Sign up for our Arcata1.com Newsletter

Arcata1.com on your desktop for a bigger view. Learn more about our city.

No menu items!
type here...
Search Arcata1.com


SHOWING RESULTS FOR:

Fred Weis – July 18, 2023 – Large issues with Urban Field Studios feasibility site tests study

The Urban Field Studio report indicates the Gateway Plan will not really produce the results that we want. The report effectively tells us that it's far more likely we'll see two-story or three-story construction, and we are unlikely to see buildings above four stories.
Building Height

Urban Field Studio Report: A critique

A critique of the Urban Field Studio report from the July 11, 2023, Planning Commission packet. There is further critique following the Urban Field Studio presentation at that PC meeting, available also on Arcata1.com.
Building Height

Urban Field Studio Report – Gateway Code Site Testing

Urban Field Studio evaluated the feasibility of the current draft Form-Based Code. They were assigned four specific sites, and asked to show whether the aims and goals of the draft Gateway Area Plan could, in their view, be achieved at those sites, particularly on being able to achieve the density of housing that the draft Plan calls for.
Building Height

Density and Feasibility Study – from Ryan Call of Urban Field Studio – July 11, 2023

IMPORTANT presentation to the Planning Commission, July 11, 2023. Can high-density tall buildings be constructed in the Gateway Area? This report presents findings on four specific sites. The answer: In theory, yes. On a practical, economically-feasible, realistic basis -- the answer is NO.

Fred Weis – July 9, 2023 – Issues with the Urban Field Studio – Gateway Test Site document

The people at Urban Field Studio are architects. I am not an architect. It does seem that they did not give much time or thought to this study. Or, possibly, not have much thought to what makes Arcata special, and to what we’re trying to achieve.
Building Height

Gateway Density and Feasibility Study – Introduction

This is the introduction to the lengthy article on the Urban Field Studio "Code Site Test. PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE ALSO. It will take about 30-45 minutes to read. The full article has both critique and support by an expert of the Gateway Plan, and a good Q&A from Arcata's Planning Commissioners.
Form-Based Code and Ministerial Review

What are the Greenways in the Gateway Code? Are they real?

The "Greenways" section is a highly confusing portion of the the draft Gateway Code. The Code should include this as guidelines for what will happen ("Greenways are required in the approximate locations shown in Figure 2-56."). But what is shown in the Code is clearly 100% overkill -- and some of it is absolutely impossible. The Gateway Code needs to be revised.
Form-Based Code and Ministerial Review

Comments and Suggestions for the Gateway Code

Comments and suggestions on the draft Gateway Code. This is the form-based code that defines the look and feel of every building, street, park. and more of everything that will be built in the Gateway area. You can use this document along with the "Guides for the Council, Commission, and Community — to the Gateway Code comments and suggestions" to learn more about developers can and cannot do.
Arcata

Parking: “No minimum” and “A limit on the Maximum.” The reasons and effects are completely different.

There's a notion that by making it more difficult for people to USE a car, then people won't OWN a car. And perhaps in a mythical future, this may be true. But for now and likely the next 20 or 30 years, people do own cars. And there will need to be a place to park them.
3D Images

The 3D images in the draft Environmental Impact Report

A series of 3D images that show the potential construction of four buildings in the Gateway Area. Rare views of a partial look of potential 7-story buildings. ******** MUST SEE ********
City Planning

Exposing David Loya’s notions: Retain the Gateway Area Plan for Gateway only, or make its policies be City-wide?

