News and Articles
Housing in Santa Cruz County’s Limelight
Santa Cruz Sentinel
May 14, 2022
by Jessica A. York
Standing before a small gathering on a bulldozed dirt lot off Capitola Road, MidPen Housing President and CEO Matt Franklin observed that, like many simple good ideas, housing developments can be “remarkably hard.”
Franklin told his audience Wednesday it was seated on what will become the future parking area for the 57-unit 1500 Capitola Road family housing project within the coming two years. The Capitola Road site was a former Santa Cruz County Redevelopment Agency property that was sold by Santa Cruz County to MidPen, a nonprofit developer which specializes in building affordable housing. On the same property, the project’s “phase one” construction for both a Dientes Community Dental clinic and Santa Cruz Community Health center is well underway, with a goal of an October ribbon cutting for the health center. The overall project has been in the works since 2017.
Click HERE for the story.
May 14, 2022
by Jessica A. York
Standing before a small gathering on a bulldozed dirt lot off Capitola Road, MidPen Housing President and CEO Matt Franklin observed that, like many simple good ideas, housing developments can be “remarkably hard.”
Franklin told his audience Wednesday it was seated on what will become the future parking area for the 57-unit 1500 Capitola Road family housing project within the coming two years. The Capitola Road site was a former Santa Cruz County Redevelopment Agency property that was sold by Santa Cruz County to MidPen, a nonprofit developer which specializes in building affordable housing. On the same property, the project’s “phase one” construction for both a Dientes Community Dental clinic and Santa Cruz Community Health center is well underway, with a goal of an October ribbon cutting for the health center. The overall project has been in the works since 2017.
Click HERE for the story.
Workers install final touches on Dientes building
Santa Cruz Sentinel
October 30, 2021 Daniel Alaniz and Jose Manuel Orosco guide the final exterior beam into place on Wednesday as Dientes Community Dental Care’s new 11-chair clinic takes shape at 1500 Capitola Road. The project at the site is an extraordinary collaborative initiative which also includes a 20,000 square foot, two-story Santa Cruz Community Health facility that will provide medical, behavioral health, and specialty care with a focus on pediatrics, and 57 affordable residential units by MidPen Housing. |
Wednesday’s “Topping Ceremony” including placing a beam signed by staff at Dientes in a traditional rite traditionally held by builders when the last beam. The practice of “topping out” a new building can be traced to the ancient Scandinavian religious rite of placing a tree atop a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits displaced in its construction.
The Dientes and Santa Cruz Community Health clinics are projected to open concurrently in 2022 while MidPen Housing’s units will be completed in 2023. Santa Cruz firm Bogard Construction is the main contractor on the project and underground utility installations and related site infrastructure work activities continue. The walls are up for the Dientes clinic and framing continues. Santa Cruz Community Health saw its first floor steel beams going up last week. While there’s been supply chain delays waiting for steel joists that will support the second floor of the clinic, the beams are an important benchmark to framing in the first floor. Plans to open in early fall of 2022 are still on target. (Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel)
The Dientes and Santa Cruz Community Health clinics are projected to open concurrently in 2022 while MidPen Housing’s units will be completed in 2023. Santa Cruz firm Bogard Construction is the main contractor on the project and underground utility installations and related site infrastructure work activities continue. The walls are up for the Dientes clinic and framing continues. Santa Cruz Community Health saw its first floor steel beams going up last week. While there’s been supply chain delays waiting for steel joists that will support the second floor of the clinic, the beams are an important benchmark to framing in the first floor. Plans to open in early fall of 2022 are still on target. (Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Stakeholders celebrate housing, health campus groundbreaking
Santa Cruz Sentinel
May 22, 2021
by Melissa Hartman
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/05/22/stakeholders-celebrate-housing-and-health-campus-groundbreaking-in-live-oak/
Around 200 people, masked and socially distanced, were to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new health and housing complex at 1500 Capitola Road on Saturday morning.“One hundred and eighty people have RSVP’d, which I think is a testament to the fact people are really hankering to celebrate good news,” Chief Development Officer Sheree Storm said Friday.
Alongside local contractors at Bogard Construction, representatives of Santa Cruz Community Health, Dientes Community Dental and MidPen Housing will present their vision turned reality of a two-phase project oriented toward bringing resources to a community that vitally needs them.
Click HERE to read more.
May 22, 2021
by Melissa Hartman
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/05/22/stakeholders-celebrate-housing-and-health-campus-groundbreaking-in-live-oak/
Around 200 people, masked and socially distanced, were to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new health and housing complex at 1500 Capitola Road on Saturday morning.“One hundred and eighty people have RSVP’d, which I think is a testament to the fact people are really hankering to celebrate good news,” Chief Development Officer Sheree Storm said Friday.
Alongside local contractors at Bogard Construction, representatives of Santa Cruz Community Health, Dientes Community Dental and MidPen Housing will present their vision turned reality of a two-phase project oriented toward bringing resources to a community that vitally needs them.
Click HERE to read more.
Potential contamination at Capitola Road and 17th Avenue area
Santa Cruz Sentinel
By Hannah Hagemann
June 24, 2021
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/06/23/state-water-board-capitola-road-and-17th-avenue-area-residents-face-potential-pce-and-tce-contamination/
Residents living and working in the Capitola Road and 17th Avenue areas may be impacted by dry cleaning solvent contamination, according to a set of public notices posted online by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.Tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, and trichloroethylene, or TCE, are solvents that likely originated from former dry cleaning operations at 1600 Capitola Road, which according to the water board, ceased in the mid ’80s.
Community members could be impacted one of two ways: either by exposure from using private well water, or through indoor air contamination, that occurs through a phenomena called vapor intrusion.
Chemicals spilled onto the ground can seep into the soil, and air spaces in the ground. Over time the contamination can enter buildings through utility lines or cracks in foundations, and pollute indoor air.
Those impacted should receive a physical notice in the mail, which was sent out Tuesday, according to the state board.
To check if your home or workplace may be impacted, review the water board notices at bit.ly/3d9cBgD and navigate to site maps/documents. If a resident’s home or business is located within the notice’s “Site Location & Investigation Area” map, it’s possible dry cleaning solvent contamination could be present.
The notices, in total, were sent to 132 entities, including landlords, tenants and residents, as well as homeowner’s associations, according to Dan Niles an engineering geologist with the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, who’s overseeing the investigation.
At this point, Niles said the board has not collected evidence that finds those parcels noticed have been impacted by the contamination.
“We need to complete the investigation to know where the contamination is, we have a pretty good idea now, because we’ve had four different rounds of investigation related to the dry cleaner,” Niles said. “We would like to keep stepping out to define where it is [the contamination], we have to complete the picture of where the contamination is to clean it up.”
The public notices comes after environmental investigations found PCE levels in soil vapor far exceeding standards.
Near the to-be-developed affordable housing and medical campus, PCE was detected in soil vapor at levels ranging from 100,000 micrograms per meter cubed, to 1.5 million micrograms per meter cubed. More recently, PCE was found at 4.6 million micrograms per meter cubed, and other levels exceeding thresholds, near the site of the former dry cleaners.
Those soil gas detections are orders of magnitude beyond state board residential and commercial health and safety standards, which are 15 and 67 micrograms per meter cubed, respectively.
“Those vapor concentrations are definitely above risk thresholds, that we should say, ‘hey we should look further’… it looks like it warrants further investigation and cleanup,” Niles said.
