Trees tagged for removal in farmers market lot – Santa Cruz Sentinel

SANTA CRUZ — Nine heritage trees within and surrounding the parking lot that currently calls the Santa Cruz Farmers Market home, or Lot 4, on Cedar Street in downtown Santa Cruz have been slated for removal.

The applicant for the removal, For the Future Housing, an affordable housing developer based in San Jose is one of the partnering companies chosen by the city for the mixed-use library project in 2021.

However, the ultimate fate of lot 4, the farmers market and the mixed-use library project will not be determined until the November election, when residents vote on Measure O.

City of Santa Cruz Arborist Leslie Keedy said that the city is only preparing for their removal, and that despite the action notices, stapled on each of the nine trees, will not remove the trees before the November election.

“If the project is approved then trees would require removal to accommodate the new building structure,” said Keedy. “Trees will not be removed if the project is not approved. The city plan is to post the trees now for public comment as required by the heritage tree ordinance process and for outreach, yet there is no current plan to cut the trees until further discussions and approvals have occurred.”

The period to appeal the removal of the nine trees in Lot 4 was extended to Oct. 30 in lieu of the recent SEIU Local 521 strike.