Here is a sample email to write to the Santa Cruz City Council today. Please send it today by 5 pm and/or be at the city council chambers at 6 pm tomorrow Nov 15. This is an important issue.

Dear City Council,
You have an important piece of the proposed objective standards to wait on to give more consideration. The Objective Standards have one segment that can be waited to vote on. It is regarding the heights of the buildings. This needs further study. It makes sense to wait to vote on this portion of the objective standards because there is no requirement to move forward on the height requirement. The base height is very important in the objective standards. The maximum intensity in the General Plan shows mainly 1.75 Area Floor Ratio (FAR) which can be accomplished by the 40 feet height requirement currently. 

It makes sense to retain this requirement because of the environmental impact of projects would need to be built in a more compact manner which will have less of an effect on the environment if the height is not changed. The projects that would come to the city asking for additional height (which they will) the city would get a benefit to allow this increase. That would be a good thing for our city. The city could ask for more affordable units to be added, more public space or other benefits for the resident. All of the proposed objective standards but changing the base height could work out. We need to think about what benefits our city the most going forward. The density bonus ordnance will add height, therefore, keeping the base height accomplishes two things:

1. It allows more affordable housing to be built.

2. It allows an option of changing the height later. 

If the base height proposed change is part of our objective standards it does not give advantages to the city and its residents. It is like giving away something unnecessarily. We must be wise stewards of the responsibility of the buildings and the results possible. By waiting you give the city planning department something to enable more affordable units, common space, traffic medication measures by the developer, and other benefits.

Please make a motion to leave out the portion of the objective standards regarding height. 

Send the above letter to: 

sbrunner@cityofsantacruz.com

mwatkins@cityofsantacruz.com

sbrown@cityofsantacruz.com 

jcummings@cityofsantacruz.com  

rgolder@cityofsantacruz.com  

skalantari-johnson@cityofsantacruz.com 

dmeyers@cityofsantacruz.com 

citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com

Write today. Be at the city council chambers Nov. 15 6 pm. Show you care about traffic, use of water, and the future of Santa Cruz. Thank you.