Story and Photos By Jondi Gumz
On April 17, Capitola residents wearing blue circle stickers turned out in force at City Hall to overflow to see how the City Council would vote on the biggest issue facing the community.
Would they see, as city staff did, that Measure L passed by voters in 2018 protecting the historic (1874) rail trestle for active transportation and recreation had multiple interpretations and could allow detouring the planned Rail Trail onto Park Avenue to lower costs?
Not a seat was empty as people wearing t-shirts with Santa Cruz County Friends of Rail and Trail logo advocating for pursuing their vision of trail and rail transit which is not fully funded.
Would they sympathize with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, which bought the 32-mile rail corridor and in 2012 with an $11 million state grant for rail projects and now is told retrofitting the bridges on the corridor could cost close to $1 billion.
Rob Tidmore is the planner on a mission to build this trail for the RTC.
So far, segments have been built in Santa Cruz at higher than expected costs, leaving an $18 million shortfall, prompting a look at strategies to whittle down the estimates.
The MidCounty stretches are especially problematic where 44 homeowners at Castle Mobile Estates in Capitola and Blue and Gold Mobile Home Park in Live Oak have been told they need to move out of the “encroachment” area by June 2025 — which would cost thousands of dollars.
Matt Arthur, owner of Capitola Beach Co., said, “The trail needs to stay on the rail corridor.”
Capitola resident Chris Amsden, who attended with his daughter Alexis, said “Don’t sacrifice our safety for the RTC.”
TJ Welch, who served on the Capitola Planning Commission, noted private fundraising supported the Capitola Wharf rebuild and added, “We can help the RTC get that trail in the corridor.”
Santa Cruz resident Veronica Elsea, supporting the County Friends of Rail and Trail, said, “We were hoping senior citizens could get out and walk more.”
Former Watsonville mayor Lowell Hurst said, “Biking here is not safe.”
After two hours of public comment on interpreting Measure L as codified, City Attorney Samantha Zutler said, “ I do think the council should enforce 8.72 — or challenge it. There’s no indication council is prepared to challenge measure L.”
Council Comments
None of the current city council members was serving when Measure L was on the ballot.
Council member Gerry Jensen said he had spent 100 hours on this issue last month and received hundreds of emails.
He was surprised to see a 4th interpretation of Measure L at the meeting that was on in the agenda posted the previous Friday.
“I urge you to remember your oath of office … to enforce the laws of Capitola,” he said, making a motion for city manager to follow the municipal code.
Council member Melinda Orbach seconded his motion and said, “I was not aware of Measure L in 2018.”
She added, “We are here to stand behind the community. We passed an ordinance protecting the Trestle when we don’t own the Trestle, a lot of other things we don’t have control over … We are going to disagree but we are going to find solutions together … This multi-use safe trail we all want.”
She felt a trail to Park Avenue would be superior, but added, “I believe we need to work together despite our differences.”
Mayor Joe Clarke said, “I’m all in support of Capitola ordinance 8.72.”
With council members Margaux Morgan and Alexander Pedersen voting yes, it was unanimous.
That vote made a vote on the Park Avenue route moot.
Morgan said, “We’re trying to work with RTC so we can move a project forward.”
Pedersen said, “I’m in favor of moving forward with a trail in the rail corridor and look at calming measures for Park Avenue for bicyclists.”
He apologized for missing 3 RTC meetings in two years.
Jensen said he had met with Sarah Christensen, executive director of the RTC, and walked the corridor with Rob Tidmore to see the issues.
As for mobile home encroachments, “we need to talk about that now,” he said.
Mayor Clarke said moving the trail to Park Ave is “a violation of measure L,” but added, “I don’t want to blame RTC, we need to work together .”