Pacific Cove Saga Continues at First Council Meeting of 2012

The Capitola City Council approved a plan Thursday to settle a 10-month dispute with residents of the .

Most of the plan—which was broken into five voted sections—passed 5-0. Councilmember Sam Storey voted no on changing a 1984 resolution that would allow the council to give different settlements to full-time and part-time occupants.

The council will begin working on a plan to finance a $2.2 million fund for relocation settlements on Jan. 26.

Pacific Cove resident Chris Flynn asked the council to clarify who they should contact to negotiate settlements. The council took the cue to name City Manager Jamie Goldstein as the head of that effort.

“I think it shows a very good faith effort if you come in on the 26th and say you have a [new] financial plan to deal with this and this is who you talk to you,” he said.

Most of the three dozen residents in attendance left unsatisfied with the current plan, which offers residents the post-flood value of the coach without including value of the property it sits on. Attorney John Hannon, who is representing more than a dozen residents, said working with his clients is in their best interest.

“If they want to look at each person and coach individually, then we can work something out,” Hannon said. “If they want to treat everyone the same in a cookie-cutter fashion, then we can go to court, and they will probably have to hire outside counsel and that will cost them more.”

Councilmember Stephanie Harlan said that even though the housing market has tanked in recent years, many current offers to residents are unfair.

“If residents bought their home for $100,000, why is our fair market value $5,000?” Harlan asked. “Seems like a pretty big difference.”

The council will meet next on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.

What do you think of the City's closure of the mobile home park? Is it fair to make the residents relocate? Tell us in the comments!