Architects recommend Site 5 for new Santa Cruz County animal shelter; estimate $9–10 million

David E. Schombach, principal architect at David E. Schombach Architects Inc., told the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 21 that his firm’s feasibility work identified Site 5 as the top location for a new county animal care and control facility and recommended a roughly 10,000-square-foot building and about 1.25 acres for future expansion.

The 10,000–square-foot building would include a secured sally port, an adoption/meet-and-greet area, medical treatment rooms and associated equipment, and an approximately 20,000-square-foot outdoor yard for future kennel expansion. Schombach said the project budget is “$9,000,000 to $10,000,000,” a figure that includes furniture, kennels, medical equipment, security fencing, shade elements, contingency funds and escalation assumptions tied to a late‑2025 construction baseline. He recommended finishing and publishing a full feasibility study to…