Aptos Year in Review

By Noel Smith

Aptos Village

February 18 2014 saw a major step forward for the long discussed and planned Aptos Village project. The Soquel Creek Water District board approved water service for Aptos Village and approved a request by the developer, Barry Swenson Builder to use a bond to pay the district $1.26 million in connection fees.

Parade Street (In recognition of the famous Aptos 4th of July Parade) will provide an entrance into the village area from Soquel Drive crossing the rail line into the village and ending the Village Green and Aptos Villa Way cross street. The old apple barn will be relocated with a New Leaf Market occupying the renovated structure.

Sadly, after 15 years the world-renowned “temporary” Aptos mountain biking parks will be leveled on February 17, 2015 as construction starts. However, the Aptos Village project includes plans for a new public park, which could become another Aptos venue for mountain bikers.

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Rancho del Mar Shopping Center and Safeway

In 2012, Property Development Centers — a Safeway Subsidiary — bought the 50-year-old Rancho del Mar Shopping Center in Aptos with plans to overhaul the Center and build a new Safeway store. The project immediately ran into opposition from local residents over the design, the impact on local merchants, and traffic.

Now Safeway Inc. announced on December 23, 2014 of the completion of the sale of the shopping center and real estate development assets owned by its subsidiary, Property Development Centers LLC to Carlsbad-based Terramar Retail Centers LLC for $830 million. The upgrade of the Rancho del Mar Shopping Center and the Town Center Project in Scotts Valley are now both in limbo until the new owners are heard from.

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Water Wars

The plans for Twin Lakes Christian K-8 School and Campus Improvements ran into some stormy waters due the action of the Soquel Creek Water district Board of Directors.

After seeming to approve water service for the project, the board put all new water service on hold pending a hearing on a building moratorium for the Water District due to the continuing drought. After several contentious meetings with hundreds of residents attending, the Board pulled back from its position on a proposed moratorium.

Since then, with the governor taking action on the state’s water emergency, an election passing a state bond issue for water projects and at the same time returning two SCWD directors to the board and electing a new director, 2015 will be a new chapter in local water politics.

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Local Crime and Vandalism

During the past few months of 2014 Aptos has seen an uptick in burglaries and vandalism. During October a series of commercial burglaries took place along Soquel Ave affecting several business.

Then on Sunday, November 23 a shocking series of acts of vandalism against vehicles parked on the street in the Rio Del Mar area starting about 2 a.m. culminated in two cars and a truck being set on fire about 5:30 in the morning.

A community meeting was held December 4 at the Rio Sands Hotel with Supervisor Zach Friend, Sheriff Jim Hart and District Attorney Jeff Rosell attending. They assured the community that all was being done to find out the people who did this.

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Power Line Expansion in Corralitos Cancelled

Starting in 2013 there were rumors that PG&E was going to increase their high voltage line which run from Watsonville to Aptos through Corralitos to 115 KV. The rumors proved true and the project would require expanding the easement through people’s property and installing steel poles of 80 to 100 feet in height. Local residents appealed to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) before approving the expansion, which was granted.

On Tuesday, December 23, PG&E advised that on Wednesday, December 17, PG&E received (notification) from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) indicating that CAISO “agree[s] that the project is not needed within the 10 year planning horizon.”  The letter further states that the CAISO “has approved cancellation of this project.”