Future Looks Bright

By Randy Johnson, Vice Mayor

When I first got on the council, I worked very hard to pass Measure D, the tax that allowed us to rebuild Scotts Valley Drive. A cost of $29 a year and a beautiful alternative to a decaying road assured its passage by 90%. But at the time, what puzzled me was the fact that 437 people voted against it.

What? Really? Yet upon reflection, it made sense and it taught me a very valuable lesson: perspective. Everyone has one. Even as we work to move the city forward, navigating what’s best for Scotts Valley is complicated and requires weighing community benefit along with individual concerns.

Economic development has been an important goal for Scotts Valley to keep the city fiscally sound. To that end, the future looks promising as new developments make their way through the process.

Town Center

Absent the economic disarray in 2008 and an unfortunate corporate purchase in 2014, the town center would be a reality today. Councilmember Bustichi and I have attended many conferences, drumming up interest for Scotts Valley and while the population numbers are marginal there is still interest from developers in this spot.

Currently a new developer group is stepping up with proposals that look promising. In addition, an independent group is eyeing a spot on Mt. Hermon that would include a prominent restaurant and perhaps act as a catalyst for future development. We remain hopeful that a town center will emerge on this challenging site.

1440

The former Bethany campus presented many challenges for our city. Essentially abandoned, it sat there with very few prospects. That all changed when Scott and Joanie Kriens approached the city with a unique plan that would create a “multiversity” and promote personal development and whole-person wellness. It is very exciting on many levels.

Not only will this serve a wide spectrum of people, it will provide a solid revenue source for our city as each room will be assessed a tax similar to hotels. And it represents an ongoing source of business for our two future hotels scheduled for completion by 2017.

All together, over the next 20 years, these developments represent an income source of nearly 35 million dollars for our city. And the ancillary benefit is that these guests spend money locally, patronize restaurants and keep our retail segment strong.

Performing Arts Center

A group of volunteers has taken upon itself to create a performing arts center in the empty space next to the library. This 240-seat theater will welcome the whole spectrum of performers, including musicals, recitals, tribute bands and the list goes on. This is exciting for our community and it even helps our town center prospects. When developers learn that 200+ patrons will be attending performances, they add that to their customer base, particularly for potential restaurant sites.

As Scotts Valley moves forward on these and other project, add your voice to the conversation. We are always interested in your “perspective.”