The city of Santa Cruz will hold an online community meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 16 to discuss and receive feedback from the public about the six-story development project proposed at 1024 Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz.

The developer behind the project is the local firm Workbench, which submitted a preliminary application to the city of Santa Cruz to develop a mixed-use building on the vacant lot at 1024 Soquel Ave. earlier this summer.

The Housing Crisis Act of 2019 or SB 330 requires local agencies to compile a checklist and application form for preliminary applications with the aim of making the review process faster for developers. The law also locks in the development standards and fees that apply at the time the application materials are submitted. By law, the city of Santa Cruz or any other California municipality is prohibited from applying new ordinances, standards or policies to a project with a complete preliminary application.

The pre-application submitted by Workbench proposes a six-story, mixed-use building with a rooftop deck consisting of a commercial space on the ground floor and 76 residential units above. The project would stand about 75 feet high, according to the plan set, and the mixed-use development would have about 1,200 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor.

The plans state the development would contain a mix of 33 one-bedroom, 10 two-bedroom and 33 studio apartments for a total of 76 units. The plans mention that non-habitable space in the project will later be converted into accessory dwelling units, which are not included in the 76-unit total.The development would contain 12 units considered affordable by the state with six of the units designated for those considered to be earning very low income, or a family of four bringing in at least $90,550 per year, one unit designated for a family of four considered low income, or making at least $145,300 annually and five units set aside for those considered moderate-income residents, which for Santa Cruz County means a family of four making $159,350 annually.

According to state law, because Workbench has set aside 12 units for those considered moderate, low income and very low income, or about 15%, they are allowed unlimited waivers and four concessions on the project. The developer outlined 10 waivers in the plan set in relation to building heights and stories, setbacks, floor area ratio, among others.

Workbench also asked for two of the possible four concessions, which are described in the plans. The developer requested that the public hearing held on the project be held only before the Santa Cruz City Council and that the project not be required to be heard before any other advisory body including the city’s Planning Commission in order to “expedite final approval of the project, reduce land-carrying costs and avoid the expense that comes with multiple hearings.” Workbench also requested a concession to not be required to pay any impact fees until the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for each building in the development.

Because the development would be located less than a half mile from a major transit stop, it is not required by state law to include automobile parking, but the developer has chosen to include 61 automobile parking spaces inside an approximately 7,600-square-foot parking garage that would use a car stacking system.

According to the city’s website, feedback gathered at the meeting, “may contribute to alterations in the project design and additional project entitlements.”

For information, visit cityofsantacruz.com.