Ian Gibb | The Nub

Santa Cruz County has no shortage of housing proposals. What it may have is a shortage of people who can keep track of them all. Over the past two weeks, I've been looking beyond individual projects to examine the larger picture: pending litigation, development costs, public financing, and the growing number of residents asking questions. Those questions aren't confined to neighborhood meetings. At a recent demonstration against a Workbench project located in Seabright, residents took their concerns to the streets. Grant led the presentation, reading aloud the group's "Demands to City Council," with Santa Cruz mayoral candidates Ami Chen Mills and Ryan Coonerty standing alongside him. The moment brought residents, organizers, and political candidates together, a reminder that housing development has become a campaign conversation as well as a community concern. Meanwhile, Selesa and Save Our Seabright continue rallying community support through a petition opposing...

An Update from the Bagelry: A Week in Review Thursday, October 15, 2026 Santa Cruz, California Hot coffee and bagels continue to be served. As you sit down, you might bump your head into one of the delightful little plant and seashell sculptures created by Kitty Vincent, aka Forest Creeper on Instagram. I reached out to Kitty for comment about her work and what small, locally owned businesses like the Bagelry mean to the Santa Cruz community. Unfortunately, she was unavailable for comment. I surmise that she is busy combing through the beach and forests for driftwood, shells and moss for her next project. “Watch out for the banana slugs, Kitty!” Wait, never mind … breaking news to my inbox: “I come in on a weekly basis to water and some of my favorite moments are the conversations about plants with the staff and customers. It’s such a simple, beautiful way to connect with people, share knowledge, and build community. I love having my plants up on the walls and on the drink case, where ...

Judge Cogliati Denies Workbench Petition in Paul Sweet Road Housing Dispute SANTA CRUZ, October 13, 2026 — A Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge has denied a petition filed by local developer Workbench and Sweet Developments LLC seeking to establish that their proposed 105-unit residential project at 3500 Paul Sweet Road had been automatically approved under California housing law. A Partial Victory for the County: The Project Is Not Dead Although the County prevailed, the project may now proceed through the County's approval process, with a new 60-day statutory deadline beginning today, October 13, 2026. Judge Cogliati Denies Workbench Petition in Paul Sweet Road Housing Dispute In a 14-page order filed Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Syda Kosofsky Cogliati rejected the developers' argument that Santa Cruz County had missed statutory deadlines under the Permit Streamlining Act. The court found that Workbench had tacitly agreed to extend the approval dea...

Santa Cruz is a charming town. Surfers, skateboarders, artists, coffee shops, engineers, electricians, carpenters, handymen  —  banana slugs, and an enduring affection for doing things differently. It's the sort of place where you can look up and find the sun. It's the sort of place you want to protect. It's the sort of place where everybody seems to know somebody, and somebody always knows somebody else.  Sometimes, that's part of the charm. Other times, it's where the story begins. The Neighborhood Fights Back Tim Gordin’s Dual Role as Planning Commissioner and Workbench Executive Under Scrutiny As residents challenge Workbench's development project at 841 Capitola Road, public records raise questions about the developer's former role on the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission. ( Santa Cruz County Superior Court, Case No. 26CV00891, filed March 17, 2026.) A five-story apartment development in Live Oak has ignited two controversies: a lawsuit challenging ...

The County Fights Back An early court ruling favored Workbench in its dispute over a 105-unit development on Paul Sweet Road. Now Santa Cruz County is challenging the developer's legal claims in a battle over the limits of California's housing laws. SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — On March 23, 2026, Santa Cruz developer Workbench and Sweet Developments LLC filed a verified petition for writ of mandate in Santa Cruz County Superior Court against the County of Santa Cruz and its Planning Commission. The lawsuit, Case No. 26CV01095, challenges the county’s handling of a proposed 105-unit, six-story residential development at 3500 Paul Sweet Road, near Dominican Hospital. Represented by San Francisco law firm Patterson & O’Neill, the developers allege that the county violated California’s Housing Accountability Act and Permit Streamlining Act by failing to approve or deny the project within statutory deadlines. At issue is whether county planning staff’s CEQA exemption determination star...

The Bagelry Group An unlikely gathering of Santa Cruz residents confronting the future of their community Every Friday at noon, a group of concerned Santa Cruz residents gathers at the Bagelry to talk about the future of their community. There are former public officials, longtime residents, professionals, and people who have spent decades contributing to the character of Santa Cruz. They bring different backgrounds, different perspectives, and occasionally different ideas about what should happen next. What unites them is a growing concern about the pace and scale of development taking place across Santa Cruz County, and whether the public has any meaningful say in the process. The meetings are informal. There are no elected officers, no elaborate organizational structure, and certainly no shortage of opinions. But beneath the conversation is a serious question: Who gets to decide what Santa Cruz becomes? A Community Under Pressure California's housing crisis is real. So is the st...