Summary: Monday, January 4, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Abbott Square is located right in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz, at the corner of Cooper and Front Streets. It’s currently home to Lulu Carpenter’s coffeehouse, prominent on the corner. Lulu’s occupies the lovely brick “Octagon” that was once the County’s official Hall of Records. Adjacent to the Octagon is what used to be the County Jail, now a refurbished edifice occupied by the local offices of the California Coastal Commission and the Museum of Art and History. If the Museum gets its wish, Abbott Square will shortly be transformed. On Wednesday, January 6th, at 10:00 a.m., the City’s Zoning Administrator will consider whether or not to issue an Administrative Use Permit and Design Permit to develop Abbott Square into a community plaza and public market. If the requested permits are approved, the reconfigured Abbott Square will become home to seven eating and drinking establishments (four restaurants, two food kiosks, and one bar) with outdoor seating, low‑risk alcohol service, and incidental, live, outdoor entertainment. You can get links to the staff report, and to the Zoning Administrator agenda, at kusp.org/landuse. If you think you have a stake in how the Santa Cruz downtown looks, and operates, it would be good to check out the details, outlined in the thirteen-page staff report. More Information: Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog Zoning Administrator Agenda – January 6, 2016 Abbot Square Staff Report The Plan For Abbott Square
