Planning Commission approves RTC fence along Park Avenue bluff after split vote

The Capitola Planning Commission on July 17 approved a coastal development and fence permit for a roughly 1,200-foot, 4-foot-high fence along the Park Avenue bluff, in a 2–1 vote that split commissioners and drew extended public comment. The commission approved the permit for property owned by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC). The commission and staff said the RTC applied for the Coastal Development Permit because the proposed fence lies near an eroding coastal bluff and no exemption applied. Staff described public safety and bluff instability as the primary reasons for the fence, and said the RTC provided three design concepts; the RTC will choose materials later. The approval followed oral comments from RTC staff clarifying construction and safety goals and multiple public speakers who urged the…