Watsonville Metro Project
Summary
SCH Number
2026020783
Public Agency
City of Watsonville
Document Title
Watsonville Metro Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
2/20/2026
Document Description
Approval of Design Review Permit with Environmental Review and Density Bonus Application (PP2025-8936) to allow the construction of the Watsonville Metro Project (Proposed Project). The Proposed Project involves a partnership between Santa Cruz METRO and MidPen Housing in redeveloping the existing Watsonville Transit Center into a new, 6-story, mixed-use development with integrated transit facilities, commercial space, and housing. The project aims to transform the site into a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented and transit-connected node consistent with the objectives of the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan (DWSP).
Contact Information
Name
Matt Orbach
Agency Name
City of Watsonville
Job Title
Assistant Community Development Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Natalie Magana
Agency Name
MidPen Housing
Job Title
Project Manager
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Name
John Urgo
Agency Name
Santa Cruz METRO
Job Title
Director, Planning & Development
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Watsonville
Counties
Santa Cruz
Regions
Citywide
Cross Streets
Rodriguez Street and West Lake Avenue
Zip
95076
Total Acres
0.97
Parcel #
017-011-56
State Highways
1, 129, 152
Railways
Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line
Schools
Radcliff Elementary School, Moreland Notre Dame School, Wats HS
Waterways
Watsonville Slough, Pajaro River
Township
12S
Range
2E
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
PRC § 21155.4, GOV § 65457(a), and CEQA Guidelines § 15182.
Reasons for Exemption
The Proposed Project qualifies for a statutory exemption from further environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21155.4, Government Code Section 65457(a), and CEQA Guidelines Section 15182. Public Resources Code Section 21155.4 and Government Code Section 65457(a) provide that CEQA does not apply to residential development projects, mixed-use development projects, or zoning changes that are undertaken to implement and are consistent with a specific plan for which an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was certified after January 1, 1980, and the conditions described in the Public Resources Code Section 21166 and the CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 (relating to preparation of a supplemental EIR) are not present. An EIR was prepared for the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan (DWSP) in accordance with CEQA (State Clearinghouse No. 2022100602) and was certified by the City Council on October 10, 2023. The DWSP EIR is a Program EIR; therefore, projects found to be consistent with the DWSP are eligible for exemption from additional CEQA review.
The Proposed Project has been evaluated under CEQA Guidelines Section 15182 and meets all applicability criteria for the exemption. The Project is consistent with the DWSP for which an EIR has been certified, and conforms to the general use designation, residential density, building intensity, and applicable policies for the Project area. The proposed mixed-use development consisting of transit and commercial uses on the ground floor and housing above are permitted uses under the DWSP Regulating Plan, and the proposed residential density and building intensity conform with City standards in the General Plan. The Project is consistent with applicable policies and development standards in the DWSP, with requested modifications allowed per State Density Bonus Law.
The Proposed Project would be required to implement all applicable mitigation as adopted as part of the approval of the DWSP EIR. The Project would not increase the likelihood of the project to have a significant impact on an environmental resource.
Further, the City determines that the findings of CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 concerning the decision not to prepare a subsequent EIR or negative declaration and the findings of California Code, Public Resources Code Section 21155.4 (CEQA Guidelines Section 15182) concerning the decision to exempt the project from further CEQA review can be made in the affirmative. As supported by substantial evidence contained within this Notice of Exemption and associated consistency checklist, the City makes the following findings:
• No substantial changes are proposed in the Project which would require major revisions of the previous EIR.
• No substantial changes have occurred with respect to the circumstances under which the Project is undertaken.
• There is no new information of substantial importance which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of due diligence at the time the previous EIR was certified as complete.
• Neither the proposed Project nor changed circumstances will require major revisions to the previous EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects.
Overall, the Proposed Project would not result in new or more severe significant environmental impacts beyond those analyzed in the certified DWSP EIR, nor would it require new or substantially different mitigation measures. As all relevant impact areas and mitigation measures identified in the DWSP EIR that apply to the Proposed Project are adequately addressed and the Project does not trigger the conditions described in CEQA Guidelines Section 15162, the Project falls within the scope of the DWSP EIR and is exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15182.
County Clerk
Santa Cruz
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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