COMMUNITY NEWS
When Will Aptos Village Get Its New Park? By Jondi Gumz
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ith 135 members in the new Gateway to Nisene Marks State Park group on Facebook, the organizer of the group, Todd Marco, who moved with his family last July, had a question: When will the promised Aptos Village county park be planned? It’s a practical question because he and his wife have a daughter, 6, and a son, 3. “This is a huge thing,” Marco said. Back in 2012, when county supervisors approved the project, the new park on .74 acre was promised as one of the community benefits of the Swenson development adding retail and restaurant spaces, plus 69 homes, and displacing a bicycle pump track that had been a local favorite. County parks chief Jeff Gaffney has the answer. “If the County accepts the dedication then it would be part of the public process and would include the new residents that will be immediately adjacent and/or within walking distance to the land proposed for dedication,” he wrote in an email to Aptos Times. “This would be the most inclusive and accurate reflection of what the neighbors of this size of a park might want.” Typically Santa Cruz County notifies neighbors who live within a 300-foot radius of a property of an upcoming project. The original parcel number is 04-101-136. It’s not clear what might be suitable for the site -which is currently enclosed by cyclone fencing to prepare to build phase 2 — about half — of the development. Half of the property is covered by oak woodlands, and it’s steep with slopes of 30 percent or more, according to parks commissioner Kate Minott. The land slated for the park is held by Swenson, and Jessie Bristow of Swenson says the land won’t be turned over to the county until the development is finished.
“Brookdale” from page 22 After Medicare began requiring payroll records in 2018, the Times found nursing hours were boosted by including hours of administrators who don’t care for patients. Places with more nursing hours got higher “star ratings” even when patients complained about short-staffing. On Tuesday, Brookdale’s Riverwalk was rated four of five stars overall on Medicare’s NursingHomeCompare, based on five stars for quality of resident care, four stars for staffing and two stars for health inspections. In the year since the COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S., Brookdale Senior Living’s stock price doubled from $3.27 per share to $6.81 per share before dipping slightly. Brookdale got $120 million in CARES Act funding in 2020 but reported revenue losses of $280 million, with CEO Cindy Baier hoping to receive more aid for losses in the second half of the year.
A billboard showing the approximate location of the new county park on Aptos Creek Road, which is the gateway to Nisene Marks State Park, a location where visitation has increased exponentially because of the pandemic. However, one of the 2012 conditions added by the Planning Commission was to require the future park land be offered to the county after five years. After the project was approved, Swenson decided to split the project in two phases. The final map for phase 1 was recorded in 2015; the map for phase 2 was recorded in 2020. Given that five years have passed, should the land for the park be offered to the county by now? Gaffney said, “No, I do not believe the time is up and more importantly we have not accepted the dedication.” Asked about enforcing the five-year agreement, Gaffney wrote, “As I understand it, the land is available and has been dedicated in perpetuity so there is nothing left to enforce.” Aptos resident Becky Steinbruner thinks that if the land were transferred to the County, that would speed up the process of getting the park. Is that assessment accurate? Gaffney said the issue is money. “We do not have money or resources to plan or construct this park and we would not speed things up if we did have the resources (until the residents were moved in),” he said. “We would want to include the neighbors (who are
A quarter of the COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have been at nursing homes, where residents who are elderly and have medical conditions are more at risk. The New York Times reported academic research has found little correlation between the star ratings and COVID-19 infection and death. Instead, the infection rates in the community and race of nursing homes residents were predictors in outbreaks. “We are holding Brookdale accountable for artificially increasing its profits by cutting corners when transferring or discharging its patients. It lured individuals to its facilities through false promises about providing the highest quality care,” said Becerra. “Choosing a skilled nursing facility is no simple task. Seniors, people with disabilities and their families rely heavily on accurate data to make that decision. Californians have been directly impacted by Brookdale’s behavior. We will ensure that they face consequences for violating the public’s trust.” “Rules designed to protect nursing
still populating the development) since they would be the most frequent potential users of this land.” In other parts of the county, people who want parks have turned to private fundraising. That’s what made LEO’s Haven at Chanticleer Park happen. Seacliff Skatepark, completed last year, had private support. Fundraising is ongoing, working with County Park Friends, for the Hidden Beach playground upgrade. If Aptos residents want a park sooner, does that mean they should organize and raise money for it? Gaffney answered, “This is always a very effective means to get parks developed and activated. Most likely it would accelerate things but we would still want input from the people who are moving into the development and would be the most likely users of the land.” All the homes completed in the first phase, about 36, have been sold, according to real estate agent Alistair Craft of Sereno, but about half the units have yet to be built. County Supervisor Zach Friend, who represents Aptos, said, “It’s true there isn’t a dedicated fund for a park — and the parcel itself is pretty difficult to do much with ... But some of this is theoretical right now as we need the second phase to start.” Marco, looking at the fenced off dirt lot pending Swenson’s second construction phase of the Aptos Village project is a dirt lot, asked participants in the Gateway to Nisene Marks Facebook group, for their preference on what should go there. A total of 33 people voted, with 11 in favor of paid validated parking for patron use during business hours, Nisene overflow on weekends/holidays and resident guests overnight and 10 in favor of unrestricted public parking. Only six thought it should be a county park. n
facility residents must be followed to ensure the dignity, respect, and compassion that residents deserve,” said Zimmer, Kern County district attorney, noting residents are often mothers, fathers, and grandparents who are facing challenging times. “When companies fail to comply with these rules, they create environments that subject the most vulnerable among us to unnecessary victimization, stress, and even physical harm. This case seeks accountability for offenders and is a reminder to all skilled nursing facilities of the importance of following rules designed to ensure the protection of vulnerable residents.” Brookdale Senior Living’s assisted living facility in Scotts Valley is not a part of the lawsuit but Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell joined the lawsuit, saying, “Protecting the elderly and disabled is one of the highest priorities for the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office … Participating in this case is part of our ongoing efforts to hold skilled nursing facilities and their owners accountable.”
Also participating in the lawsuit are Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. Skilled nursing facilities are required to give notice of transfer or discharge –known as a “TOD” notice — at least 30 days in advance, or as soon as practicable to patients, with a copy to the local ombudsmen. The law also requires the discharging facility to prepare patients for transfer or discharge, which could include explanations about ongoing care, medications, and training for home treatments such as oxygen. n ••• A copy of the lawsuit is at https://oag. ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/ Brookdale%20Complaint.pdf To reach the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program in Santa Cruz County, see https:// www.advocacy-inc.org/programs or call (831) 429-1913. Services are free and confidential.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / April 15th 2021 / 27
