This is to document Santa Cruz YIMBY's success with the Capitola housing element advocacy. Capitola recently got their housing element certified, thanks in part to SC YIMBY's push to get them to make more meaningful commitments to change. Specifically:

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In Capitola, YIMBY advocated for:

• Explicit commitment to facilitate and monitor Mall redevelopment 
• Addressing constraints, including higher density, increased height to facilitate development in commercial zones (including the Mall), and reduced parking requirements 
• More for Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH), esp additional programs to encourage missing middle housing
• Additional programs to incentivize lot consolidation 
• Increased use of objective standards 
• More support for transit-oriented development 
• More intra-cycle reviews 
• Better analysis of non-vacant sites for probability of development, especially for low-income housing
• Realistic sites on the site inventory, including removing state sites.

In the Housing Element, Capitola:

• Added a program focused on Mall redevelopment, including increased total units from 627 to 1,777 for the Capitola Mall redevelopment, and increased height for the Capitola Mall parcels to 75’, excluded parking garages from FAR calculations and committed to monitoring the mall redevelopment and developing alternative strategies, including rezoning if not achievable. 
• Added commitments and deadlines for their review and revision of development standards for residential development, including lower parking requirements and higher density residential zones. 
• Added multiple programs for missing middle housing: Religious Facility Housing, SB9 Support, and housing on public/quasi-public land.
• Added additional sites with lower income housing to inventory; removed state sites.
• Committed to objective development standards for mall redevelopment and in their Incentives for Community Development. (As part of their implementation, they have been removing subjective language from their proposed zoning amendments. )
• Added commitment to work with AMBAG in the 2050 MTP/SCS (scheduled for June 2026) to designate the Capitola Mall as a planned high-quality major transit stop 
• Committed to incentivizing the development of affordable housing on commercial sites along transit corridors 
• Removed their obsolete Affordable Housing Overlay
• Added site analysis to support probability of redevelopment including for lower income housing.
• Added additional sites along transit corridors.

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Planning Commission unanimously adopted the resolution that moves the Housing Element with the proposed changes - a number of which Santa Cruz YIMBY recommended - off to the City Council for adoption. This will be the adoption of a HE version that is the product of multiple conversations with HCD, but will go through a requested "expedited review" for compliance.

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https://www.cityofcapitola.org/pc/page/special-planning-commission-meeting-0

-  Housing Element Update Staff Report.pdf  (0.09  MB) 

-  Attachment 1: Housing Element PC Resolution.pdf  (0.09  MB) 

-  Attachment 2: Proposed RHNA Sites.pdf  (9.18  MB) 

-  Attachment 3: HCD 90 Day Letter 10.3.23.pdf  (0.19  MB) 

-  Attachment 4. Addendum to General Plan Update EIR.pdf  (0.71  MB) 

Planning commission endorses most proposed changes to HE in response to HCD letter. 

Agenda: https://www.cityofcapitola.org/pc/page/planning-commission-meeting-19 

-  Housing Element Update Staff Report.pdf  (0.08  MB) 

-  Attachment 1: List of Revisions.pdf  (0.15  MB) 

-  Attachment 2: Proposed RHNA Sites.pdf  (9.18  MB) 

-  Attachment 3: HCD - Capitola Initial Draft Housing Element Letter 10.3.23.pdf  (0.19  MB) 

-  Santa Cruz YIMBY input to Capitola Planning Commission Agenda 5C Oct-5-2023.pdf  (0.09  MB) 

Council unanimously proposed changes - note there were a bunch recommended by Santa Cruz YIMBY that made it into this meeting (see slide 18). YIMBY was mentioned by the Planning Director as being a positive influence in this process.

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Agenda with 8.B Housing Element update

 https://www.cityofcapitola.org/citycouncil/page/city-council-meeting-36

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Slides for presentation: https://mccmeetingspublic.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/capitolaca-meet-9ebc575e04614365ab74c6de8f595f55/ITEM-Attachment-001-e3e9b271a22d4fb996e7c4f7759adcd1.pdf 

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Staff report: https://mccmeetingspublic.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/capitolaca-meet-9ebc575e04614365ab74c6de8f595f55/ITEM-Attachment-009-86d1a66752af467ebebd1a0d8d2f1f2e.pdf 

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HCD Comment letter: https://mccmeetingspublic.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/capitolaca-meet-9ebc575e04614365ab74c6de8f595f55/ITEM-Attachment-001-9691ccf11d9c4c298cae7f65abf53f0c.pdf 

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Planned modifications to HE: https://mccmeetingspublic.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/capitolaca-meet-9ebc575e04614365ab74c6de8f595f55/ITEM-Attachment-003-097d9266c2da445c9625d2200b804af1.pdf 

SCC staff are insulating their work from council. May be an attempt to minimize the work necessary to implement the housing element.

https://www.cityofcapitola.org/citycouncil/page/city-council-meeting-22  - item starts about 44:46 into YouTube video. RRM Design and Veronica Tam gave presentation which gave overview and some ideas about site selection - use the corridors. ADU production has been very low (16 in last three years) . VT also recommends avoid consequences of required upzoning by getting the zoning done BEFORE statutory deadline of 12/31/23. From CM questions, seems the goal is to avoid having a higher minimum, Planning Director did ack that the maximums (now currently slightly below 20 or 20 for non-corridors) would likely increase. Also, that site inventory may be as soon as 1 to 1.5 months and HE workshop next week.

https://www.cityofcapitola.org/pc/page/planning-commission-meeting-11# gets you to the full agenda - click on Introduction to Housing Element Update RRM Design and Veronica Tam gave presentation which gave overview and some ideas about site selection - use the corridors. VT also recommends avoid consequences of required upzoning by getting the zoning done BEFORE statutory deadline of 12/31/23.  I note that the ADU production has been very low, so not likely a probable source of the numbers. 

Ambag approved a rhna methodology. 

- Selection of draft RHNA Methodology + continuation of public hearing to be deferred until December 8th special meeting

- AMBAG (finally!) brought incorporation of AFFH factor into methodology to board - no action was taken on it, but majority of board of directors were in support

- Salinas Valley jurisdictions (namely City of Soledad) would like to see farmworker housing set aside incorporated into methodology

- Water constantly being brought up as a concern by Monterey Peninsula jurisdictions