According to Niles, the environmental samples that have been collected show a drop off of pollution levels as one moves out from the former dry cleaner. But, until more data and samples are collected in and around residential areas, the levels of solvent contamination community members are exposed to is still unclear.
Taking more samples, near businesses, and homes, is important, Niles said. Still, further investigation and cleanup is largely held up unless state grant funding is awarded to the former dry cleaner owners, who is financially responsible for mitigating the pollution.
According to the set of waterboard notices, the former dry cleaner owners have limited funds to pay for indoor air sampling on residential or business properties. The same goes for private wells that may be polluted with PCE.
As a result, the Central Coast Water Board is asking impacted community members themselves carry out, or pay for sampling of soil vapor, or well water. They’d also need to pay for laboratory analysis in both cases, according to the notices.
“It is an unfortunate thing, if there’s no money for the responsible party to do it, we’re in a conundrum to be honest,” Niles said. “But that doesn’t negate the need for people to know about the contamination. if the money becomes available we’ll come back and say the responsible party has the money, we can do the investigation, would you like to participate? We don’t really have anything to offer other than it’s there, we’re working on getting the funding to complete the investigation and we wanted to give people the information at least at the minimum.”
By Hannah Hagemann
June 24, 2021
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/06/23/state-water-board-capitola-road-and-17th-avenue-area-residents-face-potential-pce-and-tce-contamination/
Residents living and working in the Capitola Road and 17th Avenue areas may be impacted by dry cleaning solvent contamination, according to a set of public notices posted online by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.Tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, and trichloroethylene, or TCE, are solvents that likely originated from former dry cleaning operations at 1600 Capitola Road, which according to the water board, ceased in the mid ’80s.
Community members could be impacted one of two ways: either by exposure from using private well water, or through indoor air contamination, that occurs through a phenomena called vapor intrusion.
Chemicals spilled onto the ground can seep into the soil, and air spaces in the ground. Over time the contamination can enter buildings through utility lines or cracks in foundations, and pollute indoor air.
Those impacted should receive a physical notice in the mail, which was sent out Tuesday, according to the state board.
To check if your home or workplace may be impacted, review the water board notices at bit.ly/3d9cBgD and navigate to site maps/documents. If a resident’s home or business is located within the notice’s “Site Location & Investigation Area” map, it’s possible dry cleaning solvent contamination could be present.
The notices, in total, were sent to 132 entities, including landlords, tenants and residents, as well as homeowner’s associations, according to Dan Niles an engineering geologist with the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, who’s overseeing the investigation.
At this point, Niles said the board has not collected evidence that finds those parcels noticed have been impacted by the contamination.
“We need to complete the investigation to know where the contamination is, we have a pretty good idea now, because we’ve had four different rounds of investigation related to the dry cleaner,” Niles said. “We would like to keep stepping out to define where it is [the contamination], we have to complete the picture of where the contamination is to clean it up.”
The public notices comes after environmental investigations found PCE levels in soil vapor far exceeding standards.
Near the to-be-developed affordable housing and medical campus, PCE was detected in soil vapor at levels ranging from 100,000 micrograms per meter cubed, to 1.5 million micrograms per meter cubed. More recently, PCE was found at 4.6 million micrograms per meter cubed, and other levels exceeding thresholds, near the site of the former dry cleaners.
Those soil gas detections are orders of magnitude beyond state board residential and commercial health and safety standards, which are 15 and 67 micrograms per meter cubed, respectively.
“Those vapor concentrations are definitely above risk thresholds, that we should say, ‘hey we should look further’… it looks like it warrants further investigation and cleanup,” Niles said.
According to Niles, the environmental samples that have been collected show a drop off of pollution levels as one moves out from the former dry cleaner. But, until more data and samples are collected in and around residential areas, the levels of solvent contamination community members are exposed to is still unclear.
Taking more samples, near businesses, and homes, is important, Niles said. Still, further investigation and cleanup is largely held up unless state grant funding is awarded to the former dry cleaner owners, who is financially responsible for mitigating the pollution.
According to the set of waterboard notices, the former dry cleaner owners have limited funds to pay for indoor air sampling on residential or business properties. The same goes for private wells that may be polluted with PCE.
As a result, the Central Coast Water Board is asking impacted community members themselves carry out, or pay for sampling of soil vapor, or well water. They’d also need to pay for laboratory analysis in both cases, according to the notices.
“It is an unfortunate thing, if there’s no money for the responsible party to do it, we’re in a conundrum to be honest,” Niles said. “But that doesn’t negate the need for people to know about the contamination. if the money becomes available we’ll come back and say the responsible party has the money, we can do the investigation, would you like to participate? We don’t really have anything to offer other than it’s there, we’re working on getting the funding to complete the investigation and we wanted to give people the information at least at the minimum.”
Non-profit development to meet urgent health and housing needs
Santa Cruz Sentinel | Guest Commentary
By Laura Marcus, Leslie Conner and Jan M. Lindenthal
February 12, 2021
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/02/21/guest-commentary-non-profit-development-to-meet-urgent-health-and-housing-needs/
This spring, non-profit partners Dientes Community Dental Care, Santa Cruz Community Health (SCCH), and MidPen Housing will break ground on a 3.6-acre health and housing hub in the heart of Live Oak. This state-of-the-art campus will include a 20,000 square foot primary care center, an 11-chair dental clinic, and 57 new affordable homes. It will serve up to 10,000 people a year.
Even before the pandemic, access to health care and affordable housing was an urgent need in Live Oak, where up to 26% of students experience homelessness, thousands of adults have no doctor, and 75% of adults on Medi-Cal don’t have a dentist. Now, as we live through a health crisis unlike anything in our lifetimes — one that, in California, has been exacerbated by overcrowded living conditions due to a lack of affordable housing — we understand that quality health care and safe, affordable housing is quite literally a matter of life and death. Dental care is equally essential; a study released this month reported that people with gum disease are nine times more likely to die of COVID-19, not to mention the pain and joblessness associated with untreated dental disease.
A recent Guest Commentary in the Sentinel reviewed the history of the environmental contamination discovered as we performed due diligence on this site. We are responding here to the authors’ call for transparency. We hope that a clear accounting of our mitigation plan will instill public confidence in the safety of this important project, which aims to equitably improve health and well-being for all people, affordably house individuals, and families, stimulate the economy through new jobs and spending, and cultivate community through a central plaza and community garden.
In 2017, Dientes, SCCH, and MidPen were jointly selected by Santa Cruz County to develop the site at 1500 Capitola Road, at former Redevelopment Agency land. Out of an abundance of caution, the partners commissioned extra environmental testing beyond what was required due to concerns about a former gas station located on the corner. In January 2020, this testing revealed elevated levels of PCE (tetrachloroethylene) in the soil vapor on a portion of the property, likely resulting from a former dry-cleaner operating on an adjacent parcel. Working closely with the county, the partners immediately notified the Central Coast Regional Water Board, the governmental agency tasked with overseeing clean-up of development sites. This type of contamination is harmful if trapped inside buildings and is, unfortunately, common across the United States, particularly with infill development sites adjacent to former light industrial or commercial properties, such as this one.
