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Arcata

Grand Jury Report on the Arcata Fire District

The full 15-page Grand Jury report on the Arcata Fire District issues. Plus links to articles in the local media on this subject matter.

Arcata Fire District issues – Selected Articles

Arcata Fire District Fire and Safety issues in Arcata and the Gateway Plan

Arcata in the 1970s — 9-minute film and still photos

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 — Fortuna City Manager will be Arcata’s new City Manager

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.

The Sunset-101 Interchange design — It’s unsafe, and someone will be hurt

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.***

Part 1 – Sunset and LK Wood / Highway 101 roundabouts — Where are the bike lanes?

Here are images of the design of the roundabouts for the multiple-lane intersection of Sunset Avenue, L. K. Wood Boulevard, and the four on-ramps/off-ramps for US Highway 101. The question is: WHERE ARE THE BIKE LANES?

Part 2 – Sunset and LK Wood / Highway 101 roundabouts — Will this work? Is this safe?

Part 2. The multi-road intersections of Sunset Avenue, L. K. Wood Boulevard, G Street, H Street, and the four on-ramps/off-ramps for US Highway 101 are an acknowledged difficult situation. The solution that's provide is not, in my view, a good solution. I think this design would be the source of all kinds of problems. I believe there must be a better solution for us at this intersection. We can do better.

Part 3 – Sunset and LK Wood / Highway 101 roundabouts — Letter to the City Council

The letter sent to the City Council. This item was on their agenda for the February 21, 2024 meeting. The overall design of this interchange does not seem safe -- not safe for bicyclists, for pedestrians, and not even safe for cars. WE CAN DO BETTER,

The Gateway Plan process: A thousand and one topics got lost in the wilderness

There has been no economic Analysis of Gateway construction -- even though the Commissioners requested this. In June, 2023, Planning Commission Chair Scott Davies asked for an economic analysis about cost feasibility -- what it would take to build in the Gateway area. It has never happened.

To the Council and Commission: The draft General Plan is not ready

This message was sent to the full City Council, the Planning Commissioners, City Manager and ComDev Director. Thi is a critique of the initial look at the latest draft of the General Plan. The General Plan 2045 draft and the Gateway Area Plan draft are supposed to be ready for a Public Hearing on May 14th. In my view, these documents are not ready.

Gateway planning for Bus stops and a transit center — A missing opportunity

With the original plans of the Gateway Area Plan so deficient, much of the overview of good planning got lost. The Gateway Code has numerous errors and omissions. Among what was neglected is:  Where are the bus stops? Where is the transit center? Where is the planning?

A reply to “Thankful to be a community partner” by Dr. Tom Jackson, Cal Poly Humboldt

Original article from September 4, 2022 ------- Dr. Tom Jackson has been the President of Cal Poly Humboldt since May, 2019. He writes a twice-a-month letter published in the Eureka Times-Standard. Dr. Jackson may be "thankful to be a community partner" but many people here in Arcata do not see Cal Poly Humboldt as being a community "partner" at all.

Arcata Fire District tells the Council: No building permits, no occupancy of 4-story and taller buildings, please

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.

Notice of Public Hearing — May 14 — Arcata General Plan Comprehensive Update and Gateway Code

A public hearing on a formal recommendation of the General Plan and the Gateway Area Plan will take place Tuesday, May 14, 2024. You are encouraged to attend and to send your comments and concerns to both the City of Arcata and to Arcata1.com.

April 2, 2024 City Council goal-setting study session, with survey results report

The annual City Council goal-setting study session took place on April 2, 2024. This meeting was not televised, available on-line, or video-recorded. There is a rough audio recording, available on Arcata’s website’s meeting calendar page and available here.

Video: FM3 sales-tax survey at the Council’s goal-setting session — with questions on building height and parking desired

Here is a video of the presentation from FM3 Research of the question on having a sales-tax increase measure on the November 2024 ballot. Also includes two non-tax-related questions on 7-story building height and street parking.

UC Berkeley lawsuit decisions may affect Arcata too

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 ?

The Great Redwood Trail draft Master Plan is here

The Great Redwood Trail is a planned 307-mile long trail system that starts in Blue Lake and runs though Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, and San Francisco counties -- all the way to San Francisco. One hundred miles of the trail is in Humboldt County, and about 11 miles of the trail in the southwest corner of Trinity County. You can view the draft Master Plan for the Great Redwood Trail draft master plan here.

