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Policy Planning

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The Policy / Advanced Planning section develops policies, programs and ordinances that protect the quality of life and natural resources in Santa Cruz County. The County Board of Supervisors provides direction for this work, offering many opportunities for community participation.

The General Plan is the blueprint that captures the community vision in chapters covering land use, community design, housing, conservation, recreation, traffic circulation and safety. Adopted by the Board of Supervisors, the General Plan establishes goals, policies and programs to accommodate residential needs, promote economic growth and conserve farmland, timber, biotic and water resources.

Our work also includes habitat conservation planning, regulatory reform, planning for climate change, transit-oriented development, neighborhood preservation and other initiatives that support a livable, sustainable community. Our staff manages preparation of some environmental documents such as Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) and Initial Studies, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Current Activities

Project Planner: Jacob Lutz
Status: Pending California Coastal Commission Certification

Public Meetings

Past:

Background
The project consists of amendments to the Santa Cruz County General Plan/ LCP and various chapters of the SCCC are part of an ongoing effort to update and streamline the County’s regulatory framework, ensuring consistency with current policies, legal requirements, and land use goals. The proposed amendments include updates to Chapters 2 and 5 of the General Plan/LCP, as well as changes to SCCC Chapters 9.36, 13.10, 13.11, 13.16, 13.20, 16.10, 16.10A , 16.20, 16.20A , 16.42, and 18.10. Additionally, there are proposed amendments to the General Plan Land Use Designation for parcel APN 029-071-13, along with proposed Zoning Map amendments for parcels APN 026-091-54, 026-261-17, 029-071-13, 030-121-34, 042-151-23, 070-301-01, and 074-152-30.

Adopted Ordinance (Effective outside the Coastal Zone - July 31st, 2026)

Project Planner: Fernanda Dias Pini
Status: Currently in review by California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)

Public Meetings
No public meetings required, necessary public outreach was conducted. Please see link below for more information.

Background

The Prohousing Designation Program rewards jurisdictions with a demonstrated commitment to accelerating housing production and implementing housing-friendly policies that go beyond State laws to reduce barriers to housing development. To receive the designation, a jurisdiction must score greater than 30 points on their application. Points are earned by having enacted, or by committing to enact, policies and programs in each of the following categories:

  • Favorable Zoning and Land Use

  • Acceleration of Housing Production Timeframes

  • Reduction of Construction and Development Costs

  • Providing Financial Subsidies

For more information: Prohousing Designation Application

Project Planner: Skyler Kriese
Status: Approved and accepting applications!

Public Meetings
Past:

Background

The Mills Act is an incentive program offering a reduction in property taxes for owners of "qualified historical properties" who pledge to preserve, restore, rehabilitate, and maintain the historical and architectural character of their properties consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The Mills Act furthers the County's General Plan goals of restoring and enhancing historic resources. The resulting effects are the promotion of heritage tourism, visual enrichment of our experience of urban and rural landscapes, and a fostering of pride in ownership. A maximum of 20 applications will be accepted by the County.

For more information: Mills Act Program

Project Planner: Skyler Kriese
Status: Approved

Public Meetings
Past:

Background

The Board of Supervisors (Board) approved a pilot program on August 19, 2025, to compensate local California Native American Tribes for their consultation on County projects. The purpose was to provide fair compensation and enhance the involvement of tribes in applicable projects. An initial consultation fee of $200 has been established in the Unified Fee Schedule to be used for applicable projects.

Project Planner: David Carlson
Status: Pending California Coastal Commission Certification

Public Meetings
Past:

Background

Updates to the SCCC are proposed for the purpose of aligning the ADU regulations with recent updates to state law, resolving points of confusion in existing ADU regulations, further streamlining ADU development in Santa Cruz County, aligning with the ADU Handbook released by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and addressing HCD’s comments.

For more information: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) 

Project Planner: Skyler Kriese
Status: Public Hearings

Public Meetings

Past:

Upcoming:

  • September 29, 2026, Board of Supervisors

Background

Proposal to amend  Santa Cruz County Code (SCCC) Section 16.42.055, Historic Preservation, to implement a Demolition by Neglect Ordinance, as recommended by the Historic Resources Commission (HRC). As described by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, “Demolition by Neglect” is the term used to describe a situation in which a property owner allows a historic property to suffer severe deterioration, potentially beyond the point of repair. This process can be either intentional, when a property owner allows decay maliciously, or unintentional, when a property owner simply does not have the financial means to maintain a historic building. It is not unusual for a property owner to use this kind of long-term neglect to circumvent historic preservation.