Reading time 5 to 20 minutes. Where does David Loya get his ideas? What is the source of the notion of dissolving the Gateway Area Plan and make its policies be city-wide. This will be discussed at the November 15, 2023, Council meeting and hopefully will be rejected. Article includes videos, transcriptions, specific proposed policies and a "What's next?" section of what is still missing (after two years of talking) from the Gateway Area Plan.
Gateway Plan

Draft Gateway Plan Step-backs: The illustration does not show what the Plan really is

We're using Form-Based Code as a backbone of the Plan's design, with illustrations and architectural diagrams to show the intentions of the code. Unfortunately, the drafts for the Gateway Area Plan use illustrations that often misleading or actually false. It can be said that these are only "drafts"... but I think that it's time for some reality.
City Planning

No Parking in the Gateway area? Banks may be unwilling to provide financing

The Gateway Area Plan has a maximum number of parking spaces allowed -- either one parking space for every 4 apartment units or one space for every 2 apartment units. The financial lenders and the developers themselves may be unwilling to accept this.
Form-Based Code and Ministerial Review

Gateway Parking: 48 Drivers = 6 parking spaces

In the Gateway Area, the minimum number of parking spaces required is Zero. That is, if a developer wants to build a 48-unit apartment building, it's possible that there will be no parking spaces for those tenants. But at the same time, there'd be a MAXIMUM of 12 spaces -- even if the apartments had 2 or 3 bedrooms. My guess? Developers will not build by these constrictive rules.

Fred Weis – July 11, 2023 – Is the 3,500 housing unit figure actually feasible?

Is that figure of 3,500 housing units still a workable number? Or should it be decreased to, say, 2,500? Or, to 1,200? Is this something that the Commission can look at, in the next month or two?
Draft Plan

Gateway, General Plan, and other City Documents

The Gateway Area Plan, the General Plan, the Environmental Impact Report, Local Coastal Plan... and articles about these documents. There are many documents and videos...
Form-Based Code and Ministerial Review

Video: Planning Commission discusses the Gateway Code – April 23, 2024

What was slated to be a “final” review of Arcata’s Gateway Area Code took place at the April 23, 2024, Planning Commission meeting. On May 14, 2024, is the Public hearing on the General Plan 2045, the Gateway Area Plan, and the Gateway Code. Also on May 14 is a Planning Commission review of the three documents and the Commission's recommendation to the City Council. *** The full-steam-ahead pedal-to-the-medal accelerated pace will result in a sub-standard Gateway Code.
Draft Plan

The Gateway Code – Specific Issues

A guide to separate articles about specific issues in the Gateway Code.
Arcata & Community

What’s in the Community Benefits Program for the Gateway Area Plan?

The Community Benefits Program for Arcata's Gateway Area Plan has gone through many twists and turns and iterations. The basic idea is that if a developer wants to build at four stories and above, there must be some "community benefits" included in the project. The community benefits evolved from a list that was developed by the Community Development Staff and the Planning Commissioners -- with, in theory, input from the public.
EIR

Comments on the draft EIR from Fred Weis — What was submitted

Here's the 88-page document of comments on the draft Environmental Impact Report that was compiled and sent in by Fred Weis. With summary notes and a linked table of contents for easy viewing and to find what is of interest to you.
Affordable Housing

Lessons from a Modern Master of Low-Rise Housing

Good design is the make-or-break element on whether dense housing is livable and uplifting or whether it feels packed and depressing. Affordable housing should not be burdened with poor design. And just because we are in need of housing here in Arcata does not mean that we should accept poor designs and general unawareness of the human needs for enjoyable living spaces. Reading time: 9 minutes.
Affordable Housing

Garden Village in Berkeley: Pre-Fab modular housing that could be used for Arcata

Reading time: 10 minutes, or skim through the photos for an overview. -- Modular housing could be an answer to affordable housing in Arcata. Modules can be assembled into apartment buildings 40% more quickly and 20% cheaper than traditional construction. This article centers on the Garden Village Apartments in Berkeley CA.
Arcata

What if public transit was like Uber? A small city ended its bus service to find out

Estimated reading time:  6 minutes -- Wilson NC replaced its fixed-route large-bus public transit system with an on-demand minivan microtransit system.
Affordable Housing

US Congress Research reports: Housing Trends & Policy Considerations

Reading time: 5 minutes to an hour -- At their September 12, 2023, Planning Commission Yodowitz introduced a Congressional Research Report on housing. This article contains that 16-page report , excerpts, and commentary. Plus 3 shorter reports (3, 4, 5 pages) and links to the full 50-page report to Congress.
12Page 1 of 2

Latest news

Menu

Popular Categories

Top Stories