Keep public hearings for large housing projects in Santa Cruz. No Overlay District!

Recent signers:

The Issue

If you are a resident of the City of Santa Cruz, please sign this petition that will be presented to the Santa Cruz City Council. If you live in Live Oak or Bonny Doon, please enter those as the name of the City where you live.

You do NOT need to log in to Change.org to sign the petition. Logging in is only for creating or editing a change.org petition.

THE OVERLAY DISTRICT ISSUE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON JANUARY 27TH. IT WAS POSTPONED BECAUSE OF GRASSROOTS PUSHBACK. WE WILL POST THE NEW DATE OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE ONCE IT IS ANNOUNCED.

We are continuing to collect signatures. As of noon on March 4th, there are 652 people who have signed our online and paper petitions as residents of the City of Santa Cruz.

PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS!

KEEP PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR LARGE HOUSING PROJECTS IN SANTA CRUZ.

The City Planning Department is asking the City Council for sole authority to approve permits for one hundred percent affordable housing developments over a wide area of the City and eliminate formal public hearings by creating a new Ministerial Approval Overlay District.

The proposed Overlay District:

• Is NOT required by State law

• Eliminates public hearings at Planning Commission and City Council
(regardless of project size or impacts)

• Gives City Planning Department sole authority to approve these developments

• Eliminates current heritage tree protection for these developments

NO OVERLAY DISTRICT!

Map of overlay district -lightened version

The areas in green on the map above are threatened by the proposed Overlay District.

Here is a link to the Lookout Letter To the Editor "No trees, no voice: How the City of Santa Cruz is green-lighting development without the public", published January 13th, 2026.

https://lookout.co/no-trees-no-voice-how-the-city-of-santa-cruz-is-greenlighting-development-without-the-public/story

Sign this petition to advocate for No Overlay District in the City of Santa Cruz.

See our website NoOverlayDistrict.org for more information.

Call for Volunteers: Can you help by tabling at the Downtown Farmers Market, Westside Farmers Market, or other locations or by canvassing door to door and leaving flyers? We will provide the flyers and information, you provide one or two hours. To volunteer, send an email to NoOverlayDistrict@gmail.com with “Volunteer” in the subject line. Thanks!

Keven CookPetition Starter

Media inquiries

1,153

Recent signers:

The Issue

You do NOT need to log in to Change.org to sign the petition. Logging in is only for creating or editing a change.org petition.

We are continuing to collect signatures. As of noon on March 4th, there are 652 people who have signed our online and paper petitions as residents of the City of Santa Cruz.

PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS!

KEEP PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR LARGE HOUSING PROJECTS IN SANTA CRUZ.

The proposed Overlay District:

• Is NOT required by State law

• Eliminates public hearings at Planning Commission and City Council
(regardless of project size or impacts)

• Gives City Planning Department sole authority to approve these developments

• Eliminates current heritage tree protection for these developments

NO OVERLAY DISTRICT!

The areas in green on the map above are threatened by the proposed Overlay District.

Here is a link to the Lookout Letter To the Editor "No trees, no voice: How the City of Santa Cruz is green-lighting development without the public", published January 13th, 2026.

https://lookout.co/no-trees-no-voice-how-the-city-of-santa-cruz-is-greenlighting-development-without-the-public/story

Sign this petition to advocate for No Overlay District in the City of Santa Cruz.

See our website NoOverlayDistrict.org for more information.

Keven CookPetition Starter

Media inquiries

Support now

1,153

The Decision Makers

Santa Cruz City Council,

6 Members

1 Responded

California

Renee Golder

Santa Cruz City Council - District 6

Represents 135 petition signers

“Dear Community Members and Petition Supporters, Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to sign this petition and share your concerns about the proposed Affordable Housing Overlay District. I want you to know that your voices have been heard. The fact that this item was removed from the January 27 City Council agenda reflects the impact of community engagement and the importance of slowing down to listen. I share many of the values expressed in this petition: meaningful public participation, protection of Santa Cruz’s natural and historic resources, and thoughtful planning that reflects the character and capacity of our neighborhoods. Public hearings have long played an important role in improving projects and ensuring transparency, and it is understandable that the prospect of losing that forum feels alarming. At the same time, I want to be candid about the challenging landscape we are operating within. Over the past several years, California housing laws including SB 35 and SB 423 have significantly limited local discretion when jurisdictions are required to meet state housing production targets. These laws increasingly mandate ministerial, “by-right” approvals for certain housing projects, even in cities like Santa Cruz that have worked hard to meet their Regional Housing Needs Allocation across all income categories. That tension between state mandates and local control is very real. I believe cities that meet their housing obligations should be granted more flexibility to tailor implementation to local conditions, infrastructure limits, environmental constraints, and community priorities. I will continue to advocate for that approach at the regional and state level as I represent the Monterey Bay Region on The California League of Cities Board of Directors. Your concerns about the size of the proposed overlay district, the loss of public hearings, the treatment of heritage trees, and the definition of “affordable” including the lack of a cap on moderate-income units are substantive and deserve careful consideration. These are not minor issues, and they merit further discussion before any policy moves forward. As we await a new Council hearing date, I remain committed to continued public dialogue and to finding a path that balances the urgent need for housing with democratic process, environmental stewardship, and neighborhood livability. I encourage you to stay engaged, continue providing feedback, and participate in upcoming discussions once they are scheduled. Thank you again for caring deeply about Santa Cruz and for taking part in our local civic process. While we may not agree on every solution, I believe we all share the goal of a community that remains livable, inclusive, and responsive to the people who call it home. All my best, Renée Golder City of Santa Cruz | Councilmember District 6”