David Loya defied the Economic Development Committee.
He defied and misquoted the Transportation Safety Committee.
He defied and mischaracterized the explicit direction from of the City Council.
He has defied the Planning Commission.
And now he will not honor a simple request from the Arcata Fire District.
On April 9, 2024, the Arcata Fire District Board sent a letter to the Mayor and 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. Rather than provide this letter to the Planning Commissioners as the AFD requested, Community Development Director David Loya instead chose to summarize the letter in his staff report for the May 14, 2024, Planning Commission meeting. And in doing so he altered what the letter said — supplying a watered-down version and creating a summation that was not in the letter.
In a letter dated April 9, 2024, sent to the Mayor of Arcata, the Arcata Fire District (AFD) Board of Directors formalized and re-stated what the Arcata Fire District has been telling the Planning Commission and 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.
As the letter to the Mayor states, “However, until funding is established, and district expansion is underway, we believe it would be imprudent to approve building permits and begin occupancy in the envisioned residential buildings.”
To learn more about this letter, please read (1 or 2 minutes): Arcata Fire District tells the Council: No building permits, no occupancy of 4-story and taller buildings, please.
On April 18, the AFD Board sent a letter to Arcata’s Community Development Director, David Loya, requesting that this letter be provided to the Planning Commissioners. But Director Loya instead chose to write a summary this letter in his staff report for the May 14, 2024, Planning Commission meeting. And in doing so he altered what the letter said — watering it down and making up a summary that was not in the letter.
That false summation can be read here.
Contents
- What the AFD Board requested
- The letter from the AFD Board to David Loya
- The letter from the AFD Board to Mayor Matthews and the City Council, dated April 9, 2024.
- Text of the April 9, 2024, letter
- For more on the Arcata Fire District fire safety situation
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What the AFD Board requested:
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The letter from the AFD Board to David Loya
April 18, 2024
David Loya
Director, Community Development
City of Arcata
736 F Street
Arcata, CA 95521
RE: Written Public Comment for May 14, 2024, Planning Commission Public Hearing on the Arcata General Plan Comprehensive Update and Gateway Code
Director Loya,
On April 9, 2024, the Board of Directors of the Arcata Fire Protection District approved a letter to the Arcata Mayor and City Council proposing additions to the draft 2045 Arcata General Plan and Gateway Area Plan and Code to better ensure the safety of residence and AFPD staff in buildings anticipated to be built over the next 20 years.
Just after sending the letter the District received a Notice of Public Hearing of the City of Arcata Planning Commission: Arcata General Plan Comprehensive Update and Gateway Code. The April 9 AFPD letter applies to the May 14, 2024 public hearing, and we request that it be included in public hearing as written public comment to be provided to the Planning Commissioners and included in the written record of the meeting.
Sincerely,
Eric Loudenslager, President
Arcata Fire District Board of Directors
Enclosure
The letter to David Loya, Community Development Director.
The April 9, 2024 letter to Mayor Matthews and the Arcata City Council
The enclosure to the April 18 letter to David Loya is what was sent from the AFD Board to Mayor Matthews, dated April 9, 2024.
The text of the April 9, 2024, letter. Highlighting added.
April 9, 2024
Mayor Meredith Matthews
City of Arcata
736 F Street
Arcata CA 955271
Dear Mayor Matthews,
We, the Board of Directors for the Arcata Fire Protection District (AFPD), are writing to emphasize the critical importance of incorporating adequate fire protection measures into the final drafting of Arcata’s 2045 General Plan, particularly concerning Zoning and form code permitting for residential and mixed-use buildings taller than 40ft in designated opportunity zones such as the Gate Way Area Plan.
Our recommendation is rooted in the fundamental need to ensure the safety of building occupants and the capacity of our fire suppression staff to effectively respond to emergencies. Specifically, we propose that the permitting of such buildings be conditioned upon the establishment of sufficient fire protection features, systems, and emergency service capacity as outlined in existing fire codes. These include but are not limited to considerations such as fire department access, roadway width and height, water supply for fire suppression, automatic fire sprinkler systems, and emphasis on occupant egress, especially given our current staffing limitations.
We have previously communicated our concerns to the City in various forums, including letters, presentations, and meetings with key stakeholders. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that AFPD and our mutual aid partners are adequately equipped and trained to respond to fires and emergencies in buildings as anticipated in the General Plan.
To address these concerns, the City, the District, and Cal Poly Humboldt are collaborating on a Standards of Coverage analysis conducted by an independent contractor. This analysis aims to provide guidance on expanded staffing, facilities, equipment, and training requirements, along with associated costs. We anticipate this analysis to be completed by late 2024, at which point we can work towards achieving consensus on the necessary measures to fulfill the City’s obligations to its residents.
However, until funding is established, and district expansion is underway, we believe it would be imprudent to approve building permits and begin occupancy in the envisioned residential buildings. The AFPD Board anticipates substantial increases in staffing, new or expanded stations, equipment, and training facilities to adequately meet the needs of our growing community.
We urge the City Council to consider our recommendation seriously and work collaboratively towards implementing necessary fire protection measures in the final drafting of the 2045 General Plan.
Sincerely,
Eric Loudenslager
Board President
Arcata Fire District
cc: Arcata City Council