1961 to defeat a cement batching plant which had been planned for Aptos Village).

It should be a fun and interesting event, and if you’re curious about Aptos history, this ought to be an entertaining and educational event! For more information, call Nancy at 831-688-4453.

Aptos Wine Wander Set for May 14

April 19, 2016 by Seb Frey

Aptos Village businesses have announced they will host the first-ever Aptos Wine Wander, a fundraiser for Aptos-area elementary schools held in partnership with the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association, on Saturday, May 14 2016.

The inaugural event, which will be 1-4 p.m., will feature wines from 10 fine Santa Cruz Mountain Wineries. Participating wineries include: Armitage Wines, Bargetto Winery, Bottle Jack Winery, Mindego Ridge Vineyard, MJA Vineyards, Nicholson Vineyards, Sante Arcangeli Family Winery, Silver Mountain Vineyards, Windy Oaks Estate Vineyard & Winery and Wrights Station Vineyard & Winery.

Tastings will be offered inside Aptos Village businesses, located on Soquel Drive and Trout Gulch Road. Wine Wanderers will be encouraged to walk business-to-business to explore the shops and sample wine. Wine tastings will be offered at Cantine Winepub, Warmth Company, Mulberry Gallery, Armitage Wines, Talmadge Construction, Gravity Saddlemaker, Jet Set Bohemian, Claudia DeMaranville Allstate, Aptos Village Garage, Print Smith and Epicenter Cycling.

“The Wine Wander is one of several new events local businesses will be hosting to remind Aptos residents of the wonderful services that are available here in the ‘heart of the Village’” said Claudia DeMaranville, agency principal for Allstate Insurance, a longtime Aptos Village business. “The Aptos Village is a diverse shopping area that allows our residents to buy local and receive fantastic customer service close to home.”

Barry Swenson Builders, Appenrodt Commercial Properties, Testorff Construction, Aptos Village Merchants, Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association and Times Publishing Group are sponsoring the event.

“We are excited to be a part of this whimsical, community-oriented event that draws people into locally owned businesses while showcasing the amazing wines made in our region,” said Mary Gourlay, Development Project Manager at Barry Swenson Builder, which is developing the Aptos Village Project.

Proceeds from the Aptos Wine Wander will benefit Mar Vista, Rio del Mar and Valencia Elementary Schools. Tickets, which include a commemorative glass, are $35 in advance and are available online through the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association, http://scmwa.com/event/aptos-wine-wander. Tickets will be $40 at the door.

Zach Friend Interview: Sustainable Santa Cruz

April 18, 2016 by Seb Frey

In the sixth segment of our Zach Friend Interview Series, the Supervisor talks about the Sustainable Santa Cruz County plan. The Supervisor says that the county has been trying to look for new ways to do a lot of things. How can we manage growth in Santa Cruz county in better ways to create a more livable and sustainable community – while respecting Measure J, the growth management plan passed in 1984.

The Sustainable Santa Cruz county plan will direct the quality and direction of development in Santa Cruz county for years to come: what kind of new housing should we create, and where should we create it? The same questions go for jobs – what kind of new jobs do we want, and where do we want them? How can we create live/work environments, and how can we take cars off the roads? Zach touches on all of these in this segment of the interview.

Watch the Video Now

In the seventh segment of the interview, Supervisor Friend talks about the upcoming Fiber Optic Internet Broadband Service which should be reaching customer doors toward the end of 2017.

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21st Century Classroom Opens at Twin Lakes

April 18, 2016 by Seb Frey

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The first 21st Century Classroom in Santa Cruz County has opened at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos. The building, constructed at a cost of $12.1 million is an impressive 40,500 square feet built in three levels and features 12 classrooms, a computer lab, science lab, several rooms for church programs, and an amphitheater.

The new school building has long been on the campus master plan, but the current vision for the project began to take shape about eight years ago. One of the key leaders in the effort was executive pastor Mark Spurlock, who kindly made himself available for a guided tour of the facility.

It features a wide array of high-tech touches, including LED lighting systems throughout the facility that recognize when people enter a room, and when they leave so the lights can be shut off. What’s more, there are ambient light sensors that adjust the lighting level to be well balanced with natural light from the windows.

The building is climate controlled to keep the indoor temperature at an even 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which has been determined to be the best temperature for students to learn in. What’s more, rooms which are unoccupied can be left cold or hot while rooms which are occupied will have their temperatures maintained at optimal levels.

Each classroom features a long whiteboard, onto which can be projected the output from AppleTVs, Chrome Casts, or a scanner on the teacher’s desk for projecting old-fashioned printed material. Teachers can write all over the white board with old fashioned dry erase markers as well, combining the best of “old school” and new technologies.

