We want to remind you that the Santa Cruz City Council is scheduled to conduct a second “oversight” meeting this Tuesday, December 14, on the fast-track development application submitted for 831 Water Street.

It is critically important that you consider doing two things now related to this meeting:

1. Please let the City Council know where you stand on this 5- and 4-story behemoth, which would be located just feet from one-story houses, would create massive transportation problems on a key transportation corridor, and would lead to numerous other significant health and safety issues for people who live in, work in, and/or travel through this area of our city.

• • We’re sorry for the last-minute notice (the council agenda was just recently published), but the deadline to email comments to the council is Monday, December 13, at 5 p.m.
  • The email address for council communications is: citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com.
  • So that they see your message as soon as possible, please also send a copy to the council members’ individual email addresses; they can be found here.

2. If you are able, please calendar and make plans to “attend” the December 14 Zoom meeting to make your voice heard. Please join the meeting and, if you can, chime in with your 1-minute public comment.

• • The December 14 agenda, schedule, and video/audio information can be accessed by going to this council page.

Your support now in these two areas is critically important.

The seemingly never-ending changes the developer continues to make to his application have made reviewing a current version an almost impossible task. However, given the tight deadline for commenting, we have continued to wade through the application’s many layers — and have just sent our own letter to the Council, continuing to urge members to reject again an application that has been (and remains) incomplete and flawed. Here is our group’s letter.

Please take a minute to read our letter and then reinforce any of our issues (or any others that are important to you) in your own email to Council members. And also don’t hesitate to add your own personal perspectives on aspects of this proposed development that most concern you. Every voice matters, including yours!

As we have consistently said, our 831 Responsible Development citizens group remains very supportive of affordable housing — and very supportive of locating it on this very site. But we cannot support a proposal that makes no effort (at all) to be reasonable and responsible (or even coherent).

THANK YOU (very, very much) for your continued support!