New Housing: Mixed-Use, 33-Unit Pleasure Point Project Approved

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — On Tuesday the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors signed off on a 33-unit, mixed-use housing and commercial project in Pleasure Point, the county announced. The project, which includes four units for very low-income households, is the first approved under a 2018 ordinance allowing developers to increase residential density up to 50 percent for mixed-income projects and 75 percent for entirely affordable housing projects. So-called density bonuses offer increased housing access to low-income residents without public subsidies, the county said.

The project will be located along Portola Drive, between 40th and 38th Avenues, the county said in a press release. Commercial and restaurant spaces with large windows and high ceilings will line the first floor, and the project will feature an extended sidewalk with trees and landscaping. Parking will be available underground and behind the building, out of sight, the county said.

The project is a two- and three-story, 33,000-square-foot development including nine one-bedroom apartments and 20 two-bedrooms, according to the Board of Supervisors agenda materials. The lot is about 53,000 square feet, which would be big enough for 21 units, if Santa Cruz County did not offer density bonuses.

Two commercial buildings and other structures must be demolished before construction can begin, according to the agenda item.

Density cuts back urban sprawl, helps protect water resources, makes neighborhoods more walkable, and encourages use of public transit and bicycles, the county said.