Since exposure is only a health issue for indoor air quality, the development partners worked with experts to design the most protective Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System (VIMS), and received formal approval of the design by the Water Board. The VIMS system is a sub-slab depressurization system (SSDS), which has a double-layered vapor barrier beneath each foundation, preventing vapors from entering the building. SSDS is the most common type of mitigation system and is preferred by the Water Board because it provides maximum protection and simplifies regular monitoring. The VIMS system at 1500 Capitola Road will be monitored by the Water Board for at least 30 years, giving the development partners and clients, staff, and residents assurance that the buildings meet health and safety standards, now and far into the future.
As health care providers and affordable housing developers, our mission is to heal, and to house. Collectively, our agencies have provided 124 years of service to the Santa Cruz community. We value evidence-based solutions to serious community issues. With state-of-the-art medical and dental facilities, affordable housing, and an environmental mitigation system as outlined above, we are confident that the development of 1500 Capitola Road will successfully address two of the most significant social issues of our time for generations to come, bringing the promise of health and homes to the heart of Live Oak.
Laura Marcus is CEO of Dientes Community Dental Care. Leslie Conner is CEO of Santa Cruz Community Health. Jan M. Lindenthal is Chief Real Estate Officer of MidPen Housing.
By Laura Marcus, Leslie Conner and Jan M. Lindenthal
February 12, 2021
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/02/21/guest-commentary-non-profit-development-to-meet-urgent-health-and-housing-needs/
This spring, non-profit partners Dientes Community Dental Care, Santa Cruz Community Health (SCCH), and MidPen Housing will break ground on a 3.6-acre health and housing hub in the heart of Live Oak. This state-of-the-art campus will include a 20,000 square foot primary care center, an 11-chair dental clinic, and 57 new affordable homes. It will serve up to 10,000 people a year.
Even before the pandemic, access to health care and affordable housing was an urgent need in Live Oak, where up to 26% of students experience homelessness, thousands of adults have no doctor, and 75% of adults on Medi-Cal don’t have a dentist. Now, as we live through a health crisis unlike anything in our lifetimes — one that, in California, has been exacerbated by overcrowded living conditions due to a lack of affordable housing — we understand that quality health care and safe, affordable housing is quite literally a matter of life and death. Dental care is equally essential; a study released this month reported that people with gum disease are nine times more likely to die of COVID-19, not to mention the pain and joblessness associated with untreated dental disease.
A recent Guest Commentary in the Sentinel reviewed the history of the environmental contamination discovered as we performed due diligence on this site. We are responding here to the authors’ call for transparency. We hope that a clear accounting of our mitigation plan will instill public confidence in the safety of this important project, which aims to equitably improve health and well-being for all people, affordably house individuals, and families, stimulate the economy through new jobs and spending, and cultivate community through a central plaza and community garden.
In 2017, Dientes, SCCH, and MidPen were jointly selected by Santa Cruz County to develop the site at 1500 Capitola Road, at former Redevelopment Agency land. Out of an abundance of caution, the partners commissioned extra environmental testing beyond what was required due to concerns about a former gas station located on the corner. In January 2020, this testing revealed elevated levels of PCE (tetrachloroethylene) in the soil vapor on a portion of the property, likely resulting from a former dry-cleaner operating on an adjacent parcel. Working closely with the county, the partners immediately notified the Central Coast Regional Water Board, the governmental agency tasked with overseeing clean-up of development sites. This type of contamination is harmful if trapped inside buildings and is, unfortunately, common across the United States, particularly with infill development sites adjacent to former light industrial or commercial properties, such as this one.
Since exposure is only a health issue for indoor air quality, the development partners worked with experts to design the most protective Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System (VIMS), and received formal approval of the design by the Water Board. The VIMS system is a sub-slab depressurization system (SSDS), which has a double-layered vapor barrier beneath each foundation, preventing vapors from entering the building. SSDS is the most common type of mitigation system and is preferred by the Water Board because it provides maximum protection and simplifies regular monitoring. The VIMS system at 1500 Capitola Road will be monitored by the Water Board for at least 30 years, giving the development partners and clients, staff, and residents assurance that the buildings meet health and safety standards, now and far into the future.
As health care providers and affordable housing developers, our mission is to heal, and to house. Collectively, our agencies have provided 124 years of service to the Santa Cruz community. We value evidence-based solutions to serious community issues. With state-of-the-art medical and dental facilities, affordable housing, and an environmental mitigation system as outlined above, we are confident that the development of 1500 Capitola Road will successfully address two of the most significant social issues of our time for generations to come, bringing the promise of health and homes to the heart of Live Oak.
Laura Marcus is CEO of Dientes Community Dental Care. Leslie Conner is CEO of Santa Cruz Community Health. Jan M. Lindenthal is Chief Real Estate Officer of MidPen Housing.
Project partners ‘blind-sided’ by PCE commentary
Santa Cruz Sentinel | Letter to the Editor
By Michael Lewis and Jean Brocklebank
February 18, 2021
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/02/18/letter-project-partners-blind-sided-by-pce-commentary/
While PCE contamination of the proposed project site on Capitola Road is real and it matters, our Guest Commentary of 2/12/21 on the History of PCE Contamination at the site, delineating the chronology of the contamination, was absolutely not meant to denigrate or harm the reputations of the project’s partners (MidPen Housing, Dientes Dental Clinic and Santa Cruz Community Health Centers).
Since our commentary was published we have learned that project partners, with whom we have always had an historical cordial relationship, felt blind-sided by it and thus treated unfairly. For that we apologize unconditionally.
Our intention was to bring information about the contamination, not its mitigation, to light. Our commentary did that in a factual way.
Having previously supported this project, we continue to do so and hope that it proceeds without any more surprises, because the services to be provided are worthwhile and worthy of support of the community.
— Jean Brocklebank and Michael Lewis, Santa Cruz
By Michael Lewis and Jean Brocklebank
February 18, 2021
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/02/18/letter-project-partners-blind-sided-by-pce-commentary/
While PCE contamination of the proposed project site on Capitola Road is real and it matters, our Guest Commentary of 2/12/21 on the History of PCE Contamination at the site, delineating the chronology of the contamination, was absolutely not meant to denigrate or harm the reputations of the project’s partners (MidPen Housing, Dientes Dental Clinic and Santa Cruz Community Health Centers).
Since our commentary was published we have learned that project partners, with whom we have always had an historical cordial relationship, felt blind-sided by it and thus treated unfairly. For that we apologize unconditionally.
Our intention was to bring information about the contamination, not its mitigation, to light. Our commentary did that in a factual way.
Having previously supported this project, we continue to do so and hope that it proceeds without any more surprises, because the services to be provided are worthwhile and worthy of support of the community.
— Jean Brocklebank and Michael Lewis, Santa Cruz
History of PCE Contamination on Capitola Road Site
Santa Cruz Sentinel | Guest Commentary
By Michael Lewis and Jean Brocklebank
February 12, 2021
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/02/12/guest-commentary-history-of-pce-contamination-on-capitola-road-site/
Over the past few years, we've followed with some concern County plans to build affordable housing, a health clinic and a dental clinic at the 1500 Capitola Road project in Live Oak.
Recently we have become aware of significant soil and ground water pollution of the site, resulting from discharges of dry cleaning fluid, tetrachloroethylene (PCE), from an historic dry cleaning business at the neighboring 1600 Capitola Road building, now housing a self-service laundromat.
The Fairway Dry Cleaning & Laundry operated from 1964 to at least 1970, just east of the Capitola Road project. In 1970, the facility was sold and the dry cleaning service was discontinued.