FM3 survey: Putting a sales tax increase on the November 2024 ballot, and more

Survey results for the potential sales-tax increase November 2024 ballot measure. Also: How did questions about street parking, parking lots, and 7-story Building Height get onto a survey about potential tax measures? Why does the survey conclude that Street Parking is "low priority" when 85% of the respondents say it is important?

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.

Maps of the neighborhoods: Sunset, Bayview, Downtown, Northtown

Maps that show the near-downtown neighborhoods of Arcata. With links to articles about the proposed "Implementation Measures" in the Land Use Element of the General Plan -- to re-zone these neighborhoods for high density housing, including 4-story buildings.

How Student Housing Got Expensive – from The Wall Street Journal

At Cal Poly Humboldt and in much of America, universities are supplying dorm beds for about 1/3 of their students. The universities expect private developers to build off-campus housing -- in town -- for the rest of the housing that students need. When universities expand, they aren't making enough dorms. and the shortage gets worse.

Cal Poly Humboldt – Expansion

Reading time: 5 minutes -- Cal Poly Humboldt looks to expand by 6,000 students, and that may be 3,000 students more than they are building housing for. Adding students also means adding 700-1,000 faculty, staff, and support employees, plus their partners and children. Ancillary jobs in the community would add another 2,000 people. Where are they all going to live?

71-year-old Californian explains why she won’t sell her home and downsize

Will Arcata Seniors move out of their homes? How this relates to the Gateway Plan in Arcata. Baby Boomer-age Arcatans may want to downsize -- but they'd want to buy a condominium, not move to a rental. And they'd want storage space, a spare bedroom, and private outdoor space. -- Reading time: 5 minutes.

Robert Crumb: A Short History of America

The classic Robert Crumb 12-panel masterpiece of a history of America, as seen from a single street-corner. Video 1 minute 12 seconds.

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.

“It’s Halftime in America” – Super Bowl commercial, 2012

The 2-minute Super Bowl commercial from 2012. ---- "It's halftime in America, too. People are out of work and they're hurting. And they're all wondering what they're going to do to make a comeback. And we're all scared, because this isn't a game."

Eureka’s Vision Statement — How does it compare to Arcata’s?

Eureka is vastly different from Arcata, and their vision statements reflect this. Arcata's is by far more people-oriented. Much of Eureka's vision statement is about things, buildings, and infrastructure. Overall Arcata's is connected to human feelings and psychological needs. Eureka's seems to say:  If we build a great city, then people will come and enjoy their lives here. Arcata's seems to say: If people enjoy their lives here, then we will have a great city.

Vision Statements of award-winning cities from around the world

How will Arcata look 20 or 50 years from now? A vision statement presents the city council’s ambition for the future. The vision statement sets the bar high in terms of how the city wants to be perceived by the world in the future. This article explores the components of excellent vision statements from around the world. Reading time 8-10 minutes.

The Iceberg of the Gateway Plan — and the cockroaches, mosquitoes, termites, rats, and rot.

Everyone knows the Iceberg Theory. What you see is only 10% of the iceberg. The rest of it is hidden underwater. That would be 90% that's unknown. The same is true of the Gateway Area Plan. How can anyone make a decision if 90% of what's necessary to make that decision is unknown? The answer is: You can't.

Arcata Ballpark – Entrance Alternatives and Survey

Arcata's Crabs ballpark is being updated. The City of Arcata has a survey so the public can weigh in on which of three façade and entrance designs they like.  The problem is:  The images in the survey are too small. See larger images and close-ups of the entry designs here.

President of local NAACP speaks to the City Council on no community input

Dr. Johnson is Director of the Multicultural & Equity Center at College of the Redwoods. He is the president of the local Eureka chapter of the NAACP. On December 12, 2023, Dr. Johnson spoke to the City Council on the lack of open public input in the process of selecting Arcata's new Chief of Police.

The Orange Juice Test — and the absence of Home Ownership in Gateway

Reading time 2 minutes -- "The Orange Juice Test" is a way of determining which people are capable of solving a difficult problem, and which people are not. Home ownership in the Gateway and truly affordable housing are large problems. Difficult and demanding, but not impossible. "The Orange Juice Test" helps to determine if a specific person is capable of giving us an honest and practical solution.

