See also: Will upper floor step-backs vanish from the Gateway Code?
Councilmembers, Commissioners: What do we want our buildings to look like?

This image was presented as a one-page handout at the June 13, 2023, Planning Commission meeting. It is a still image from the video presentation “Building and Massing” which can be seen on Arcata1.com here.

This image shows three theoretical building designs, at 5th and K Streets in Arcata — the locations of Bud’s mini-storage and of the former St. Vinnie’s thrift store.

In these designs we can see:

• The large set-backs — The distance from the curb to where the vertical plane of the structure starts. Here, they appear to be 20 feet.
• The large step-backs — The distance that floors above the ground floor are “stepped back” from the vertical plane of the ground floor. This results in more blue sky coming to the people on the street, and in many cases longer periods of daily sun. These step-backed areas can be where roof gardens or outside patios are placed.
• Stepped-down design to the adjacent properties. At the building shown on the St. Vinnie’s site, the building has 4 stories facing K Street and then tapers down to 2 and 1 story heights at the back side of the property, where it’s adjacent to existing buildings with lower heights.
• Space between buildings. The building shown at the St. Vinnie’s site is not built all the way to the adjacent property lines.

What’s next is from the article Will upper floor step-backs vanish from the Gateway Code?

The Results:  What could a developer build on this K Street parcel?

We’ll call back the theoretical building from the David Loya presentation. This design looks pretty good.

And this is what could be built:
Here’s what the Form-Based Code and the new proposals would allow. Limited front setback. Can build right up to the property lines at the sides and rear. New proposal to have no upper floor stepbacks. Five stories, straight up, no stepbacks.