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Town-Gown Showdown

Posted by: Deborah Myerson

21 January 2007 - 7:00am

The City of Santa Cruz and its University of California campus are struggling to come to terms with the university’s ambitious plans for growth and its impact on the city.

"Located in this northern California seaside city, UC-Santa Cruz has long attracted students who enjoy its laid-back environs and natural beauty. Yet, the university’s vision in the next decade and a half to grow enrollment by 30 percent, add 1,500 faculty and staff members, and launch several new professional programs and research centers has many residents up in arms. As a state institution, UC-Santa Cruz is exempt from local land use laws and local taxes, which many say generates excess costs in infrastructure and lost property taxes that taxpayers must bear. To sort out the disputes, citizen groups, the city, and the county have filed lawsuits to halt the university’s expansion until it addresses the anticipated problems."

Full Story: As College Grows, a City Is Asking, ‘Who Will Pay?’
Source: The New York Times, January 19, 2007
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If hundreds of people in your community raised reasonable concerns about a planning program you developed, how would you respond? Perhaps you might call a community meeting, or ask community elected officials to reach out to community leaders.
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