On November 22, 2016 the Santa Cruz City Council will vote on a proposed $40 million dollar Wharf Master Plan. (Comments are due by November 16, 2016.)

The proposed Wharf Master Plan changes the wharf's historical relationship to the natural marine environment by significantly increasing the commercial enterprise on the wharf while short-changing the environmental impact the construction will have on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Please join us in the following objections to the Wharf Master Plan:

-Don't morph the wharf to add 2-story buildings with 35 commercial lease spaces, a 86% increase in commercial use. The current 19 commercial spaces are more than enough. We go to the wharf to enjoy the bay, not to buy.

-Don't morph the wharf to build three 45-foot tall buildings on the wharf. When we look out towards the bay from the boardwalk and West Cliff Drive, we want to see nature, not three 45-foot tall buildings on the water.

 -Don't morph the wharf by removing the sea lion viewing portals and expecting the sea lions to move closer to boating traffic near the proposed outrigger planks. We want to enjoy seeing sea lions while keeping their environment as natural as possible.

-Don't morph the wharf to adversely impact our marine wildlife during the noisy (180dB-190dB) and disruptive construction process. We support the Sierra Club's request for a full Environmental Impact Report before any wharf construction is approved. We want the impact on all marine species, including humpback whales, sea otters, nesting cormorants, and Pigeon Guillemots to be properly evaluated and considered. Any consultation with NOAA Fisheries should be obtained and reviewed before the master plan is approved, not after.

-Don't morph the wharf to create long-term environmental issues. We join the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's concerns about coating 800 new wharf pilings with ACZA (ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate). We ask for a more thorough and detailed evaluation of this toxic substance's impact on our marine environment than the Mitigative Negative Declaration (MND) provides. A MND is inadequate for such an environmentally significant project within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. 

We love our waterfront and want to preserve its natural beauty and integrate it well with the natural environment, including the birds and sea creatures that share our lovely shore.

The Wharf Master Plan and MND can be viewed at: http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/departments/economic-development/development-projects/santa-cruz-wharf-master-plan

Other comments can be sent to NDaly@cityofsantacruz.com by November 16, 2016.