Brown Act violations – A letter to our City Attorney

This letter discusses some of the numerous Brown Act iolations we've experienced here in Arcata. It was sent to the new (3 months at that time) City Attorney, Doug White, and to the City Manager; Community Development Director, and to the City Council on the evening of December 4, 2023. A presentation on the Brown Act was on the agenda for the Council's December 6 meeting. There will be further articles on this issue as we learn more from the City Attorney. Estimate reading time: 20 minutes. Can be skimmed.

Colleges must pay for increased traffic, firefighting and other costs caused by campus expansions

Are California universities required to contribute funds for increased traffic, firefighting, wastewater capacity, and other costs caused by campus expansions? The answer is Yes, they are.

A clash over housing pits UC Berkeley against its neighbors

"Additional students will put more pressure on the local housing market and increase rents for everybody, hitting low-income students and low-income nonstudent families the hardest."  An interview with Phil Bokovoy, leader of the group "Save Berkeley's Neighborhoods."

Many Arcatans today worry that our city is losing its identity

Reading time: 3 to 6 minutes -- Many Arcatans today worry that our city is losing its identity. Yet the core of that identity is not based on who among us owns a home and which of us may never own a home, or our background or our ethnicity. It is the ideals we share, the good we hold in common. -- From an essay by Robert Reich.

Arcata’s Racial Equity outreach for the General Plan update is a sham

Reading time: 6 minutes -- Arcata's attempt at inclusion with the General Plan Update produced a report based on exactly 13 non-white people. This is shameful -- and doubly shameful that it is seen as acceptable. What in the world kind of "inclusion" is this? Couldn't there be additional outreach here?

Could Gateway’s Barrel District be 100% free of cars?

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.

New Commissioner Matt Simmons proposes huge changes to established neighborhoods

Planning Commissioner Matt Simmons proposed a change in the zoning of established Arcata neighborhoods, from Residential Low Density to Residential High Density. What is behind his rationale? Would such zoning change help people find housing?

What if Gateway apartments had rooftop gardens?

Photos and text: 4 minutes -- What would Gateway density be like if every building had a flat roof with outside patio space -- and an outdoor garden? What would that feel like for the tenants? What message would Arcata be sending to the world -- about who we are and what's important to us?

The September 25, 2023, Gateway Open House meeting – Comments from the public

Reading time: 10 minutes -- These are the comments that the public submitted at the Sept 25 open house meeting. Typed out and separated by categories, to make it easier for you to read.

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.

Arcata’s Gateway Plan, described by Artificial Intelligence

Reading time:  3 minutes -- This article is presented here not as a guide, but for our smiles. How does an AI program describe our Gateway Area Plan? It is not entirely accurate in places. But for an overall view of the Gateway Plan, it's actually pretty good.

Impacts of the State Density Bonus Law, described by Artificial Intelligence

Reading time:  3 minutes -- This is an AI-generated essay about the impacts of the State Density Bonus Law. It's here partly for our education and partly for our smiles. Yet as an overall view, it's not bad.

The September 25, 2023, Gateway Open House meeting – Synopsis and photos

Reading time: 6-8 minutes or longer -- Last night's Gateway Open House meeting was a minor success. Despite being held with just 2-1/2 weeks' notice and on a date that ignored a major religious holiday -- and on a weekday late-afternoon, meaning that it was largely inaccessible to community members with regular jobs and people with a child or children -- there was a good turnout. Over the 4 PM to 6 PM time of the two-hour drop-in meeting, an estimated 60 people attended.

Tabatha Miller – Divesting Fossil Fuel corporations from pension investments

Read 21 minute video or Watch slides and listen to audio -- A presentation to the City Council on 9/20/2023 by Tabatha Miller, Finance Director for the City of Arcata. SUBJECT: Recent State bills involving the divestment from fossil fuel investments, and how this may affect Arcata's pension funds. This is a superb summary of the situation, with clear easy-to-understand graphics. Overall an excellent presentation. Thank you, Tabatha!

To the Council/Commission: A high-density building, the State Density Bonus Housing Law, and reducing regulatory costs

Three new articles: A high-density building, the State Density Bonus Housing Law, and reducing regulatory costs. The State Density Bonus Housing Law and how it affects us here in Arcata is the single most important issue facing the Planning Commission with regard to the success of the Gateway Plan.

“Gateway Housing” Open House meeting: September 25th, 4 to 6 p.m.

The City of Arcata is holding an open house on “Gateway Housing” at the D Street Neighborhood Center, on the university side of 101 at 13th & D.  This will be on Monday afternoon, September 25th, from 4 to 6 p.m. If you are not able to attend that meeting , you can enter your comments here on Arcata1.com.

