SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT
On June 22, 2010, the Board of Supervisors directed the Planning Department to create a draft ordinance regulating vacation rentals and present it to the County’s Housing Advisory Commission (HAC) and Planning Commission (PC) for review, comment, and recommendation.
At three separate meetings (September 21, October 6, and November 3, 2010), the HAC reviewed the original draft ordinance, took public testimony, directed staff to create a revised draft ordinance, and recommended the revised draft ordinance to the Board of Supervisors for adoption.
In late October, staff prepared a draft Initial Study pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act on the original draft ordinance, the HAC recommended draft ordinance, and a staff alternative ordinance, and forwarded the Initial Study to the State Clearinghouse for circulation and public comment.
On November 10, 2010, staff presented the original draft ordinance, the HAC-recommended draft ordinance, and the staff-developed alternative draft ordinance to the PC. The PC took public testimony and gave general direction to staff to develop another draft ordinance. On November 29, 2010, staff returned to the PC with a draft ordinance based on the general direction given at the November 10th meeting. After taking additional public testimony and deliberating on the matter, the PC gave more specific direction to Planning staff and directed staff to return on February 23, 2011, with a revised draft ordinance for the PC’s consideration.
Staff has now developed a revised draft ordinance according to the PC’s direction and a new Initial Study on that ordinance. The Initial Study was completed in mid December and was forwarded to the State Clearinghouse for circulation on December 20, 2010. The public comment period on the new Initial Study will end on January 21, 2011. Please direct comments to Matthew Johnston, Environmental Coordinator, County Planning Department, 701 Ocean Street Rm 400, Santa Cruz CA 95060 or via email to pln458@co.santa-cruz.ca.us.
The next public hearing on the draft vacation rental ordinance will be held by the PC after 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 23, 2011, in the Board of Supervisors Chambers on the 5th floor of the County Building, 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz. After that, on a date to be determined, a public hearing will be held by the Board of Supervisors to consider both the HAC and the PC recommended ordinances.
The proposed ordinance can be viewed at:
http://www.sccoplanning.com/html/policy/prop_vacation_rental_ord.html
and clicking on the link:
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW INITIAL STUDY