Permit sought to raise cell tower height at 2000 Soquel Avenue

In plain English

A wireless company's representative wants to add six new antennas to the top of an existing cell phone monopole at 2000 Soquel Avenue, a lot that also holds a furniture store and a 26-space parking lot. The additions would raise the pole from about 37 feet to 50 feet 2 inches, taller than the 40-foot limit for the Community Commercial zone, and would add a 6-foot by 10-foot concrete pad, two equipment cabinets, cables, and a new 10-foot by 15-foot lease area, removing one parking space. A yes vote would grant the three permits needed (Special Use, Design, and Slope Development) with the conditions in Exhibit A, and accept the finding that the work is exempt from further environmental review.

The pole sits on a commercial lot on the far eastern side of the city surrounded by commercial, residential, and open space uses, so neighbors would see a structure roughly 13 feet taller, and the furniture store's parking lot would lose one of its 26 spaces.

Key facts

Project No. CP26-0070 at 2000 Soquel Avenue; lot is approximately 40,597 square feet (0.93 acres), in Council District 2
Monopole height would go from approximately 37 feet to 50 feet, 2 inches — above the 40-foot height limit of the C-C (Community Commercial) zone
Six new antennas, one new 6-foot by 10-foot concrete equipment pad, two new equipment cabinets, and a new 10-foot by 15-foot lease area; one off-street parking space removed
Three permits required: Special Use Permit (Municipal Code 24.12.150.2(d)), Design Permit (24.12.1415(D)), and Slope Development Permit for building within 20 feet of a 50-percent or greater slope (24.08.810)
Environmental review: Categorical Exemption under CEQA Guidelines Class 1 (Existing Facilities, Section 15301) and Class 3 (New Construction, Section 15303); application filed June 30, 2026
Property owner is Dennis Phillip Demontigny; applicant is Nick Tagas; the original facility was approved under CP14-0116 and modified by CP21-0042

Reasons to support

Staff finds that with the three permits approved, the project is consistent with the Zoning Ordinance, the Eastside Business Improvement Plan, and the Community Commercial General Plan designation.
The work adds equipment to a telecommunications facility already approved at this site in 2014 and modified in 2021, rather than creating a new tower location.
Staff concluded the project qualifies as an existing-facilities and new-construction categorical exemption under state environmental rules, so no further environmental study is recommended.

Reasons to oppose or change it

The pole would stand 10 feet, 2 inches above the 40-foot height limit that normally applies in this zone, and the surrounding area includes residential and open space uses.
New equipment would be placed within 20 feet of a slope of 50 percent or steeper, which is why a Slope Development Permit is needed.
The furniture store site would permanently lose one of its 26 off-street parking spaces to the new 10-foot by 15-foot lease area.

Make your voice heard

Pick a side and we'll draft a short email to cityplan@santacruzca.gov that you can edit and send from your own account. Emails to the body become part of the public record.

How to take part

Show up: Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 7:00 PM. California's open-meetings law (the Brown Act) gives you the right to speak on agenda items. Remote-participation links, when offered, are on the agenda.

Write in: cityplan@santacruzca.gov (from the address this meeting's agenda gives for public comment)

Official wording

2000 Soquel Avenue Project Number: CP26-0070 Assessor's Parcel Number: 001-051-14 Special Use Permit, Design Permit, and Slope Development Permit to Extend the Height of an Existing Wireless Telecommunications Monopole Beyond the C-C (Community Commercial) Zone District Height Limit and to Install Ancillary Equipment Within 20 Feet of a 50-Percent or Greater Slope. The Original Wireless Telecommunications Facility Was Entitled Via Application No. CP14-0116. Environmental Determination: Categorical Exemption; Filed June 30. 2026, by Applicant: Nick Tagas Recommendation: That the Planning Commission acknowledge the Environmental Determination and approve the Special Use Permit, Design Permit, and Slope Development Permit based on the Findings listed below and the attached Conditions of Approval in Exhibit “A” of the staff report dated October 9, 2026. Information Items Subcommittee/Advisory Body Oral Reports Items Referred to Future Agendas

Official agenda

Summary written by claude-opus-5 from the agenda and the Staff report (agenda packet, pages 6-8). It can contain mistakes. The official documents govern.