Enter your Comments on the Gateway Area Plan

Enter your Comments on the Gateway Area Plan -- Arcata is holding an open house on "Gateway Housing" on September 25th, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the D Street Neighborhood Center. There will be a comment box there for you to submit your views, suggestions, and ideas. OR ENTER YOUR COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, VIEWPOINTS, AND IDEAS HERE. Thank you !

Dr. Wendy Ring: The Scotia Biomass power plant operation needs to be shut down

Presentation from Dr. Wendy Ring on the carbon emissions, pollution, and health hazards of the Scotia biomass-burning electrical power plant. 21 minute video plus 15-minutes reading material.

US Congress Research reports: Housing Issues report – July 14, 2023

Read time: Charts 2 minutes. Full report 60 minutes -- The report to Congress from June 2023 on housing. Includes 4 easy-to-view charts:  Median rent prices, Median sale prices, Mortgage rates, Consumer price index for Shelter expenses.

Cal Poly Humboldt projected 2,000 more students for Fall. Actual enrollment increase: 98

In March, 2023, Cal Poly Humboldt projected over 2,000 more students for the Fall 2023 semester than there were in the Fall 2022 semester. Current figures indicate there are only 98 more students enrolled this Fall.

Should Cal Poly Humboldt Students Fear Fire? — 3-minute video from Eric Black

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.

Arcata Fire District Director: Eric Loudenslager – August 4, 2022

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.

Four Decision-Making Styles: Analytical, Directive, Conceptual, and Behavioral

Reading time: 5 minutes -- The Plan is not just about just creating housing. The Plan needs to be about Community. These are are PEOPLE-ORIENTED NEEDS that are part of the promises of the Gateway Plan, but not likely to occur unless we actually take some action.

Couplet on L? The L Street Pathway as we know it and love it will cease to exist

The City wants to destroy a quiet strolling pathway so that car and truck traffic will be split between L Street and K Street. Meanwhile, cities all over the world are attempting to get rid of car traffic in favor of walkable public spaces. A "Plan B" has been promised since January, 2022. An inadequate discussion of alternatives finally emerged in August 2023, over a year and a half later.

What We Owe Our Trees – The New Yorker magazine

"Even if you haven’t been to the woods lately, you probably know that the forest is disappearing. In the past ten thousand years, the Earth has lost about a third of its forest, which wouldn’t be so worrying if it weren’t for the fact that almost all that loss has happened in the past three hundred years or so. As much forest has been lost in the past hundred years as in the nine thousand before"

Cal Poly purchases Arcata Creekside 16 acres

Northcoast Journal article, September 1, 2022. Cal Poly purchases Arcata Creekside 16 acres; pays triple the appraised land value. The purchase eliminates this site from the housing and assisted living plans by the non-profit Life Plan Humboldt.

Dan Burden, Walkability Expert — Here in Humboldt, July 22-25, 2023

Walkability expert Dan Burden will be in Humboldt County on July 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th. Named by TIME as “one of the six most important civic innovators in the world.” Named by Planetizen as one of the “Top 100 urbanists of all time.” *** FREE EVENTS in Arcata, Eureka, Blue Lake, and McKinleyville that you can attend.

Community Meeting – Monday, July 10th, 2023

Community Meeting ★ The Gateway Area Plan ★ The L Street Pathway & Linear Park ★ Bring your questions ★ Everyone is welcome ★ Discussion – Strategies – Involvement ★★★ Monday  July 10th - 5:30 to 7:00 PM ★★★ Doors open at 5:20 – Come early! ★ Arcata Playhouse - The Creamery Building ★ 1251 9th Street.

“Deportee – Plane Wreck at Los Gatos” – the Woody Guthrie song

"Deportee - Plane Wreck at Los Gatos" is a song about the deaths of 28 migrant farm workers in a plane crash in 1948. The workers were part of the U.S.-Mexico "Bracero" program, whereby Mexican farmworkers could come to the U.S to work in the fields and then be returned to Mexico after the work contract was done.

The Gateway Community Benefits program — Details of the “points” proposal

The Gateway Community Benefits Program is simple in concept. In order to construct a building higher than three stories -- and have it go through the streamlined "ministerial review" process -- a developer has to provide something for the community.  But the existing State Density Bonus laws may entirely subvert our Community Benefits program and render it meaningless.

