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 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.
From the Arcata Fire District May 28, 2024 letter: "We are writing to request that approval of these elements be denied at this time and put on hold until the AP Triton Standard of Coverage (SOC) for the AFPD is completed and the Arcata City Council and AFPD Board of Directors achieve consensus on a plan for the likely expansion of the District's capacity."
The Arcata Fire District wrote a letter that they wanted the Planning Commissioners to see. The Community Development Director did not send them the letter. Instead, he wrote a watered-down summary -- leaving out what is important, and adding in a summary that is not what the AFD said.
3 MINUTES TO READ -- On April 9, 2024, the Arcata Fire District Board sent a letter to the City Council, stating that the AFD cannot ensure the safety of people living in a building that is over 40 feet tall — a three-story building. On April 18, 2024, the Arcata Fire District Board wrote to Community Development Director with a simple request: To provide that April 9, 2024, letter to the Planning Commissioners. Director Loya did not honor this simple request.
The Arcata Fire District sent a letter to the City, stating that the AFD cannot ensure the safety of people living in a building that is over 40 feet tall, which would be a three-story building. A subsequent letter requested that the earlier letter be provided to the Planning Commissioners. The Community Development Director David Loya did not do this. Instead he wrote a watered-down version as a summary, and created a summation that was not in the letter.
At the April 9, 2024, Arcata Fire District's Board of Directors meeting, the Board discussed and approved a letter to be sent to the Arcata Mayor and Arcata City Council. That letter is re-printed here ----This letter formalizes and re-states what the AFD has been telling the City Council over these past two years. At the current time, the AFD cannot ensure the safety of people living in a building that is over 40 feet tall, which would be a three-story building.
Eric Loudenslager, Board of Directors member of the Arcata Fire Protection District, weighs in on some of the challenges of the Gateway Plan, and some requests for information and involvement.
Arcata Fire District Board Director Eric Loudenslager spoke at the Planning Commission meeting of January 10, 2023. Includes discussions of costs, staffing requirements, and potential response times involved for providing adequate fire and emergency protection in the Gateway area and throughout Arcata.
The construction of a new dormitory at the site of the old Craftsman's Mall is of great concern to the Arcata Fire District. In summary, the proposed dorms will be two seven story buildings, and the Arcata Fire District has stated that they cannot provide adequate fire protection these structures.
A section of the Arcata Fire District Board Meeting of December 13th, 2022 regarding the costs, staffing requirements, and potential response times involved for providing adequate fire and emergency protection in the Gateway area.
"Why aren’t you listening to your own experts? -- Assistant Chief Sean Campbell cites a host of grievances from a shortage of staff and equipment to lack of funding and adequate training with absolutely zero capacity to respond to fires in high-rise or mid-rise buildings (6 to 8 stories). The district doesn’t even have a ladder truck!"
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.
Cal Poly Humboldt could be contributing a substantial amount to Arcata's costs for police, emergency services, infrastructure, and maintenance. Court cases have ruled that a local university should pay for their share of the costs resulting from university-oriented population.
Did UC Berkeley bring in more students than they'd promised? How much should the University contribute to infrastructure costs? And -- is any of this applicable to Cal Poly Humboldt and Arcata ?
Culdesac became an urbanist darling in the US for its project in Tempe, a built-from-scratch zero-driving development that is transforming a vacant lot near a light rail stop into the kind of dense and walkable neighborhood that advocates say could be a model for other places trying to shun American-style car-centricity.
How about taking a big section of the Gateway area that could have housing for a thousand people -- and making it entire car-free from the start -- by designing it that way. Includes articles about the Culdesac car-free housing development in Tempe, Arizona. Reading and viewing time 7-15 minutes.
Reading time: 8 minutes -- It is my opinion that, given time, the AFD, the City of Arcata, and Cal Poly will find a solution to the Fire Protection issue. In this BRIEF article, a possible solution is offered so that taller buildings can be planned for in the Gateway area. **** WITH VIDEO from the August 22, 2023, City Council / Planning Commission joint study session.
3-minute video by Eric Black, dated February 1, 2023. The CSU Board of Trustees had met the week before to consider Cal Poly Humboldt's planned construction of the 6-story and 7-story off-campus dorms at the Craftsman's Mall site in Arcata. Despite the Arcata Fire District's strong disagreement with the Final Environmental Impact Report regarding their inability to provide fire protection at the dorms, the project was approved.
Here is a list of the approximately 75 businesses located in the Creamery area. With maps and links to other articles on the Creamery and the L Street Corridor Linear Park.
The proposed re-zoning of certain Arcata parcels, as part of the updating of the General Plan, includes sections of our town both south and north of the Craftman's Mall site. ****
Please recognize that the southern portion of this area is very much different from the central (the dorms) and the northern portions of this area. De-couple the southern portion, and do not re-zone that neighborhood as Residential High Density.
Susan Ornelas served on Arcata's City Council for eleven consecutive years, from 2008 through March, 2020. She was Mayor of Arcata in 2011 and 2017. Among Susan's concerns for the future of Arcata's citizens is the difficulty for younger people to buy a home. "We know when people own a home in a town, they are more likely to volunteer for City boards, school boards, PTAs, as sports coaches for their kids, etc. Home ownership helps to create the kind of town we all want to live in!"