Recent Activities

Project Planner: Jacob Lutz
Status: Approved

Public Meetings
Past:

Background

State law and County regulations require preparation of an annual report regarding progress toward the implementation of the General Plan and the Housing Element. Public hearings and review of this report by the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors are required by County regulations. State law also requires that this report be submitted to the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI), formerly known as the State Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

The  General Plan Annual Report summarizes General Plan-related activity that occurred in the prior calendar year and includes pending and anticipated future General Plan-related actions. The report also includes the Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR), which is required to be filed with the state annually by April 1st.

Project Planner: Fernanda Dias Pini
Status: Approved

Background

In 1978, Santa Cruz County voters adopted the growth management referendum known as Measure J. This legislation requires the County to establish an annual population growth goal of an amount that represents Santa Cruz County’s fair share of statewide population growth. Each year a growth rate is set and then converted into a maximum number of “allocations” of market-rate residential building permits that can be issued in the unincorporated area for the coming year. The process is defined in Santa Cruz County Code (SCCC) Chapter 17.01 (Growth Management), Chapter 17.04 (Annual Population Growth Goal for Santa Cruz County), and Chapter 12.02 (Residential Permit Allocation System). In December 2024, the Board of Supervisors adopted a 2025 growth goal of 0.75%. This report provides information for consideration by the County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors to determine the annual growth goal for the calendar year 2026.

For more information: 2026 Growth Goal

Project Planner: Fernanda Dias Pini
Status: Approved and Effective

Background 

The project includes amendments to Santa Cruz County Code (SCCC) Chapter 13.10 are the outcome of outreach and work done by the Short-Term Rental Ad-Hoc Subcommittee, which was formed by the Board of Supervisors on September 24, 2024. The proposed amendments aim to balance the economic benefits of short-term rentals with the need for neighborhood stability and housing protections. The project include revisions to SCCC Use Charts 13.10.312, 13.10.322, 13.10.332, 13.10.352, 13.10.362, 13.10.372 and Sections 13.10.689, 13.10.690, 13.10.694, 13.10.700, and adds new sections 13.10.695 and 13.10.696 to repeal the Hosted Rental and Vacation Rental Ordinances and adopt the Short-Term Rental Ordinance.

Adopted STR Ordinance

For more information: Short-Term Rentals Webpage

Project Planner: Fernanda Dias Pini
Status: Approved and in Implementation

Background

The project would prohibit parking in the existing public parking areas at Panther Beach, Shark Fin Cove, Davenport Beach, and Davenport Pier from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. daily through installation of no parking signs, and through enforcement of the signed parking restriction. Coastal visitors who are parked in the subject parking areas between that time would be ticketed. The County is proposing the parking restrictions due to persistent occurrences of illicit drug use, vandalism, damage to coastal resources, and other dangerous activities that have resulted in deaths and at-sea rescues along North Coast beaches.

Project Planner: Jacob Lutz
Status: Approved and Effective

Background

Now that the Housing Element has been certified, Santa Cruz County is currently in the implementation phase of the Housing Element Update. The 2023 Housing Element identified that the total number of units that could be developed under current zoning falls short of the required Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). To address this shortfall, the Housing Element identified 75 parcels for rezoning in order to increase housing unit capacity in the unincorporated area. The Housing Element Rezone Program is currently underway to implement the zone district and land use designation changes per the 2023 Housing Element and meet state law requirements.  

For more information: Housing Element Rezone Program 

Project Planner: Mark Connolly
Status: Approved and Effective

Background

The Ordinance adds a new “Ministerial” or “-Min” Combining District, SCCC Sections 13.10.494 through .497, that provides ministerial approval process for sites identified in the 2023 Housing Element that provide 20% lower income units and require rezoning or were included in previous Housing Element cycles. This ordinance implements programs in the 2023 Housing Element.

Ministerial Combining District

Project Planner: Jacob Lutz
Status: Approved and Effective

Background

In 2021, Governor Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) to further address California’s housing shortage. SB 9 went into effect January 1, 2022. Slight provisions of this bill were amended on September 19, 2024, by Senate Bill 450 (SB 450), but the purpose remains the same as SB 9. This law establishes a streamlined process to develop two primary residential dwelling units on one eligible single-family zoned parcel, and to split one eligible single-family zoned parcel into two separate parcels of approximately equal size. SB 9 also provides more flexible property setbacks and parking standards and extends subdivision approval expirations for eligible parcels

For more information: Senate Bill 9 (Two-unit Residential Development & Urban Lot Splits) 

SB 9 Ordinance

Community Meeting Zoom Recording

Project Planner: Fernanda Dias Pini
Status: Approved

Background

The County of Santa Cruz adopted a policy establishing vehicles miles traveled (VMT) as the appropriate metric for evaluating transportation-related impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). VMT is a measure of total vehicular travel that accounts for the number of vehicle trips and the length of those trips. To learn more about VMT, click here. The TRED Lite tool allows you to determine transportation related impacts.

For more information: Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)

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