The Santa Cruz County Planning Department will be having a meeting tonight, September 14th, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Aptos Grange Hall. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposal to modernize Santa Cruz County zoning ordinances.

The county planning department has been working for years on updating land use regulations in the Santa Cruz County Code. Drafts are almost complete, and they want to meet with the public to discuss proposals before beginning the Environmental Impact Report. Key proposed updates include the following:

• Permit terms: Move towards more standard and descriptive “use permits” and “site development permits,” allowing for focused reviews and reducing permit costs and review times for some smaller projects (such as a new retail tenant moving into an existing commercial building)
• Regulations to support local commercial agriculture and wineries:
  Allow on-site marketing for wineries, such as public wine tastings
• Update uses allowed in zone districts, such as allowing R&D facilities in commercial areas
• Provide requirements for newer temporary structures such as “PODs” and cargo containers
• Other code changes including new regulations to limit commercial weddings in residential areas

At the meeting, Planning Staff will provide an overview of the code modernization, answer questions, and hear the public’s ideas and comments. They will also let you know how to receive information about future public meetings, and stay engaged as the project moves forward.

If you can’t make tonight’s meeting, two more are planned on subsequent days:

Tuesday, September 15
Simpkins Family Swim Center
979 17th Ave, Live Oak
7:00 – 8:30 PM

Wednesday, September 16
Loma Prieta Community Center
23800 Summit Rd, Los Gatos
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM