The Hanger at Skypark and Starbucks
Takeoff for Scotts Valley Town Center
A project dreamed of for the past two decades with a 10-year-old plan, Town Center, finally found an acceptable developer – Palisade Builders – that was approved by the City Council (4-1) on March 21. The project team is Douglas Ross Construction and Chris Foley of Polaris Pacific, Totomic and Ground Matrix and local consultant Owen Lawlor.
Scotts Valley Mayor Jim Reed said, “This is just a vision… it is not the plan we are approving.” He noted that this is the beginning of an 18 to 24 month process to develop the final plan, and that the city will seek public input on every phase.
Palisades’ vision for Town Center is a $180 million development that includes 288 residential units that will be low- and medium-density and affordable units (partnering with nonprofit Eden Housing on affordable units); 32,000 square feet of restaurant, market hall, retail and parking garages, with a town green as a public gathering space for local events.
The Center is expected to energize local business and provide more housing. The plan calls mixed use retail and residential. According to the environmental impact report, when completed Town Center is projected to generate 11,500 automobile trips a day.
The Scotts Valley Town Center Plan is designed to guide the development of mixed-use area that will become the heart of the city. The Plan is the result of the City of Scotts Valley efforts to develop its commercial center as a balance of commercial, civic, and residential uses that will attract visitors both locally and regionally.
The Area involved is approximately 58 acres bound by Mt. Hermon Road to the south, Skypark Drive to the west, Blue Bonnet Lane to the north, and a residential development just west of Scotts Valley Drive to the east and the site of the former Skypark airport that operated from 1947 to 1983. The Plan was adopted and EIR certified by the City Council in December 2008.
The approved Hanger at Skypark brewpub and restaurant to be built by Corbett Wright, and Rob Stuart is located at 260 Mt. Hermon Road and consists of two retail buildings on a total of 1.51 Acres. Building A consists of a 2,412-square foot (sqft) proposed Starbucks with a drive-thru service and a 384- sqft patio. This would be Starbucks’ first drive-thru in the county accessible to one of the busiest roads in the County and next to a planned development of 288 residences.
Building B – The Hanger at Skypark – consists of a 13,282- sqft retail building with a 10,471- sqft ground floor, a 2,811- sqft mezzanine, and a 1,482- sqft patio for outdoor dining area. The Hanger will include a taproom and restaurant, retail, and office. Cross easements will facilitate circulation throughout the future Town Center.
SVUSD Parcel Tax in the Works
Parcel Tax Initiative Presentation to school board on March 13, 2018
Speakers: Tanya Krause and Derek Timm
SVUSD has been discussing the need for a Parcel Tax. Save Our Schools Scotts Valley is regrouping in response to recent news that the Scotts Valley Unified District intends to reduce our teachers and staff by 8.8 (FTE) employees.
We understand that the Board intends to place a parcel tax measure on the November 2018 ballot, and we are ready to support that effort with volunteer time, energy and money. It is critical that our schools prevent cuts to core programs in science, technology, engineering, math & the arts in all grades.
We must maintain our students reading and writing skills, and provide our children access to the technology they will need to be competitive in the world. None of this will be possible if we cannot retain our outstanding teachers, which is at the heart of our mission.
We intend to give the School Board a summary of our vision on how to succeed in this effort and provide a beginning timeline for these efforts. We look forward to assisting our Scotts Valley Schools in this critical effort.
Quick Summary / Abstract
Due to increased expenditures that outpace revenues, and minimal assistance from the state and federal governments, we continue to have to look locally for resources. Unfortunately, due to the disparity in our low state revenues, (Timm reported the SVUSD district ranks 335 out of 344 school districts in California in per-student state funding) we are deficit spending. Consequently, that requires reductions in program and people. In 2018-19, there will be fewer teaching positions, reduced programs, and a change to the Academy Program at SVMS (Scotts Valley Middle School).
SVUSD has been discussing the District’s need for additional revenue for quite some time. This past fall, SVUSD Trustees hired a pollster to implement a survey for a potential parcel tax. Upon review of the results, the Board gave the Superintendent direction to move forward with pursuing a November 2018 Parcel Tax.
(Measure K was the last SVUSD parcel tax of $48, which was passed in 2012 and expired 3 years later in 2015.)
Scotts Valley Theater Update
Larry Smith of the Scotts Valley Community Theater Guild and arts commissioner Trish Melehan presented to the Scotts Valley City Council a new approach to paying for the unfinished city-owned space next to the Scotts Valley public library. This would be using Measure S library funds to create a cultural center that includes the theater. Melehan and Smith said cities elsewhere embraced a performing arts center as part of the library.
The City Council voted 5-0 to get a detailed cost assessment and a market analysis on theater demand.