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Pleasure Point Neighbors Offer Support for Roadhouse Park
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Pleasure Point Neighbors Offer Support for Roadhouse Park
By Michael Thomas
Locals hoping to see Santa Cruz County’s Redevelopment Agency purchase the century-old Pleasure Point Roadhouse filled a meeting room at the Simpkins Swim Center on Oct. 23.
The idea for a park purchase emerged this summer during a debate over historic status for the building that pitted locals against consultants who said the building didn’t qualify as historic.
In fact, some credit the building with giving the area its name. Built in 1902 as a farmhouse, it later served as a market, gas station and possibly a saloon. It also offered some of the earliest visitor accommodations in the area, with several cottages on the property used as vacation rentals.
RDA Director Betsey Lynberg explained that funds are available for the purchase, which could cost anywhere from $3.75 million to $6 million. However, she cautioned that the building is in very poor condition and would require major demolition and reconstruction.
“In essence, you would get a replica,” Lynberg said. “I know it’s hard to hear that about a structure and a piece of property that a lot of people care about.”
The parcel extends a full two blocks back from the coast, but is just shy of an acre overall.
Residents Want Building Kept
If cleared of structures, the land could provide a substantial park, but support for preserving the building appeared unanimous at the meeting. Phil Matthews, vice president of the Pleasure Point Night Fighters, suggested that local contractors would pitch in to reconstruct it as a community center or surf museum.
“There are enough people in the community that would do the labor if the county was willing to buy the materials,” Matthews said. “We could do a barn raising.”
Lynberg said that county parking standards would require 100 spaces for a public building the size of the 4,000 square foot Roadhouse. That would leave little space for landscaping if the building was restored.
Nevertheless, many neighbors believe the Roadhouse, which is presently vacant and surrounded by chain-link fencing, presents a unique opportunity.
“I’ve been around long enough to remember when there were a lot of open lots,” said Mike Guth. “There will never be another lot like this.”
Though the property is costly, Cabrillo College board member John Leopold pointed to community facilities elsewhere in the county that have carried similar price tags.
“We are talking about $6 million here for a comparable-sized community center right on the coast,” Leopold said. “It’s worth spending a little bit more on this property.”
Longtime Pleasure Point resident and surfer Steve Walker said a number of his friends rented rooms in the Roadhouse over the years and the building always represented a key element of the neighborhood’s character.
Among the public use options suggested at the meeting were a hostel, a surf museum, office space for non-profits and a community garden.
The Time is Now
County supervisor Jan Beautz said that if people want it, now is the time to act.
“Many of these [RDA projects] you can do the year after and the year after, but these land acquisitions are not like that,” she said. “It would serve the community in a really special way.”
The RDA will assemble a report on the options for a public purchase and present it to county supervisors, who serve as the RDA Board, in the coming months.
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