Although potential pollution of soils and groundwater from dry cleaning facilities has been well known for decades, the historical presence of the dry cleaning business at 1600 Capitola Road was forgotten. A May 31, 2002 report from the County Health Services Agency to the Board of Supervisors recognized ten dry cleaning facilities in the County as potential sources of PCE contamination, but did not include the 1600 Capitola Road site.
The County Redevelopment Agency purchased the four lots making up the current Capitola Road Project from 1994 to 1997. A 1994 environmental study of 1438 Capitola Road was restricted to hydrocarbon contamination from a previous business. No investigation was conducted on other lots in the area.
PCE contamination was first identified from 2008 to 2012 in a water monitoring well at the 1600 Capitola Road lot, as part of the remediation study for the former Live Oak Texaco station across the street. In its 2012 report, A+ Environmental Solutions did not identify the source of the PCE, noting that "based on the groundwater flow direction and shape of the plume, it is likely originating from a source area southwest of the subject site, across Capitola Avenue."
In 2017, the County issued an RFQ for development of the Capitola Road Site, and approved an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with MidPen Housing.
In January 2020, Remediation Risk Management, Inc. (RRM) reported to MidPen Housing that the 1600 Capitola Road Laundromat had operated as a dry cleaner in the 1960s and 1970s.
In February 2020, Weber, Hayes & Associates (WHA) reported to the State Regional Water Quality Control Board that elevated concentrations of the dry cleaning solvent tetrachloroethylene (PCE) had been detected by RRM in two shallow soil vapor samples collected along the eastern property line of the Capitola Road Project. RRM subsequently reported these findings to MidPen Housing.
In September 2020, WHA reported to the County Economic Development Coordinator that "the source of the solvent contamination is from the adjoining property to the east where a dry cleaning business formerly operated (1600 Capitola Road)".
In a November 11, 2020 Board of Supervisors meeting, PCE contamination of the Capitola Road Project site was first revealed to the public in a Consent Agenda item. The Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with MidPen Housing was amended to reduce the purchase price of the property, allowing MidPen to add passive and active measures to reduce the accumulation of PCE vapors in the three buildings proposed for the project.
In addition to the overwhelming irony of proposing a health clinic and affordable housing project on a site contaminated by carcinogenic chemicals, several questions come immediately to mind:
By Michael Lewis and Jean Brocklebank
February 12, 2021
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/02/12/guest-commentary-history-of-pce-contamination-on-capitola-road-site/
Over the past few years, we've followed with some concern County plans to build affordable housing, a health clinic and a dental clinic at the 1500 Capitola Road project in Live Oak.
Recently we have become aware of significant soil and ground water pollution of the site, resulting from discharges of dry cleaning fluid, tetrachloroethylene (PCE), from an historic dry cleaning business at the neighboring 1600 Capitola Road building, now housing a self-service laundromat.
The Fairway Dry Cleaning & Laundry operated from 1964 to at least 1970, just east of the Capitola Road project. In 1970, the facility was sold and the dry cleaning service was discontinued.
Although potential pollution of soils and groundwater from dry cleaning facilities has been well known for decades, the historical presence of the dry cleaning business at 1600 Capitola Road was forgotten. A May 31, 2002 report from the County Health Services Agency to the Board of Supervisors recognized ten dry cleaning facilities in the County as potential sources of PCE contamination, but did not include the 1600 Capitola Road site.
The County Redevelopment Agency purchased the four lots making up the current Capitola Road Project from 1994 to 1997. A 1994 environmental study of 1438 Capitola Road was restricted to hydrocarbon contamination from a previous business. No investigation was conducted on other lots in the area.
PCE contamination was first identified from 2008 to 2012 in a water monitoring well at the 1600 Capitola Road lot, as part of the remediation study for the former Live Oak Texaco station across the street. In its 2012 report, A+ Environmental Solutions did not identify the source of the PCE, noting that "based on the groundwater flow direction and shape of the plume, it is likely originating from a source area southwest of the subject site, across Capitola Avenue."
In 2017, the County issued an RFQ for development of the Capitola Road Site, and approved an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with MidPen Housing.
In January 2020, Remediation Risk Management, Inc. (RRM) reported to MidPen Housing that the 1600 Capitola Road Laundromat had operated as a dry cleaner in the 1960s and 1970s.
In February 2020, Weber, Hayes & Associates (WHA) reported to the State Regional Water Quality Control Board that elevated concentrations of the dry cleaning solvent tetrachloroethylene (PCE) had been detected by RRM in two shallow soil vapor samples collected along the eastern property line of the Capitola Road Project. RRM subsequently reported these findings to MidPen Housing.
In September 2020, WHA reported to the County Economic Development Coordinator that "the source of the solvent contamination is from the adjoining property to the east where a dry cleaning business formerly operated (1600 Capitola Road)".
In a November 11, 2020 Board of Supervisors meeting, PCE contamination of the Capitola Road Project site was first revealed to the public in a Consent Agenda item. The Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with MidPen Housing was amended to reduce the purchase price of the property, allowing MidPen to add passive and active measures to reduce the accumulation of PCE vapors in the three buildings proposed for the project.
In addition to the overwhelming irony of proposing a health clinic and affordable housing project on a site contaminated by carcinogenic chemicals, several questions come immediately to mind:
- Would the County Redevelopment Agency have purchased the property in 1994 if they had known of the PCE contamination?
- Would MidPen Housing have signed the original agreement for the project if they had known of the PCE contamination?
- Why was the public not informed of the 50 year-old pollution of the site until it was slipped into the Board of Supervisors meeting as a Consent Agenda item in November, 2020?
- Will potential affordable housing residents and health clinic workers be informed of the PCE contamination before occupying the properties?
Santa Cruz Community Health and Dientes dental secure million-dollar loans from state
The funds will go toward building out clinics on a to-be-constructed mixed use affordable housing and medical campus, a property that faces contamination issues
Santa Cruz Sentinel
by Hannah Hagemann
February 1, 2021
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/02/01/santa-cruz-community-health-and-dientes-dental-secure-million-dollar-loans-from-state/
Santa Cruz Community Health and Dientes, a community dental provider, have been approved to receive two separate 1.5 million dollar loans by the State Department of the Treasury. Those funds will be used to build medical and dental offices in Live Oak, in conjunction with MidPen Housing, a non-profit developer.
“These loans are critical because they target small and rural health facilities that have difficulty getting the financing they need,” said State Treasurer Fiona Ma in a statement.
The project, slated for development at 1500 Capitola Road, will also include 57 low-income residential units. The property, which is currently owned by the Santa Cruz County Redevelopment Successor Agency, is pending sale to MidPen, who specializes in building affordable housing.
Dientes has been approved to use the state treasury loan to build a 5,600-square-foot dental clinic. That facility will be equipped with 11 chairs, and is part of a larger “health campus” vision for the property, Sheree Storm, chief development officer with Dientes, told the Sentinel.
“It’s going to enable patients to have more integrated care between Santa Cruz Community Health and Dientes Community Dental, but also the need in our community for access to affordable care is great,” Storm said. “Dientes serves predominantly those who are on Medi Cal or who have no health insurance.”
That dental facility is estimated to cost $8.6 million to build, and the Santa Cruz Community Health Centers medical center, $19.6 million. Santa Cruz Community Health plans to build a two-story, 20,000-square-foot medical facility with services including behavioral health and pediatric care.
