Seniors Sign Petition Against Housing Project

Seniors at Dominican Oaks have gathered hundreds of signatures on petitions opposing a proposed Builder’s Remedy housing project at 3500 Paul Sweet Road.

The project, called “Sweet Homes,” is planned to be a six-story, 105-unit building with 74 parking spaces on a half-acre parcel bordering Dominican Oaks. Petition organizers said they plan to submit the signatures to the Santa Cruz Planning Commission as part of their effort to block the development.

Residents argue the project would threaten health and safety by adding traffic to Paul Sweet Road, the only evacuation route for Dominican Oaks and nearby homes and businesses.

They say the dead-end street is too narrow for trucks and fire engines to turn around and that added vehicles could create a dangerous bottleneck during emergencies.

While the seniors say they support more housing in Santa Cruz County, they contend the location of this project would jeopardize emergency access and put vulnerable seniors at risk.