Email the following Objective Standards to Sarah Neuse sneuse@cityofsantacruz.com who is gathering suggestions for Objective Standards. This is very important to do because the residents and those who care about Santa Cruz want to have a say on what is built in Santa Cruz. By emailing as many Objective Standards as are listed here we have a chance to keep out of scale buildings from being built in Santa Cruz.

Background:

On Page 3 of this flow chart shows if a developer submits a Streamlined Multifamily Project to be built in California due to Bill SB35 the only way a building can be altered is if an Objective Standard is not met. There are currently projects proposed to be streamlined. Without Objective Standards the projects will be approved. Please See: https://www.sccoplanning.com/Portals/2/County/Planning/zoning/SB35%20Streamlined%20Review%20Guide.pdf

·         Now is the time for all of us who do not want high-rise buildings built in Santa Cruz that cast shade on nearby homes to email as many of the following Objective Standards as possible to Sarah Neuse sneuse@cityofsantacruz.com on or before June 1.

Other California towns have some of these Objective Standards.

·         If a building is built after 2021 high filtration air system is required for exercise, yoga, workout rooms required to filter the air to protect from spreading viruses.

·         The pitch of roofs to match in design to adjacent structures.

·         Any structure built after 2021 shall not cast a shadow on an existing structure no more than 3 hours of the day.

·         Any structure shall not impede sunlight on to adjacent structures with solar panels more than 3 hours per day.

·         Any structures with rooftop activity will require 2” acoustical sound walls.

·         The height of any building within 100 ft of a single-family home shall be no taller than 4 stories high including density bonus.

·         Residential projects located across the street from single-family neighborhoods shall orient the buildings to the street with individual entries, patio areas and landscaping facing the single-family homes. Parking lot areas and carports shall not be located along single-family neighborhood street frontages.

·          Duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes abutting single-family neighborhoods shall include individual front doors and interior stairs (when stairs are needed).

·         Affordable units and market-rate units in the same development shall be constructed of the same or similar exterior materials and details such that the units are not distinguishable.

·         Blank walls (facades without doors, windows, landscaping treatments) shall be less than 30 feet in length along sidewalks, pedestrian walks, or publicly accessible outdoor space areas.

·         Trim surrounds shall be provided at all exterior window and door openings. In lieu of exterior window trim, windows can be recessed from wall plane by a minimum of three inches.

·         Buildings shall have minor massing breaks at least every 50 feet along the street frontage, through the use of varying setbacks, building entries and recesses, or structural bays. Minor breaks shall be a minimum of 12 inches deep and four feet wide and extend the full height of the building.

·         Rooflines shall be vertically articulated at least every 50 feet along the street frontage through the use of architectural elements such as parapets, varying cornices, reveals, clerestory windows, and varying roof height and/or form.

·         No unbundled parking

·         Structured parking shall be designed such that interior lighting shall be fully shielded and automobile headlamps shall not be visible from adjacent buildings, parcels, streets, public parks, publicly accessible outdoor space or designated open space area. 

·         In addition to the required number of parking spaces shall be made available for use by guests, as follows: · 0.10 spaces per dwelling unit for affordable projects (defined as projects reserving at least 50% or more of the units for income-restricted households, as defined under California Law). · 0.15 spaces per dwelling unit for all other projects These guest parking spaces shall be located outside of any security gates or other access limitation devices unless provisions are made to allow a resident to remotely communicate with and provide access to the visiting guest (such as through an intercom and remote control gate, or other similar devices). 

·         Buildings shall have minor massing breaks at least every 50 feet along the street frontage, through the use of varying setbacks, building entries and recesses, or structural bays. Minor breaks shall be a minimum of 18 inches deep and four feet wide and extend the full height of the building.  

·         Meter for each units to help our town conserve water

·         There shall be distribution of low-income and very low-income housing built throughout the town for racial equity.

·         Affordable units should be in larger units as well as smaller units.

·         Primary building entrances and associated paths of travel shall be visible from the adjacent street.

·         Mirrored glass is prohibited on the exterior of building in order to minimize off-site glare and maximize transparency.

·         At least two materials shall be used on any building frontage, in addition to glazing and railings. Any one material must comprise at least 20% of the building frontage, excluding windows and railings. A change in material must be offset by a minimum of six inches in depth.

·         The tallest part of the building shall not take up a full floor.

·          Landscaping standards shall promote the creation of green space within commercial, industrial and medium- to high-density residential districts in order to maintain quality of life of those districts, buffer off street parking areas, reduce drainage off site, filter noise and light, encourage the planting of trees throughout the community, and support the City’s health and climate change policies.

Street trees: All commercial, industrial, and multi-family residential developments within the City shall provide boulevard trees in addition to and separate from other plant requirements. 

·         Trees, shrubs, fences, walls and other landscape features depicted on plans approved by the 

·         City will be considered as elements of the project in the same manner as parking, building materials and other plan details. The landowner, or successor in interest, or agent, if any, will be jointly responsible for regularly maintaining all landscaping so that it presents a healthy, neat, and orderly appearance, including the removal of weed species as well as the repair or replacement of damaged or destroyed landscaping.

·         Any heritage tree (s) that is in the footprint of a proposed large development shall be relocated rather than cut down. 

·         Depending on size and species, mature heritage trees store on average 1-2 metric tons of carbon. The usual method of removal after cutting is chipping, which means the vast amount of carbon is released to the atmosphere within 5 years. Replacement saplings take many decades of growth to become equivalent carbon sinks. Removal of heritage trees works against the goals of the city's Climate Action Plan. Relocation of heritage trees has a high success rate and is consistent with the CAP goals.

Thank you for your important help to keep Santa Cruz from being overbuilt.