The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury has released a report warning that the Arcata Fire District is “approaching desperate financial conditions” and may have to reduce services and close one of its stations. The report also delves into the District’s lack of a ladder truck and proper staffing to respond to fires in multi-story buildings.
The Arcata Fire District will need a large increase in funding to provide fire and safety services to Arcata's new tall buildings. It is my expressed opinion -- not based on any conversations or any outside input; just based my own speculation -- that the State of California will come up with the money, both the up-front funds and the annual expenses. I say this for a very simple reason: That something has to be done, and the local taxpayers will be completely unwilling to take on theses costs.
This is a 14 minute section of the one-hour presentation by Ben Noble, from June 29, 2022. This section includes Ben's description of of the Ministerial Review permitting process. A link to the full presentation is included.
This is a 14 minute section of the one-hour presentation by Ben Noble, from June 29, 2022. This section includes Ben's description of of the Ministerial Review permitting process. A link to the full presentation is included.
Key to the success of Arcata’s Gateway Area Plan is the quick and certain approval of all projects that meet the standards of the Gateway Code. The current draft has new Gateway buildings up to 37 feet tall – that’s three-stories, generally – being seen only by the Zoning Administrator. This one person would have complete authority to approve new projects. There would be no public hearings for these approvals.
Ministerial Review in the Gateway Area Plan
Ministerial Review is a key ingredient of the Gateway Area Plan. Ministerial Review can include the review and...
Around 2021, Mark Pahuta put up a video of Super-8 film he shot while in Arcata. The film is dated as being from 1968, but more likely it's from around 1976-1977. FILM and STILL IMAGES of Arcata from that era.
Merritt Perry has been the city manager in Fortuna for more than years. Prior to that he worked as City Engineer and director of Public Works in Fortuna for four years. He became interim City Manager following the resignation (after a second DUI) of former Fortuna city manager and Arcata city councilmember and 3-time mayor Mark Wheetley.
Three videos of the fire from June 19, 2024, in Miami. "I did get a chance to speak to one gentleman who tells me he was actually sleeping at the time. He awoke not because he smelled the smoke, not because he heard the commotion, but because he heard a firefighter knocking at his front door. That's what prompted him to get up, get outside."
The traffic crossings are not safe. IT WILL ONLY TAKE ONE FATALITY to have us wishing that we'd thought about this more and done things differently. WITH PHOTOS of 3D images, models, and flashing beacon lights.
Video and Transcriptions on the Sunset-101 Roundabout discussion. From the City Council meeting, February 21, 2024. "If you can make those changes -- the full separated bike and pedestrian facilities, the additional traffic calming measures, and getting rid of the slip lanes."
The letter that sent to the City Council, to request that the Sunset-101 Interchange funding be removed from the Consent Calendar, so that it can be further discussed. From the letter: "I believe there are unsafe elements to this design -- and that the design can be improved to make it safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. The design is good for vehicle traffic flow -- but not so good for bikes and walkers. My strong concern is that with this design there will be vehicle - bicyclist collisions. *** My concern is that someone will get hurt.***
The letter says “Enclosures” but no enclosure or attachment was provided when this letter was included on the City’s letters web page.
The Lord House is set back from 10th Street on the block between K and L Streets. Directly diagonally to the northeast — with the two buildings nearly touching at the corners — is the Clothing Dock / German Motors building, located at the corner of 11th and K Streets. It seems likely that at some point this building will be torn down and replaced with a taller, modern building.
Directly to the south is the car wash. We don’t know if and when a building might be constructed there.
If a building put up on the car wash site is set back ~40 feet or so from 10th Street, it would not likely shade the Lord House.
If a 3- or 4-story building were put up at the Clothing Dock / German Motors site on its current footprint, it would shade part or all the Lord House from roughly April through September, in the morning from dawn to around 10 or 11 a.m. If a building were to be constructed where the parking lot for German Motors now is — that is, directly to the east of the Lord House — it will shade part of the Lord House for the other months of the year, from September through March, in the morning from dawn to around 10 or 11 a.m.
Note: What is shown below is a copy of the original letter, made for this website. It is included here only so that the contents of the original letter can be searchable. (The PDF received from the City is in the form of an image, and so is not a searchable document.)
What is below is not the letter sent by the letter-writer. It will contain typographical errors and other departures from the original. The PDF displayed above is accurate. The text below is not accurate. It is printed here for indexing purposes, so that each word can be indexed and included in the search.
Dear City of Arcata:
I own 1158-1188 10th St, which you refer to as the “Lord House.” I have owned this property since 1977, forty five years. In 2013, I spent $600,000 restoring the property to its present state. It is now the gem the neighborhood.
If you allow any buildings around this property to cast a shadow for even a minute a day, it will no longer be a gem, it will be a complex that continually battles mildew. You must include rules in your plan prohibiting shadows on neighboring buildings for any length of time.
I have written the city before requesting that this property be kept off any historic lists. | renew that request now.