As the Sentinel reported in December, the to-be-developed site is contaminated with tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, a dry cleaning solvent. High levels of the pollutant have been found in soil gas and groundwater.
The site developer, likely to be MidPen, has laid out plans to install a remediation system that decreases pollution levels, as required by the California State Water Resources Control Board. Without such a system, future occupants could be exposed to PCE through inhaling vapors.
That remediation system — when operated correctly — reduces the risk to human health, but does not clean it up, according to Jim Wells, a geologist with L. Everett & Associates, and an expert in soil gas contamination.
Some scientists and advocates have raised concerns that capping the pollution is not a replacement to cleanup. Still, to proceed with construction, MidPen is only required to install such a system, not remove underlying contamination, per the water board.
The pollution source, according to the water board, is likely an adjacent former dry cleaning business that operated in the ’60s through the ’80s. It’s currently unclear how far that soil and groundwater contamination extends, since an environmental investigation is ongoing. No timeline has been set for when a cleanup will occur.
In an area where a housing crisis means a tight rental market and swelling homelessness, County Communications Manager Jason Hoppin said the mixed-use project is crucial.
“Locating community dental and medical services in an area like this would provide critical benefits to the community,” Hoppin said. “In addition, low-income housing is desperately needed throughout Santa Cruz county and this project is virtually unprecedented in providing 100% affordable units.”
That means all future tenants would need to be income-qualified to rent out a unit.
Some local neighbors have expressed concern, questioning the extent of the pollution in the area-at-large, and when it might be cleaned up. Capitola Road Neighbors, a local neighborhood organization, wrote to the Board of Supervisors in December:
“At the outset, although supportive of the final plan that was created for the parcel, we were quite surprised that the information about chemical contamination at the site, the extensive testing, the plans for addressing the health impact problem, plus a change in the sale price of the Redevelopment parcel, was placed on the Consent Agenda! Especially since the public has shown consistent interest in this project. This new situation is serious.”
In an email, MidPen Housing told the Sentinel, beginning construction of the housing site at Capitola Road is dependent on securing funding.
“Starting construction is dependent upon raising all capital financing and MidPen is still hard at work submitting competitive financing applications,” wrote Joanna Carman, director of housing development with MidPen.
Construction on the health campus is slated to begin this spring, and at the earliest, crews could break ground on the housing units in November.
by Hannah Hagemann
February 1, 2021
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/02/01/santa-cruz-community-health-and-dientes-dental-secure-million-dollar-loans-from-state/
Santa Cruz Community Health and Dientes, a community dental provider, have been approved to receive two separate 1.5 million dollar loans by the State Department of the Treasury. Those funds will be used to build medical and dental offices in Live Oak, in conjunction with MidPen Housing, a non-profit developer.
“These loans are critical because they target small and rural health facilities that have difficulty getting the financing they need,” said State Treasurer Fiona Ma in a statement.
The project, slated for development at 1500 Capitola Road, will also include 57 low-income residential units. The property, which is currently owned by the Santa Cruz County Redevelopment Successor Agency, is pending sale to MidPen, who specializes in building affordable housing.
Dientes has been approved to use the state treasury loan to build a 5,600-square-foot dental clinic. That facility will be equipped with 11 chairs, and is part of a larger “health campus” vision for the property, Sheree Storm, chief development officer with Dientes, told the Sentinel.
“It’s going to enable patients to have more integrated care between Santa Cruz Community Health and Dientes Community Dental, but also the need in our community for access to affordable care is great,” Storm said. “Dientes serves predominantly those who are on Medi Cal or who have no health insurance.”
That dental facility is estimated to cost $8.6 million to build, and the Santa Cruz Community Health Centers medical center, $19.6 million. Santa Cruz Community Health plans to build a two-story, 20,000-square-foot medical facility with services including behavioral health and pediatric care.
As the Sentinel reported in December, the to-be-developed site is contaminated with tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, a dry cleaning solvent. High levels of the pollutant have been found in soil gas and groundwater.
The site developer, likely to be MidPen, has laid out plans to install a remediation system that decreases pollution levels, as required by the California State Water Resources Control Board. Without such a system, future occupants could be exposed to PCE through inhaling vapors.
That remediation system — when operated correctly — reduces the risk to human health, but does not clean it up, according to Jim Wells, a geologist with L. Everett & Associates, and an expert in soil gas contamination.
Some scientists and advocates have raised concerns that capping the pollution is not a replacement to cleanup. Still, to proceed with construction, MidPen is only required to install such a system, not remove underlying contamination, per the water board.
The pollution source, according to the water board, is likely an adjacent former dry cleaning business that operated in the ’60s through the ’80s. It’s currently unclear how far that soil and groundwater contamination extends, since an environmental investigation is ongoing. No timeline has been set for when a cleanup will occur.
In an area where a housing crisis means a tight rental market and swelling homelessness, County Communications Manager Jason Hoppin said the mixed-use project is crucial.
“Locating community dental and medical services in an area like this would provide critical benefits to the community,” Hoppin said. “In addition, low-income housing is desperately needed throughout Santa Cruz county and this project is virtually unprecedented in providing 100% affordable units.”
That means all future tenants would need to be income-qualified to rent out a unit.
Some local neighbors have expressed concern, questioning the extent of the pollution in the area-at-large, and when it might be cleaned up. Capitola Road Neighbors, a local neighborhood organization, wrote to the Board of Supervisors in December:
“At the outset, although supportive of the final plan that was created for the parcel, we were quite surprised that the information about chemical contamination at the site, the extensive testing, the plans for addressing the health impact problem, plus a change in the sale price of the Redevelopment parcel, was placed on the Consent Agenda! Especially since the public has shown consistent interest in this project. This new situation is serious.”
In an email, MidPen Housing told the Sentinel, beginning construction of the housing site at Capitola Road is dependent on securing funding.
“Starting construction is dependent upon raising all capital financing and MidPen is still hard at work submitting competitive financing applications,” wrote Joanna Carman, director of housing development with MidPen.
Construction on the health campus is slated to begin this spring, and at the earliest, crews could break ground on the housing units in November.
Newsletter to Capitola Road Neighbors
December 9, 2020
Contamination of Project Site
Hello All ~
By now many of you will have read the article published in the 12/9 print edition of the Sentinel ("Mixed Use Affordable Housing Project Moves Ahead"). One may read it here https://capitolaroadneighbors.weebly.com/news-and-articles.html
Those who have read the article are therefore aware of the underground tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contamination throughout the 1500 Capitola Road parcel. This is decades old contamination of soil and water at the site, due to the 1970s dry cleaners business that preceded the laundromat. To read a detailed report of its discovery and the soil testing that followed, go here https://capitolaroadneighbors.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/7/8/26785631/weber_hayes___assoc._report.pdf
We had wondered why there seemed to be a delay in the beginning of the project and assumed it had to do with COVID and the economy. It turns out to have nothing whatsoever to do with either.
We discovered this situation quite late, when we reviewed the November 10, 2020 Board of Supervisors agenda packet and watched the meeting after the fact a day later. We were shocked that the item was found in the Consent Agenda, rather than in the Regular Agenda. We were very surprised to learn that this situation was known for most of 2020 by the County and Mid Pen Housing. We're sure that this caused everyone grief, as it has greatly affected the project. But it should not have been kept from the public.
