Stop the Soquel Auto Row!

WE DID IT! AS OF MARCH 20, 2019 WE REACHED OUR GOAL FROM GOFUNDME AND OTHER DONATIONS! WE ALSO ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH OUR LEGAL ACTION OF  STOPPING THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP PROJECT.   READ PRESS RELEASE BELOW. OUR WORK IS NOT OVER YET, WE EXPECT THE DEALER TO TRY AGAIN! BUT FOR NOW WE WANT TO SHARE OUR SUCCESS AND RESULTS OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.

 

            A Superior Court judge decided Friday to set aside the County’s approval of a proposed Nissan auto dealership at 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive because the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was flawed.

     Judge Paul Burdick ruled that the EIR failed to satisfy the informational purpose of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), adding that the County committed a prejudicial abuse of discretion by certifying the EIR.

             Burdick said that the County’s EIR failed to discuss and analyze a range of reasonable alternatives that could avoid or reduce the development’s potential negative impacts, including intensified traffic congestion.




                          As of September 17th, 2018 we are halfway to reaching our goal of 20K!
                                      (The total includes what has been raised on this Gofundme page)

HELP  FIGHT THE 41st Avenue at Soquel Drive  AUTO ROW PROJECT!

Dear Soquel Friends and Neighbors,

Soquel Village is a quaint, country town with antique stores, a bakery,  coffee houses, restaurants and homes. It's a  community of thousands of people who need retail stores, offices, goods and services. We need places that we can easily access by foot, bicycle or bus, without having to travel  great distances in cars.

Soquel is inundated with traffic and in need of well-thought- out planning.
In 2014, our County Supervisors thought we could do better too, and complying with California State law to help reduce green house gas, they adopted our Sustainable Plan with a 5-0 vote.   A quote from the Sustainable Plan: 
 "Vibrant centers are an essential component of a sustainable development pattern in Santa Cruz County. Concentrations of housing and jobs support frequent transit service. Active public gathering places build community and enhance quality of life. Resident-serving stores and services strengthen adjacent neighborhoods and contribute to economic vitality. Compact urban form accommodates a variety of more affordable housing choices."

Then something else happened.
The Sustainable Plan  was  ignored by County departments and  instead they approved an auto dealership project. This is a far cry from what was recommended in the Sustainable Plan.  We don't think this is right..and hope you agree!

A  LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST THE COUNTY FUNDED AND YOUR CONTRIBUTION  WILL HELP KEEP THIS TRAGEDY FROM GOING ANY FURTHER.  OUR GOAL IS TO RAISE  $20,000 FOR ATTORNEY FEES.  PLEASE HELP US BY CONTRIBUTING ANY AMOUNT YOU CAN. 

County Planners proposed this Sustainable Plan for the corner of 41st Ave. / Soquel Dr.

And this-

But instead our Supervisors approved  this:

And this - Actual picture of a  transport truck delivering cars on Soquel Drive at project site.
 
Your contributions will go  directly to legal fees.  A generous gift of $1,000 has been given to start us out. However, this is a matching fund  contribution and will only be  available once we reach the first thousand dollars.

Thank you for helping  us preserve our community and way of life.  Any donation no matter the size will be appreciated.
                                                              Anonymous donations are welcomed
                                                             
                                                              Sustainable Soquel Community Group