The Santa Cruz Planning Commission will be considering creating a new unit type called an FDU (flexible density unit).  The city staff's recommendation is that they can be anywhere from 220 square feet up to 2 bedrooms at 650 square feet.  The part to pay close attention to is that this would mean a zero density policy for both SROs and FDUs in large swaths of the city, along the corridors.  The only constraint on density with this plan would be the "site standards". 

If you look at how this change would interact with the State Density Bonus Law (SDBL), it is very alarming.  The SDBL allows for density bonuses over the allowed maximum zoned density - for a result of 50% increase in density and up to 2X the height.  It also allows for an infinite number of waivers to all of the "site standards" regulations that staff is proposing be the official only elements dictating density maximums.  Any waiver must be granted if denying that waiver would result in a lower density than proposed by the developer with the waiver. Santa Cruz has many small unit projects which have been approved. Do we want even denser unit without standards?

Yes, we need to incentivize more affordability, as well as larger units and unit-type mix. There is money coming from the state of California for more affordable housing. Having units built with our existing densities makes more sense than removing the standards. However, creating a relationship between the new FDU/SRO zero density limit proposal and the State Density Bonus Law that would effectively give a carte blanche to development - is unacceptable - because it would effectively create zero density limits for large areas of the city. 

We cannot okay building-related policies without thinking through the possible consequences, and this agenda poses a significant impact on the community and our carrying capacity.

Plan to attend the 7pm Zoom meeting tonight and speak about what you want built in Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz Planning Commission agenda has instructions on how to join the meeting and has detailed information on this key agenda item. You can see the agenda by using the following link:

https://ecm.cityofsantacruz.com/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1862&doctype=1

Do you want Santa Cruz to look like the photo in this post?