Reactions to Cabrillo On-Campus Housing

By Jondi Gumz

About 50 people attended a community meeting June 5 hosted by Cabrillo College to share plans to partner with UC Santa Cruz to build a four-story housing complex with 624 beds and a child-care center next to the softball fields in Aptos for $187 million.

That’s up from $160 million in January. The concept is for 271 units: Families, 60 one-bedroom units; apartments, 56 doubles (two beds each) and 40 quads (4 beds each) and dorms, 84 doubles and 31 quads.

“I see the need,” said Jen Raanan, principal of Delta Charter High School, who expects to relocate during construction and hopes to get space elsewhere on the Cabrillo College campus and accept more of the 120 students on a wait-list. “To rent, you have to make $75,000 a year.”

Most attendees were neighbors concerned about cut-through traffic, speeders and congestion.

“You can’t get out of the driveway at 2 p.m.,” said Andy Muzzio, who lives on Soquel Drive and said this meeting was his first inkling of the project, which Cabrillo has been contemplating since 2021.

Susan Chapin said she sees people parking in her neighborhood to avoid paying for on-campus for parking.

Full-time students at Cabrillo could count on 60% of the units, and UCSC 40%, with the idea that Cabrillo students could finish in their requirements in two years, get mentoring from UCSC students, and then move into UCSC rooms in the complex.

Enrollment down

The number of full-time students has shrunk in 10 years from 9,193 to 5,478 while part-timers has declined from 22,660 to 16,319, with the steepest decline during the pandemic.

“Cabrillo Housing” page 23

Townhomes in Soquel: $499,800

The County of Santa Cruz Community Development and Infrastructure Department will host a random drawing on July 11 or thereabouts to select two prospective Measure J homebuyers and several back-up buyers for two newly built 3-bedroom Measure J townhomes in Soquel (“The Dwellings at Soquel”). The date may be postponed if needed to process a large number of pre-applications.

The maximum sales price for each Measure J townhome is $499,800.

All Measure J homes are subject to permanent deed restrictions which impose ongoing resale price limits and affordability restrictions on current and future owners.

To enter the drawing, prospective buyers must meet eligibility criteria, including but not limited to: • Gross household income does not exceed 2023 moderate-Income limits for Santa Cruz County; • Buyer is prequalified for a loan of at least 70% of the home price; • Household size qualifies for a 3-bedroom home (generally 4-7 household members, with limited exceptions); • First-time homebuyer: has not owned a home for past 3 years; • Buyer is Purchase Ready, as defined in Affordable Housing Guidelines

To enter, deliver a printed pre-application form, with loan pre-qualification letter attached, to the CDI Housing Office between June 20-29. Details, application form and delivery instructions at: http:// www.sccoplanning.com/PlanningHome/ Housing/UnitsForSale.aspx n

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Applicants will be informed by email of the drawing date. Within 3 days, they will be told their rank on the list. The top 2 applicants must submit a complete Measure J eligibility application within one week of notification. If either fails to do so, staff will alert applicants in ranking order until a buyer is approved and enters into contract.