A proposed building at 2020 N. Pacific Ave. could have 174 units. (Workbench)
Last updated: December 2024
Project name: Clocktower Center
Location: 2020 N. Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz
The site is north of the Town Clock, near North Pacific Avenue and Water Street.
Status
- At 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 developers plan to hold a community meeting on Zoom to gather feedback and answer questions about the project. Two prior meetings were held June 5 and June 26.
- On Oct. 23, Workbench submitted a full application for an eight-story version of the project. As of Dec. 11, city planners were still reviewing the application.
- On March 4, Workbench submitted pre-applications for two potential versions of a project — one with 18 stories, and one with eight stories.
Developer
Santa Cruz-based Workbench.
Project description
The most recent application for the site calls for an eight-story building.
- Total units: 174.
- Affordable units: 24.
- Height: 93 feet.
- Parking spaces: 78.
- Details: Includes shops on the ground floor and a central courtyard.
A previous pre-application proposed a 16-story building.
- Total units: 260.
- Affordable units: 40.
- Height: 192 feet.
- Parking spaces: 78.
- Details: Both versions of the project have shops on the ground floor and a central courtyard.
Frequently asked questions
Why were there two designs?
Submitting two designs gave the developers flexibility to make the project larger or smaller depending on what is most financially feasible, said Tim Gordon, president of Santa Cruz-based developer Workbench. Buildings larger than six stories are generally more expensive to build.
Workbench can submit another design for the building with a square footage within 20% of either of the proposed buildings without needing to start another application process, according to state laws.
Why is a 16-story building allowed?
The building takes advantage of state laws that allow developers to build higher than city restrictions if they include a certain amount of affordable homes. The extra height is known as a density bonus. Two new density bonus laws came into effect in January, AB 2345 and AB 1287.
Combined, these laws allow projects with enough affordable housing to double the number of apartments in a project without restrictions on height. The average size of the apartments added as part of the density bonus must match the average size of the rest of the units.
Does the project meet city rules?
City staff have not yet evaluated whether the designs meet city rules, according to the city’s project application page.
The Downtown Plan dictates that the site can include buildings up to 50 feet tall, and cannot block buildings of Mission Hill. Because of the state density bonus, the building is allowed to bypass the height limit.
Gordon said the building won’t block views of the hill. But even if the building did block views, the rule is “pretty ambiguous” and may not apply to the project, he said.
Can Santa Cruz city leaders block the project?
The city can only deny the project if the building does not meet the city’s objective design standards. City leaders cannot deny the project solely for its height.
The city cannot enforce any new rules on housing projects that were adopted after a developer submits a pre-application, according to state law. Any new housing rules adopted after Sept. 5 would not apply to the project.
Read more
- City of Santa Cruz’s project application page for 2020 N. Pacific Ave. (18-story version).
- City of Santa Cruz’s project application page for 2020 N. Pacific Ave. (Eight-story version).
How to make your voice heard
Submit comments and questions on the City of Santa Cruz project pages for 2020 N. Pacific Ave.
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