After a lot of research, we wrote a letter to the Board of Supervisors on December 7th at noon, so our letter would be included in the agenda packet for the BOS 12/8 meeting. Please read our letter for more details here https://capitolaroadneighbors.weebly.com/pce-contamination.html.
Then today (12/9) we were pleased to finally see this unfortunate situation get some press. Now it is no longer hidden.
Well continue to monitor this troubling situation and keep you informed.
Jean and Michael
for Capitola Road Neighbors
Contamination of Project Site
Hello All ~
By now many of you will have read the article published in the 12/9 print edition of the Sentinel ("Mixed Use Affordable Housing Project Moves Ahead"). One may read it here https://capitolaroadneighbors.weebly.com/news-and-articles.html
Those who have read the article are therefore aware of the underground tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contamination throughout the 1500 Capitola Road parcel. This is decades old contamination of soil and water at the site, due to the 1970s dry cleaners business that preceded the laundromat. To read a detailed report of its discovery and the soil testing that followed, go here https://capitolaroadneighbors.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/7/8/26785631/weber_hayes___assoc._report.pdf
We had wondered why there seemed to be a delay in the beginning of the project and assumed it had to do with COVID and the economy. It turns out to have nothing whatsoever to do with either.
We discovered this situation quite late, when we reviewed the November 10, 2020 Board of Supervisors agenda packet and watched the meeting after the fact a day later. We were shocked that the item was found in the Consent Agenda, rather than in the Regular Agenda. We were very surprised to learn that this situation was known for most of 2020 by the County and Mid Pen Housing. We're sure that this caused everyone grief, as it has greatly affected the project. But it should not have been kept from the public.
After a lot of research, we wrote a letter to the Board of Supervisors on December 7th at noon, so our letter would be included in the agenda packet for the BOS 12/8 meeting. Please read our letter for more details here https://capitolaroadneighbors.weebly.com/pce-contamination.html.
Then today (12/9) we were pleased to finally see this unfortunate situation get some press. Now it is no longer hidden.
Well continue to monitor this troubling situation and keep you informed.
Jean and Michael
for Capitola Road Neighbors
Mixed use affordable housing project moves ahead, despite contamination [Interestingly, the Sentinel print edition dropped the "despite contamination" qualifier in the headline.]
Santa Cruz Sentinel
December 9, 2020
By Hannah Hagemann
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/12/08/mixed-use-affordable-housing-project-moves-ahead-despite-contamination/
The County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed a measure that will give the State Department of Finance more time to review a mixed-use affordable housing project poised to be built at 1500 Capitola Road.
The project would include 57 affordable housing units, a Dientes dental clinic, as well as a Santa Cruz Community Health facility. The development is also slated to include a public plaza and community garden.
The property, which is currently owned by the Santa Cruz County Redevelopment Successor Agency, is pending sale to Mid-Pen Housing, a nonprofit developer that specializes in building affordable housing.
Tuesday’s extension comes after the county voted to reduce the price of the 3.7 acre parcel in a November board meeting by more than $2 million because of environmental concerns. High levels of dry cleaning solvents and petroleum byproducts have been found in soil vapor and groundwater at the 1500 Capitola Road. site.
Weber Hayes & Associates, an environmental consulting firm retained by the county, has documented one such contaminant — tetrachloroethylene, or PCE — in soil vapor at levels ranging from 100,000 micrograms per meter cubed, to 1.5 million micrograms per meter cubed.
Those soil gas detections are orders of magnitude beyond state board residential and commercial health and safety standards, which are 15 and 67 micrograms per meter cubed, respectively.
PCE is a known human carcinogen, and exposure over the long term is linked to neurological disorders, various cancers, and kidney diseases. While no residents live on the development property currently, it still poses a risk to future community members.
“If people are exposed to even very low levels of PCE chronically, meaning you’re breathing it every day in your home, it’s harmful to your health,” Jim Wells said, a geologist with L. Everett & Associates, and an expert in soil vapor contamination.
PCE has also been detected in groundwater beneath 1500 Capitola Road property; In at least one sample the contaminant was found at 192 parts per billion, more then 38 times the state board’s threshold. Benzene has also been found in soil gas at 330 micrograms per meter cubed, which exceeds the California Department of Toxic Substances Control benzene ambient air standard by over 300 times.
“Vapor intrusion is this phenomenon whereby toxic chemicals that are spilled into the ground, usually as liquids, volatilize, and then those gases waste up through the soil and they can seep into buildings,” explained Wells.
The contaminated vapor moves through small spaces between soil grains.
“If you go out and water your garden, how does that water get into soil?” Wells said. “It’s seeping through those pore spaces. Soil gas is the air that’s filling up the spaces between interconnected soil particles.”
Contaminated vapor can also sneak into buildings through utility lines, or cracks in a building foundation.
The high levels of PCE likely stem from a dry cleaner that operated at 1600 Capitola Road in the 60s and 70s, though the water board is still actively investigating the source of the contamination, Dan Niles an engineering geologist with the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board told the Sentinel.
“All the evidence that has been gathered so far points to a release from a former dry cleaner, that has migrated from that dry cleaner under the development property,” Niles said.
Before the construction of the mixed-use property could begin, the redeveloper, likely to be MidPen, would be required to implement engineering controls that suck contaminated soil vapor out from underneath the property, and redirect the air outside, preventing it from entering the building.
Throughout the construction process, the developer would need to pay for monitoring and testing to confirm if one such system lowers PCE concentrations to levels that aren’t harmful to human health, according to the water board. While these controls can be effective in the interim, Wells said in the long term, the system doesn’t replace a cleanup of the toxic chemicals in groundwater and soil.
“These mitigation systems are going to help — they’re going to reduce exposure to indoor air by some level — but it’s not going to solve the underlying problem,” Wells said.
And it might be years until a cleanup happens.
The former dry cleaner, which now operates as a laundromat, sits directly to the east of the proposed affordable housing site at 1500 Capitola Road. The state water board has ordered the former dry cleaner owners to investigate contamination on their property and in adjacent areas. If charged with cleanup, those owners may be responsible for also mitigating contamination at 1500 Capitola Road.
But it’s still early — at this point it’s still unclear where funds would come from for a cleanup. According to Wells, these remediating dry cleaning sites can take decades, or longer. And building the neighboring affordable housing development before fully investigating the contamination in the area at large, is risky, Wells said.
“There needs to be a more thorough investigation to fully understand the nature and extent of contamination on the redevelopment site, as well as the source area, on the dry cleaning side, because how do we know there’s not a wave of even worse contamination making its way in groundwater?” Wells said.
While the 1500 Capitola Road site is currently unoccupied, to the east lies the Live Oak Elementary School, a supermarket and residential neighborhoods.
At this point, the impact of the historic use of dry cleaning solvents to drinking water supply, soil, and air in those areas is unknown, according to Dan Niles with the state board. Those investigation results will be forthcoming.
“We’re anxious to see what the data shows,” Sheila Soderberg, with Central Coast Water Board said.
December 9, 2020
By Hannah Hagemann
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/12/08/mixed-use-affordable-housing-project-moves-ahead-despite-contamination/
The County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed a measure that will give the State Department of Finance more time to review a mixed-use affordable housing project poised to be built at 1500 Capitola Road.
