Controversial Library, Housing Project Advances At City Council

SANTA CRUZ, CA — The Santa Cruz City Council voted Tuesday to advance a mixed-use housing, library and parking garage project, but a local group has already vowed to try and stop its development.

The project would relocate the library to the site of Parking Lot 4, located at Cathcart and Cedar streets in downtown Santa Cruz, and build an affordable housing project with at least 50 units, ideally for downtown workers due to environmental reasons, said Mayor Justin Cummings during the meeting. There would also be a garage with up to 400 parking spaces to accommodate tenants and downtown traffic.

The proposed project has been considered by a Downtown Library Subcomittee, which recommended the council sign off on the concept. Last week a majority of the council did just that, with Councilmembers Katherine Beiers and Sandy Brown voting in opposition, and Councilmember Cynthia Mathews recusing herself from the conversation and vote due to a conflict of interest.

The council will consider relocating the farmers market to a parking lot at Front and Cathcart streets.

The Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce called the council vote "the right decision for our city's future" in an open letter.

Downtown Commons Advocates issued a statement calling the council's decision misguided and urged the library to be rebuilt at its existing site. Market-rate housing "does not belong on city land, and every dime of income from affordable housing fees should be used to leverage the development of more affordable housing units, not increase library square footage."

The group said it planned to use "legal and political remedies" to stop the project and called upon others to speak out against it.