Paid Announcement

Santa Cruz County is seeking community input to develop a county Cuisine Tourism Initiative, funded by a $300,000 grant from the US Economic Development Administration.

The initiative is intended to grow economic opportunities by connecting the fast-growing winery sector with restaurants, food entrepreneurs, and businesses countywide, while at the same time providing land use tools to help manage growth-related impacts. 

The initiative will build economic opportunities for the county’s nature-based restorative economy, as called for in a 2021 study commissioned by local leaders through the University of Arizona.

A consultant team, Urban Scenarios, retained by the county through a competitive request for proposals process, has been and will continue collecting community input to shape the plan. They have done so through several meetings held in October, 2023. Below are upcoming opportunities for community input:

  *   Community Meeting: 6pm, January 16 at Pioneer Hall at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Sonoita
  *   Community Meeting on Zoom: 7pm, Jan 23, 2024 Click here for meeting info.
  Meeting ID: 218 421 7485    Passcode: 082026
  *   Community input survey. Click here for survey – open through December 31, 2023.

Click here for A Story Map with key information about the project, which will be updated as community input is received.

To enhance public understanding and provide opportunities for public input, the county has also produced a fact sheet with project highlights and next steps. This county-directed plan relies on data-driven processes that prioritize public input and participation. More about the initiative is available on the county website at the government/plans and reports tab (https://santacruzcountyaz.gov/833/Plans-and-Reports).

Public comment will be compiled and posted and go to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in the summer of 2024 for consideration. If approved, the county will pursue implementation strategies for their adoption.

For more information about upcoming opportunities for community input, contact Thatch Moyle from Urban Scenarios at thatch@urban-scenarios.com. For information about the Cuisine Tourism Initiative, contact Angie Donelson (angie@scr-analytics.com).