SC council Oks land purchases south of Laurel
By ROBIN MUSITELLI
Sentinel staff writer
SANTA CRUZ — Two key pieces of land that may someday be part of a greenbelt park stretching from the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf to Neary Lagoon Park have been purchased by the city of Santa Cruz.
The Santa Cruz City Council has agreed to buy the so-called "Funspot" and Lighthouse Liquors properties for almost $2 million.
The two parcels are key pieces in a puzzle to create a 60-acre park that is being referred to informally as "Ohlone Park" or "South of Laurel Park."
City Council members also have appointed an eight-member Depot Site master plan advisory task force to start the park planning.
City council members voted on Tuesday to pay $970,000 for the "Funspot" property at 35 Pacific Ave., adjacent to the historic Howard truss trestle bridge under renovation near the wharf entrance.
The Funspot once had a large inflated bouncing toy, but now is a vacant lot owned by James Gilbert of Beach Street Properties and Santa Cruz Seaside Co., which owns the Boardwalk amusement park.
It was a second-choice purchase for several council members, who preferred buying property now used by Santa Cruz Feed and Seed. But on a 4-2 vote, the council agreed to buy the Funspot.
The council unanimously agreed to buy the Lighthouse Liquors property at 101 Washington St. using $1 million of the city’s Measure G bond, approved by voters in November 1998.
Eventually, an expanded Natural History Museum will replace the liquor store, according to tentative plans.
The city took the first steps to create the park last September by agreeing to pay $3.3 million for six acres known as the depot site. The plan is to develop a transit center and park areas there.
The council also is working to strengthen a city-held lease on Union Pacific land currently used as the wharf maintenance and junk yard.
The properties together will complete a park that will link Neary Lagoon Preserve on Santa Cruz’s Westside to the wharf and depot.
As it is now, the maintenance yard sits between Neary Lagoon and the depot site.