The project would include 57 affordable housing units, a Dientes dental clinic, as well as a Santa Cruz Community Health facility. The development is also slated to include a public plaza and community garden.
The property, which is currently owned by the Santa Cruz County Redevelopment Successor Agency, is pending sale to Mid-Pen Housing, a nonprofit developer that specializes in building affordable housing.
Tuesday’s extension comes after the county voted to reduce the price of the 3.7 acre parcel in a November board meeting by more than $2 million because of environmental concerns. High levels of dry cleaning solvents and petroleum byproducts have been found in soil vapor and groundwater at the 1500 Capitola Road. site.
Weber Hayes & Associates, an environmental consulting firm retained by the county, has documented one such contaminant — tetrachloroethylene, or PCE — in soil vapor at levels ranging from 100,000 micrograms per meter cubed, to 1.5 million micrograms per meter cubed.
Those soil gas detections are orders of magnitude beyond state board residential and commercial health and safety standards, which are 15 and 67 micrograms per meter cubed, respectively.
PCE is a known human carcinogen, and exposure over the long term is linked to neurological disorders, various cancers, and kidney diseases. While no residents live on the development property currently, it still poses a risk to future community members.
“If people are exposed to even very low levels of PCE chronically, meaning you’re breathing it every day in your home, it’s harmful to your health,” Jim Wells said, a geologist with L. Everett & Associates, and an expert in soil vapor contamination.
PCE has also been detected in groundwater beneath 1500 Capitola Road property; In at least one sample the contaminant was found at 192 parts per billion, more then 38 times the state board’s threshold. Benzene has also been found in soil gas at 330 micrograms per meter cubed, which exceeds the California Department of Toxic Substances Control benzene ambient air standard by over 300 times.
“Vapor intrusion is this phenomenon whereby toxic chemicals that are spilled into the ground, usually as liquids, volatilize, and then those gases waste up through the soil and they can seep into buildings,” explained Wells.
The contaminated vapor moves through small spaces between soil grains.
“If you go out and water your garden, how does that water get into soil?” Wells said. “It’s seeping through those pore spaces. Soil gas is the air that’s filling up the spaces between interconnected soil particles.”
Contaminated vapor can also sneak into buildings through utility lines, or cracks in a building foundation.
The high levels of PCE likely stem from a dry cleaner that operated at 1600 Capitola Road in the 60s and 70s, though the water board is still actively investigating the source of the contamination, Dan Niles an engineering geologist with the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board told the Sentinel.
“All the evidence that has been gathered so far points to a release from a former dry cleaner, that has migrated from that dry cleaner under the development property,” Niles said.
Before the construction of the mixed-use property could begin, the redeveloper, likely to be MidPen, would be required to implement engineering controls that suck contaminated soil vapor out from underneath the property, and redirect the air outside, preventing it from entering the building.
Throughout the construction process, the developer would need to pay for monitoring and testing to confirm if one such system lowers PCE concentrations to levels that aren’t harmful to human health, according to the water board. While these controls can be effective in the interim, Wells said in the long term, the system doesn’t replace a cleanup of the toxic chemicals in groundwater and soil.
“These mitigation systems are going to help — they’re going to reduce exposure to indoor air by some level — but it’s not going to solve the underlying problem,” Wells said.
And it might be years until a cleanup happens.
The former dry cleaner, which now operates as a laundromat, sits directly to the east of the proposed affordable housing site at 1500 Capitola Road. The state water board has ordered the former dry cleaner owners to investigate contamination on their property and in adjacent areas. If charged with cleanup, those owners may be responsible for also mitigating contamination at 1500 Capitola Road.
But it’s still early — at this point it’s still unclear where funds would come from for a cleanup. According to Wells, these remediating dry cleaning sites can take decades, or longer. And building the neighboring affordable housing development before fully investigating the contamination in the area at large, is risky, Wells said.
“There needs to be a more thorough investigation to fully understand the nature and extent of contamination on the redevelopment site, as well as the source area, on the dry cleaning side, because how do we know there’s not a wave of even worse contamination making its way in groundwater?” Wells said.
While the 1500 Capitola Road site is currently unoccupied, to the east lies the Live Oak Elementary School, a supermarket and residential neighborhoods.
At this point, the impact of the historic use of dry cleaning solvents to drinking water supply, soil, and air in those areas is unknown, according to Dan Niles with the state board. Those investigation results will be forthcoming.
“We’re anxious to see what the data shows,” Sheila Soderberg, with Central Coast Water Board said.
Becky Steinbruner Attends County Historic Resources Commission
As reported in Bratton Online July 2 - 8, 2019 edition
The County Historic Resources Commission met Monday to discuss the fate of the historic Merriman House in Live Oak. There is a large development planned for that spot at 1438 Capitola Road, and Mid Peninsula Housing wants to bulldoze the historic house where Robert Merriman spent part of his life. Robert Merriman became a significant volunteer to fight fascism in the Spanish Civil War, and was the role model for Ernest Hemingway’s protagonist Robert Jordan in “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”
MidPen Housing wants to bulldoze that history. At the request of the County Historic Resources Commission, ARG Consultants (on contract with the County), reviewed the historic significance of the house and property. Because there is another location in Berkeley (2517 Virginia Street) that Mr. Merriman also lived, it is allowable to bulldoze the Santa Cruz home.
Luckily, Commissioner Carolyn Swift asked the question about the status of this Berkeley property. Planner Ms. Annie Murphy said the property is not historically protected. The Chairman of the Santa Cruz City Historic Preservation Commission, Mr. Joe Michalak, was in the audience, and testified that he had investigated the status of the Berkeley property, a 9-unit apartment building that has been modified and would most likely not meet criteria for historic preservation.
The real issue, Mr. Michalak and the Commission discussed, is WHEN WILL CEQA PROCESS BEGIN ON THE PROPOSED MIDPEN HOUSING PROJECT? It is critical that the public know when to submit comment that can be included in an administrative records of the proceedings of the Project, and under Public Resources Code 15064.5, the lead agency (which most likely would be the County) has the discretion to change historic designation of structures impacted by a project.
I also spoke about the agricultural significance of the property, in that it established the small “ranchettes” of the Live Oak area that lead to Santa Cruz County becoming the second-most-significant poultry producing county in the State in the early 1900’s, with Petaluma leading.
The MidPen Housing representative that spoke assured the Commission that there would be an interpretive panel, size unknown, that would relay the historic significance of the property to the public. Hmmmmm…..
The Commission took no action on this matter, but asked to be kept informed of any environmental review on the property.
Here is a link to the July 1 County Historic Resources Commission agenda and documentation
Here is a link to what the Berkeley apartment building looks like, with modern windows and other alterations
Here is a link to Public Resources Code 15064.5 regarding California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and historic preservation
Here is a link to a Q&A from public questions re: this Project
The County Historic Resources Commission met Monday to discuss the fate of the historic Merriman House in Live Oak. There is a large development planned for that spot at 1438 Capitola Road, and Mid Peninsula Housing wants to bulldoze the historic house where Robert Merriman spent part of his life. Robert Merriman became a significant volunteer to fight fascism in the Spanish Civil War, and was the role model for Ernest Hemingway’s protagonist Robert Jordan in “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”
MidPen Housing wants to bulldoze that history. At the request of the County Historic Resources Commission, ARG Consultants (on contract with the County), reviewed the historic significance of the house and property. Because there is another location in Berkeley (2517 Virginia Street) that Mr. Merriman also lived, it is allowable to bulldoze the Santa Cruz home.