The structure was designed by long-time parishioner Rich Ifland of Ifland Engineers (designers of the iconic Santa Cruz Lighthouse). Mr. Ifland studied the latest in school and classroom designs from around the country, but in particular in the Seattle area where they have opened dozens of new schools in the past 20 years.

The structure was built by local firm Bogard Construction, which has built most of the buildings on the Twin Lakes Campus. They broke ground in 2014 and were able to finish the whole project on time and on budget. Funding for the project came completely from donations within the church.

The school serves primarily students from Kindergarten through 5th Grade, with middle-school aged children coming in to use the science and computer labs. With the expanded capacity, the school has more space to accept a few dozen new and lucky students and they are currently accepting applications for enrollment.

Multi-Million Dollar Aptos Foreclosure at 631 Quail Run Road

April 11, 2016 by Seb Frey

A Multi-Million Dollar Aptos Foreclosure has returned to the Aptos real estate market. The home is located at 631 Quail Run Road, has been on and off the market for the past several years and is back this spring with a reduced price of “just” $3,790,000. It’s a stunning hilltop estate built on 68 acres, less than five minutes to Aptos Village. The home offers incredible Monterey Bay and forest views from nearly every room. The home features five bedrooms, 6 full bathrooms (and 3 half baths), and nearly 10,000 square feet of living space.

On the outside, the home offers a fresh, contemporary take on the classic English Tudor style, complete with a distinctive Cotswold rolled roof design that mimics thatch roofs of yore. The inside is a veritable wonderland of custom design elements, with handcrafted wood trim, doors, book cases, shelving, bannisters, and much more. The home features a living room, family room, office, library, play room, recreation room, media room, and a sunroom off the master suite which connects to the lap pool in the patio just outside. There’s also garage space for four vehicles, and an 1100 square foot guest house.

[Home-Price-Callout]

The master suite is particularly impressive, with not only his-and-hers closets, but his-and-hers bathroom suites as well.

The home was built in 1992, reportedly at a cost of $8,000,000 and today’s offering price of just $3,790,000 would have to be considered a reasonable price (consider after all the kind of relatively humble abode $1,000,000 buys in today’s market). The property is currently listed with Christine Evans at Bailey Properties, but can be shown by the agent or broker of your choice. The home is gated so you can’t drive by to see it, but it is vacant and available to see any time.

The bank which owns the property is offering special financing options for the home, and they are encouraging buyers to submit their best offer today.

Video Tour

Photo Gallery

Zach Friend Interview: Passenger Train and Rail Trail

March 31, 2016 by Seb Frey

In the fifth segment of our interview with Supervisor Zach Friend, we discuss Santa Cruz Passenger Train service and the Santa Cruz Rail Trail. This is one of the longest segments in our interview, clocking in at over seven minutes. It’s a fairly wide ranging discussion in which the Supervisor talks about the hurdles to establishing passenger rail service, or removing the rails and proceeding with a trail-only solution as some in the community have advocated for. Whether you’re pro-train, anti-rail, or still haven’t made up your mind, you will find this segment very interesting to watch.

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In the sixth segment of the interview, Supervisor Friend talks about the Sustainable Santa Cruz plan, and the overall economic vitality plan for the county.

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Micro Business Summit comes to Aptos

March 31, 2016 by Seb Frey

Micro Business Summit at Cabrillo VAPA, April 22, 2016

The Santa Cruz Micro Business Summit comes to Aptos this April 22nd!

According to Barbara Mason, 82% of the businesses in Santa Cruz County have 9 or fewer employees. That’s 82% of over 14,000 businesses!!! The Santa Cruz County Office for Economic Development wants to help businesses thrive and grow and stay in our county. At the behest of the Board of Supervisors, the Office for Economic Development is planning a business education summit day.

There will be no vendor booths – just classes with great topics and outstanding speakers. The county’s ROP Digital Arts program will be filming every speaker, so if there are two great topics during the same time period, you will be able to watch one live and the other on a computer later from the comfort of your own home or device. You can choose to see all 24 education sessions and the keynote speaker, Kent Burnes, who is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant for small business.

This event has a long list of sponsors, including PG&E, PayPal, SCORE, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Central Coast SBDC, Lighthouse Bank, Bay Federal Credit Union, KSCO, with many more, and more signing up daily.

Tickets to the event are $49 and can be purchased here. They have also set up a Facebook page for the event as well which gives greater detail on what the various speakers will be presenting on.