Gateway Plan needs inclusionary affordable housing requirements, says Rebecca Buckley-Stein

Rebecca Buckley-Stein spoke to the City Council on March 1, 2023, about the need to have inclusionary affordable housing as part of the Gateway Plan. What is Inclusionary Zoning? Your questions answered, plus additional resource links.

Vandalismo en Sanctuary Garden – Centro del Pueblo habla con el Ayuntamiento de Arcata

More than 60 members of our community came to City Hall on Wednesday, June 7th, for the Arcata City Council meeting. Many people, including Centro del Pueblo Executive Director Brenda Perez, spoke to the Council. Over the past three years, the Sanctuary Gardens has been vandalized one dozen times. The people of Arcata are asking the City Council  to do something.

Sanctuary Garden vandalism – Centro del Pueblo speaks to the Arcata City Council

More than 60 members of our community came to City Hall on Wednesday, June 7th, for the Arcata City Council meeting. Many people, including Centro del Pueblo Executive Director Brenda Perez, spoke to the Council. Over the past three years, the Sanctuary Gardens has been vandalized one dozen times. The people of Arcata are asking the City Council  to do something.

The Gateway Area Plan at 18 months: The Promises Still Seem Unlikely

Now at eighteen months from the introduction of the Draft Gateway Area Plan, the wonderful world that was promised by the plan seems ever more unlikely. I refer to that wonderful world of “thousands of housing units that are environmentally sustainable and affordable to people in all income ranges” and “a broad range of housing densities and types, including rental and owner‐occupied options” that is promised on the opening page of the Draft Plan and continued in that theme throughout the document. *** Let’s look at what’s been ignored over these past eighteen months.

Opinion: Who Should We Honor on Memorial Day?

The cost of war is not borne solely by soldiers on the field of battle and that for too many, the field of battle is unavoidable. In Iraq nearly half a million civilians died in the war and the eight-year American occupation. **** These civilians did not volunteer. They did not sign up nor were they drafted. And yet they died just the same. Their families mourn just as deeply. How should we remember them? Can we make space in our hearts for them, too, this Memorial Day?

Creamery District meeting – May 16, 2023 – What the People want – Updated May 21

IMAGES OF NOTES from the neighborhood Creamery District meeting on May 16, 2023. There were people present who thought that this would be an open discussion about how the Gateway Plan might affect the Creamery District. Specifically, people wanted to discuss the question of the L Street Corridor Linear Park. David Loya told the group that the Linear Park was not one of the topics on that evening's list of topics to be discussed. Over 1/3rd of the people present walked out.

What People Wrote – at the May 16th Creamery meeting

WITH TRANSCRIPTIONS OF THE NOTES. ** Why was this "open discussion" meeting so controlled? In his introduction David Loya made clear what he was there to discuss. What the people there wanted to talk about apparently was not of large importance.

David Loya Trashes the Creamery Discussion – May 16, 2023

The Planning Commissioners asked for a meeting with the Creamery community. At the time, Community Development Director David Loya agreed. But when the meeting occurred, it was not what the Commissioners had requested. As we have seen so many times, Director Loya did what he wanted to do. And once again Director Loya disregarded the expressed wishes of the Planning Commission -- and disregarded input from our community.

UPDATED Creamery District / Gateway Meetings — May 16th & May 23rd

COME - PARTICIPATE - LEARN - ASK QUESTIONS - SHARE YOUR VIEWS **** A meeting with businesses, owners, workers, and all residents in the Creamery District Combining Zone on Tuesday, May 16th, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. There will also be a meeting of the Planning Commission on Tuesday, May 23rd, starting at 5:30 p.m. to "discuss this topic." *** Includes maps and the letter sent out by the City.

Gary Patton: Let’s not wait around for someone else to tell us

Gary Patton: Let's not wait around for someone else to tell us what has happened to us, and about the history that has been made in our names. Let's talk to our neighbors, and friends, and get to work. We have challenges and opportunities to confront, and it's not "the government" that is supposed to do things. WE are supposed to do things.

Creamery District Gathering – Wednesday – May 10th – 5:30 p.m.

Businesses, Residents, Workers, and Visitors ** Come with questions, thoughts, and recommendations regarding the future L Street Linear Park and its enhancement for the Creamery District -- and for the entire Community. ** Wednesday, May 10th ** 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. ** The Playhouse Theater in the Creamery Building ** 1251 9th Street (9th & L ) in Arcata.

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