Developer challenges city council’s Food Bin redevelopment

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) – A legal battle is brewing in Santa Cruz as local developer Workbench takes the city council to court over the controversial redevelopment of The Food Bin.

The food bin an organic local grocery store has been in the Santa Cruz community for over 50 years, but plans to redevelop the area.

An affordable housing project in Santa Cruz is drawing enough concern that is close to becoming a legal battle for the city.

This is after council members approved a four to five story apartment structure on top of the old food bin.

But the developers wanted to build something larger.

“Under state housing law and local law, you're allowed to convert storage in multifamily units to use. so that was our intent really upfront and clear about that," Tim Gordon President at Workbench said. "Unfortunately, they did remove those in the in the approval process."

The lawsuit seeks to compel the city council to approve the project as proposed with the additional 11 storage spaces that are intended to be converted into additional apartments. 

"The elimination of the storage units was in part out of concerns for the issues expressed by the neighbors," Anthony P. Condotti, City Attorney said. "There still will would be a very significant residential development on that site if the project went forward as approved by the council."

The developer of Workbench says, the project would see the food bin demolished, but in the end it would be upgraded as a mixed-use development.

"The food bit will still be there," Jamileh Cannon from workbench said. "The ground floor will still be the food bin, which is a huge, huge amenity both for residents and for the community,"

The city council voted for the approval on the project, but one resident tells me concerns from neighbors about the height and density have left many questionable about this redevelopment.

The city says, neighbors were vocal about potential parking issues and sunlight being blocked from the area because of the size of the proposed apartment project.

"There still will would be a very significant residential development on that site if the project went forward as approved by the council," Condotti said.

The main point the community wants to get across is to keep the food bin open.

"I've been going there for probably like four or five months or so, but i've known of it for longer," Nathan  Platt from Santa Cruz said. "It's it's a nice place and it has really good high quality products."

The next hearing is scheduled for December 26th.