Town-Gown Showdown

"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."