Lawsuit Challenges Wharf Redevelopment
The redevelopment of the Santa Cruz Wharf remains in question as a lawsuit, filed Jan. 12, challenges the city’s recently adopted Wharf Master Plan. The city has long contended the wharf is in need of infrastructure updates in light of a changing climate, changes which...
Transportation Commission Considers Electric Train for Santa Cruz County
The historic Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line could take you from Watsonville to Davenport by 2040. Though the tracks have fallen out of use, the Rail Trail proposal would establish a passenger train system on these tracks. The Rail Trail proposal lays the groundwork for...
Sweeps Stopped: Judge Rules in favor of Homeless Union in Encampment Evictions
After two weeks of a temporary restraining order halting any attempts to clear the houseless encampment in the San Lorenzo Park, Judge Susan van Keulen ruled in favor of the Santa Cruz Homeless Union on Jan. 20. The preliminary injunction, granted by Judge van Kuelen,...
Santa Cruz Schools Tackle Food Insecurity With Remote Distribution Program
School lunch services have been unavailable to Santa Cruz students for nine months. Despite the lack of traditional school lunch, the city and county have adapted their food service to accommodate COVID-19 guidelines. Anyone under 18 can now get free lunch at county distribution centers....
Santa Cruz Neighborhood Court Offers Alternative to Traditional Justice System
Petty theft, like shoplifting bread or eating at a restaurant without paying, can subject California offenders to six months in county jail or a fine of up to $1000 — often leading them into cycles of recidivism and hindering potential employment and housing opportunities. To...
Following Protests, Judge Extends Restraining Order Against Houseless Encampment Evictions
[UPDATE, Jan. 13: Judge Susan van Keulen extended a temporary restraining order against the City of Santa Cruz, keeping houseless encampments at San Lorenzo Park open through Jan. 20 as residents await the final ruling. The motion was announced on Jan. 12, a day before...
Santa Cruz Set to Develop 121-Unit Permanent Housing for the Chronically Houseless
The Santa Cruz City Planning Commission approved a proposal to construct permanent supportive housing for Santa Cruz’s houseless population at a Nov. 19 meeting. Set to be built at 119 Coral St., the building will be a five-story, 121 unit complex providing housing and health...
Benchlands to Golflands: Temporary Housing Encampment Moves Across Town
This is a follow up to a CHP story published about the closing of the Benchlands encampment on Oct. 29. Winding up an isolated road through the De Laveaga golf course, down a smaller fork, through a gated, barbed wire fence, and behind the National...
Boardwalk Closes Again After One Weekend As Santa Cruz COVID Cases Rise
As of Nov. 18 at 11:00 p.m, there are 3,628 cases of COVID-19 in Santa Cruz County, including 27 deaths and 2,962 recovered cases. For a weekend, a Santa Cruz mainstay returned. On Nov. 7, the Boardwalk became the first amusement park in California to...
Elections Update Across Santa Cruz
When the clock hit eight on Tuesday, Nov. 3, the polls closed and many people found themselves constantly refreshing their phones to see the latest results of the presidential election. While 2020 has been regarded as a pivotal election year, the election also saw important...