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 Arcata Planning Commissioners,
Please orient yourself to the three parcels identified in the map shown above located north of 27th Street and east of Foster Avenue just off of Alliance. To help identify the location, note that the Cypress Grove conservation easement is across the street to the south.
Parcels #505-161-032 #505-161-034 and Parcel #505-161-017

The two large parcels total 5.15 acres and are currently zoned Agriculture Residential which is an Agricultural and Resource Zoning District as per our General Plan and Land Use code.
Janes Creek essentially bisects the two parcels, currently in the same ownership. The
properties are in a AE-Floodway FEMA mapping zone as well as a Moderate to High Liquefaction area.
The soil in this area is considered prime agricultural soil as per Arcata’s Land Use code and is
by all means protected by policies in our General Plan 2020 as a valuable, scenic and prime
agricultural parcel within our city limits. The properties flank our western edge (as denoted by the red
line on the map).
At your last hearing, these parcels were included with several other parcels to the north for
consideration by the Commission for a zone change to RM, Residential Medium. I am very opposed to this recommended change as it violates our own policies designed to protect agricultural resources, both within and to the west of our city limits. These parcels combined with surrounding resource
lands form an important “Gateway” or transition to the rural setting of the Arcata Bottom and our
Greenbelt. They are flanked on all sides excepting the north by resource lands including a park and a
conservation easement.
The importance of small agricultural parcels hosting suitable soils for small scale agricultural
pursuits are an unusual commodity and extremely valuable to retain in our community. Please
retain the agricultural zoning (AR) for these parcels in keeping with our General Plan policies and
intent.
Thank you for your attention.
Lisa Brown
Arcata