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Seacliff Village Park Now Open

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Seacliff Village Park is Now Open!
Seacliff Village Park is Now Open!

After nearly twenty years of work by our community, the Seacliff Village Park is now open! Despite the damp conditions for the event, dozens of community members came out for the ribbon cutting. Food was provided by Manuel’s Restaurant and Severino’s, and many children got their first chance to break in the new play structures.

Before the ribbon was cut, a number of people who had been instrumental in the park’s creation made a few remarks, including Kate Minott (the 2nd District Parks Commissioner and Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks) and Zach Friend, the our 2nd District County Supervisor. A complete video recording of the remarks and ribbon cutting is available here, along with a number of photographs.

Video of the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony


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Seacliff Village Park is Now Open!

County Zoning Ordinance Meeting Tonight

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Santa Cruz County Seal
Santa Cruz County Seal

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

Community Meeting at the Aptos Library on June 3rd

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Community Meeting
Community Meeting on June 3rd from 6:30 to 8:30

Signs have popped up all over Aptos about a community meeting to be held at the Aptos Library on Wednesday, June 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Details have been posted on NextDoor.com. In case you’ve missed the discussion there, the thread begins with:

The purpose of this gathering is to update residents about the Aptos Village Subdivision, and the potential future changes to the County Planning Department building permit process that may violate Measure J stipulations regarding public hearings on land use. Planning Director Ms. Previsich presented some of these proposals to the County Board of Supervisors at the May 19 meeting and will continue the presentation at the June 9 meeting. You can view and listen to this presentation via the Board of Supervisor website: www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/… and click on May 19.

A guest speaker for the meeting Gary Patton, former Santa Cruz County Supervisor, land use attorney, and the “author of Measure J.” It should be an interesting evening and worth attending!

New Rio del Mar Roundabout is Now Under Construction

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The folks at the Rio del Mar Improvement Association (RDMIA) have announced that the New Rio del Mar roundabout is now under construction.  The RDMIA has been working with the County of Santa Cruz to bring a much-needed improvement to both the traffic flow and aesthetics of the Rio del Mar Beach area. As part of the construction the “Whaley” sculpture presently located at the intersection of Clubhouse Drive and Rio del Mar Boulevard will be installed in the new roundabout.

These efforts are part of the RDMIA’s “Beautification” strategy for 2014/2015. Part of the plan also includes construction of a new welcome sign to the Rio del Mar Beach Neighborhood, pictured here:

Rio del Mar Neighborhood Sign
Rio del Mar Neighborhood Sign

The roundabout construction project should be completed in the next few weeks. The Rio del Mar neighborhood sign has not yet broken ground, but the RDMIA hopes to have the sign installed in early 2015.

In addition, there will be a new “memorial bench” program for new benches along the esplanade. The RDMIA is accepting donations to help pay for these improvements. Please consider donating, by sending a check to:

RDMIA
PO Box 274
Aptos, CA. 95001

You can also make a credit card donation on the RDMIA Facebook Page.  For additional information on the project, please contact Melanie Freitas at 831-251-3550 or at MelanieF1@aol.com

Whaley Sculpture in Aptos/Rio del Mar
Whaley Sculpture in Aptos/Rio del Mar