Luckily, Commissioner Carolyn Swift asked the question about the status of this Berkeley property. Planner Ms. Annie Murphy said the property is not historically protected. The Chairman of the Santa Cruz City Historic Preservation Commission, Mr. Joe Michalak, was in the audience, and testified that he had investigated the status of the Berkeley property, a 9-unit apartment building that has been modified and would most likely not meet criteria for historic preservation.
The real issue, Mr. Michalak and the Commission discussed, is WHEN WILL CEQA PROCESS BEGIN ON THE PROPOSED MIDPEN HOUSING PROJECT? It is critical that the public know when to submit comment that can be included in an administrative records of the proceedings of the Project, and under Public Resources Code 15064.5, the lead agency (which most likely would be the County) has the discretion to change historic designation of structures impacted by a project.
I also spoke about the agricultural significance of the property, in that it established the small “ranchettes” of the Live Oak area that lead to Santa Cruz County becoming the second-most-significant poultry producing county in the State in the early 1900’s, with Petaluma leading.
The MidPen Housing representative that spoke assured the Commission that there would be an interpretive panel, size unknown, that would relay the historic significance of the property to the public. Hmmmmm…..
The Commission took no action on this matter, but asked to be kept informed of any environmental review on the property.
Here is a link to the July 1 County Historic Resources Commission agenda and documentation
Here is a link to what the Berkeley apartment building looks like, with modern windows and other alterations
Here is a link to Public Resources Code 15064.5 regarding California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and historic preservation
Here is a link to a Q&A from public questions re: this Project
Rentals, health care eyed in $46M project
Santa Cruz Sentinel
By Jondi Gumz
October 12, 2018
By Jondi Gumz
October 12, 2018
Live Oak residents crowd in to ask questions about MidPen Housing’s proposed affordable rental project. (Jondi Gumz — Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Three nonprofits are getting ready to submit a proposal for a $46 million project with 57 affordable rentals, a medical clinic, a dental clinic and a retail food space on vacant county-owned land at 1500 Capitola Road.
The unusual collaboration, in the works for a year, involves MidPen Housing, which opened St. Stephen’s Senior Housing in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Community Health Centers, which employs 135 people at the East Cliff Family Health Center in Live Oak and Dientes Community Dental Care, which last year treated 11,000 people, 97 percent living in poverty. This is the first time MidPen has teamed up with health care providers on a building project in Santa Cruz County.
“We’re committed to serving Santa Cruz,” said Betsy Mahas Wilson, MidPen’s director of housing development, informing 175 people at a community meeting Thursday night at Live Oak Elementary School that a plan will be submitted for county review this month.
Attendees heard about changes made since a community input meeting in April and viewed renderings showing the latest plan for the 3.7-acre site. It calls for:
A two-story 18,000-square-foot building for Santa Cruz Community Health Centers including space for a food retailer. A two-story 10,000-square-foot building for Dientes, with a plaza between the buildings.
Behind them, two three-story apartment buildings, one with a community center and a larger one in a J-shape encircling a courtyard with a picnic area and children’s playground.
Some attendees applauded, but others didn’t want more traffic.
“Capitola Road is like Highway 1,” one woman said.
“The input we have received has really been invaluable,” said Henry Ruhnke, of Wald Ruhnke & Doss Architects in Monterey, noting changes made as a result.
The changes include moving the proposed plaza to save large trees on Capitola Road, adding planter seating, creating green space buffers for Leila Court neighbors by moving buildings that were proposed 49 feet from the property line to be 119 feet away and reducing the number of apartments, initially proposed to be more than 60.
The project site does not include 1668 Capitola Road where Live Oak Super operates, but Supervisor John Leopold told attendees, “We’ll continue to work with that property owner.”
The review, which will include an environmental impact report and a traffic study, is expected to take a year.
Arranging financing could take another year, so construction could be two years away.
At a community meeting Thursday night, attendees saw the design for affordable apartments in Live Oak and had an opportunity to ask questions of the developer, MidPen Housing, the architect, and their nonprofit partners, Santa Cruz Community Health Centers and Dientes. (Jondi Gumz — Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Affordable
The neighborhood, bisected by Capitola Road and 17th Avenue, is a picture of economic diversity — one part affluent with the income midpoint exceeding $100,000, others with the income midpoint of $50,000, and up to 24 percent living in poverty, according to data collected by the county..
The apartments would be open to families earning up to 80 percent of median income, with rents based on income. A family of three with annual income less than $30,150 would pay $753 a month in rent for a two-bedroom apartment, with rent at $1,256 a month for a family with income under $50,250 and $2,010 a month for a family with income $80,400.
When the county asked residents in April 2017 what they would like to see on the property, affordable housing was a priority. Last December, supervisors selected MidPen Housing as the developer.
Wilson said the money to build the apartments will come from low-income housing tax credits and state and local grants for affordable housing.
Fundraising
Leslie Conner of East Cliff Family Health Center said she is working to raise $10 million for construction and $1 million for operations.
Laura Marcus of Dientes said she needs $6 million and is at the halfway mark; the new clinic would mean expanding from 65 to 92 employees.
Each nonprofit has a grant of $2.5 million from the Central California Alliance for Health toward this project.
“People have health when they have housing, when they have access to services,” said Marcus, giving Conner a high five. “That’s how we do things.”
Conner said people are excited about having a dental clinic next door to a medical clinic.
“That’s less traffic on the road,” said Marcus.
“There is a need,” said Jan Lindenthal of MidPen, noting 76 percent of children at Live Oak Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and Live Oak residents drive on average four miles to work. “This will put people closer to their jobs.”
Greenhouses used to operate on the tree-filled property and for years, residents have taken advantage of the footpath, walking their dogs, their children and their grandchildren. Development means that will come to an end.
Residents
Rosemary Kendall, who has lived in Live Oak 21 years, wants more footpaths.
“I want a walking neighborhood,” she said.
Carol Childers, who lives on Leila Court, worries about flooding on her property and whether the soil on the former greenhouse property is contaminated.
Kathy Cress, a resident for 30 years, remembers when horses and sheep were on Chanticleer Avenue.
“I’m in favor of affordable housing,” she said. “My concern is it’s three stories.”
Michelle Aragon, a mother of two who teaches Zumba classes to 50 people twice a week at Live Oak Elementary, is impacted by traffic herself but sees the project as worthwhile.
“This is going to benefit so many people,” she said.
October 11, 2018 Mid-Pen Housing Hosts Community Meeting
We have learned that Mid-Pen Housing, the developer selected by the County to purchase and develop the former Redevelopment Agency property, is hosting a community meeting on October 11 (time to be determined, probably early evening). The meeting location is Live Oak Elementary School (1916 Capitola Road).
The focus of the meeting is to present a revised development proposal, discuss the basis for design decisions, and answer questions via 1-on-1 or small group discussion, plus outline the next steps for County entitlement application submission.
Please mark your calendars and spread the word about the community meeting. As soon as we know the exact time, we'll send another update.
The focus of the meeting is to present a revised development proposal, discuss the basis for design decisions, and answer questions via 1-on-1 or small group discussion, plus outline the next steps for County entitlement application submission.
Please mark your calendars and spread the word about the community meeting. As soon as we know the exact time, we'll send another update.