SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
Hits and Misses: June 14, 2011
Sentinel Staff Report
Article Launched: 06/14/2011 12:00:00 AM PDT
HITS
GOOD COMPROMISE A mini-controversy has sprung up around planned improvements for the stretch of East Cliff Drive that runs near Pleasure Point Park. Some argue that county-planned improvements are overkill and threaten to remake the area as a Mid-County version of Santa Cruz’s more upscale West Cliff Drive. We don’t see it that way. In some spots the East Cliff bluff is unguarded by a railing, and there are currently no sidewalks in the area. Walkers and motorists are separated by 2-foot-tall posts. The county plans to fix this by spending more than $3 million. A tiny park also is being redone. We understand calls to preserve the neighborhood feel, but this is not the “L.A.-type cityscape” opponents fear. The yearlong East Cliff Parkway project is an extension of bluff-protection efforts that have materialized over the past decade and is the outcome of loads of community meetings. Yes, some people wanted nothing done, but many more wanted improvements, and the county plan is a good compromise.
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