Capitola Year in Review

By Noel Smith

McGregor Park Progress

The multi-use recreational park at the City-owned McGregor Drive property authorized by the city Council is located near the entrance to New Brighton State Beach. The park is to have three components; a skate park, dog park and bike park.

The plan calls for a 7,000 square foot bike pump track on the north end of the property, a 10,600 square foot skateboard park fronting McGregor Drive and a 9,000 square foot dog park located in the rear of the property with a Kids play: Between the bike park and the skateboarder area. Parking for 30 vehicles will be at the southern portion of the lot with a gated entrance. On Nov. 24 the City authorized $100,000 towards installing the skate park. Funding for completing each area, is to come from a combination of private donors, sponsors and possible grant money.

However, there is an appeal in process filed by parents who gathered over 200 signatures asking that the council reconsider a 6,000-square-foot skate park for beginner and intermediate skaters at Monterey Park next to New Brighton Middle School. The appeal will be heard in 2015.

Fireworks Extravaganza Raises $50,000 For Park

After a year’s hiatus, the Monte Foundation under the Directorship of Marc Monte resumed its Fireworks Extravaganza for the 20th time on Saturday, October 11 in Capitola. The move from Seacliff State Beach to Capitola was due to rising costs and a need to change the personality of the event.

As a result of the success of the event the Monte Foundation pledged to donate $50,000 towards the construction for the Skateboard portion of the new park on McGregor Drive Park. “This was our first year in Capitola but people around here have always been generous when it comes to good causes.”

Monte, who owns Deluxe Foods in Aptos and started the Rudolph Monte Foundation 20 years ago promised to return to Capitola in 2015.

Elections

Elections in Capitola always are interesting. In November Measure M, a 1 percent increase in the Transient Occupancy Tax, went down to defeat. As City finances continue to improve, no one could seem to justify another tax increase to the voters.

Two elections involving the Soquel Union Elementary School District Board took place in 2014. In June Amanda Jackson Miller was officially elected after being appointed to the School Board to fill a seat vacated by Lynette Hamby last fall. Sandra Erickson forced the election by collecting enough voter signatures to vacate the appointment. In November, two incumbents, Phil Rodriguez and Sandra Wallace, were reelected for another four years to the board.

The Capitola City Council November election saw a six-way race for three seats result in the return of incumbents Michael Termini and Stephanie Harlan and the addition of Jacques Bertrand on his third try to the Council in a close race over Joe Clarke.

Council Considering Moving City Hall and Police Department

The land that the Capitola City Hall and the Police Department occupy has become source of concern to the city since the floods of 2011 and a source of opportunity to two developers competing to build an 80-room hotel close to Capitola Village and the beach. The proposal for a new visitor complex would also would establish a new park on the Pacific Cove parking lot and consolidate the parking lots behind city hall into a new multi-story parking garage. Questions to answer before the project can go forward are: 1.) Where to move the city offices and the police department; 2.) Does Capitola need a third hotel project in the Village area especially when two other proposed hotel projects are currently on hold; 3.) Is there a real need for a new city hall and 4.) Should the city put a private hotel developer in charge of planning the largest and most expensive public works project in the history of Capitola.

Tune in to 2015 to see what will happen