A rendering of a development with 161 homes proposed on Graham Hill Road called the Haven

The proposed development would be across from Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. (Fletemeyer & Lee Associates Inc.)

Last updated: September 2024

Project name: The Haven

Location: Graham Hill Road, north of Rollingwoods Drive

Developer

Walnut Creek-based Miller Starr Regalia and Del Mar-based Tate Companies.

A map shows the location of a proposed development in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. (Fletemeyer & Lee Associates Inc.)

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Project description

  • Total units: 161.
  • Affordable units: 26 townhomes for low-income applicants and seven townhomes for moderate-income applicants. Income limits are set annually by state and federal agencies.
  • Height: Variable. Includes single-story homes and three-story townhomes.
  • Parking: 691 spaces.

Details

The 40-acre site is currently undeveloped and has been a horse pasture. 

The development would include:

  • 117 market-rate single-family homes.
  • 11 market-rate townhouses.
  • 7 moderate-income townhouses.
  • 26 low-income townhouses.
  • A community building.
  • 14.3 acres kept undeveloped and connected with existing hiking trails.
A rendering of a development with 161 homes proposed on Graham Hill Road called the Haven

A proposed development on Graham Hill Road would include 117 single-family homes and 44 townhomes. (Fletemeyer & Lee Associates Inc.)

Status and process

County planners awaited permit fees for the project application as of Sept. 27. Once the developer pays those fees, county staff will have 30 days to review the project. 

  • If county staff deem the application incomplete, they may return it to the developer for amendments.
  • Once the application is considered complete, the developer would be required to complete an environmental review. 
  • The environmental review would go to the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors for public hearings.

Although the project far exceeds what would normally be allowed on the site, county staff and supervisors will have extremely limited ability to change or deny the application.

  • Developers filed a pre-application in April 2024. At the time the county did not have a valid Housing Element, a state-mandated housing development plan. Therefore, state Builder’s Remedy rules were in effect, according to the pre-application.
  • According to Builder’s Remedy rules, most projects with at least 20% affordable housing can bypass local zoning rules.
  • The state has since approved the county’s Housing Element, and the Builder’s Remedy is no longer in effect but still applies to this project.

How to get involved

Once the developer completes an environmental report, it will be open for public review. County staff do not have an estimate of when that will happen.

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