SANTA CRUZ >> The city of Santa Cruz will hold a community meeting Thursday at the London Nelson Community Center to gain feedback about the draft of the “50-year Community Vision for West Cliff.” After about a year of public meetings and input, the draft document was recently completed by city staff and consultants from Farallon Strategies.

“The 50-year Community Vision for West Cliff is a testament to the city’s commitment to resiliency and community well-being,” said Santa Cruz City Manager Matt Huffaker in a statement. “Through extensive collaboration, we have crafted a vision that reflects the shared values of people who live and play on West Cliff. This document will guide our planning and decision-making, ensuring a resilient and accessible West Cliff for all.”

The order to compose the forward-looking document, which imagines the state of West Cliff Drive five decades into the future, was given by the Santa Cruz City Council after the delivery of a progress report about the damaged road and pedestrian path caused by the January 2023 storms at a council meeting in May 2023. Since that time, a series of meetings have been held, both in-person and virtual, and included a public Santa Cruz City Council study session in August.

Now that the draft report is available to the public, city of Santa Cruz staff are hoping for even more input from community members about the document’s various sections in regard to pedestrian and bicycle access, one-way and two-way vehicle access and traffic controls, nature-based solutions and engineered natural feature restoration and planned relocation, among other subjects.

According to a statement from the city, “This 50-year Community Vision is not just about preserving West Cliff as it exists today; it’s about crafting a future that respects and enhances the natural beauty and significance of our coastline. Balancing the community’s love for West Cliff with the realities of the dynamic coast is at the heart of the vision, emphasizing the importance of building a resilient and accessible space that can withstand the impacts of climate change while remaining a vital hub for the community.”

The final draft is predicted to be before the Santa Cruz City Council for review and approval this April.

For meeting information, the draft document and to provide feedback, visit cityofsantacruz.com/westcliff.