Arcata & Community

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.

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 ★ 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" 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

James Becker and Patricia Cambianica have been collecting signatures of people in favor of the L Street Linear Park. As of May 9, 2023, they have gathered over 715 people's names. At the March 14, 2023, meeting of the Arcata Planning Commission, Jim showed the commissioners just what these signatures look like. 

Do you want your neighborhood rezoned as Residential High Density? **** Come to the City Council meeting on Wednesday, April 5th, and tell our City Councilmembers what you want and do not want for Arcata. The citizens of Arcata have not been informed. **** If you care about your neighborhood, please come and speak. ****

Daniel Duncan is a retired contractor and present-time architectural commentator who has lived here in Arcata for over 50 years. His articles on Arcata planning, housing, and design appeared first in the Mad River Union, and now the eighteen articles from 2022 have been collected in his new book. Dan's book is available now at Northtown Books in Arcata and Booklegger in Eureka. The price is $10.

A special page for City Council and Planning Commission members -- and a great place for all readers to learn more about the Gateway Plan. This page will be updated regularly. Come back for more!

This is the link to the video for the March 16, 2023, OLLI presentation on Sea Level Rise & Humboldt Bay. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) of Cal Poly Humboldt has been offering a monthly special interest group Zoom meeting on Sea Level Rise & Humboldt Bay. The presentations are facilitated by environmental planning consultant Aldaron Laird and Humboldt County history (and general knowledge) specialist Jerry Rhode.

A special page for the L Street Pathway and Linear Park -- and a great place for all readers to learn more about the Gateway Plan. This page will be updated regularly. Come back for more!

The draft Gateway Plan calls for making a new L Street for the southbound traffic from Alliance Road. But Arcata doesn't have property rights to build a road. Community Development Director acknowledges this.

A special page for readers of the Mad River Union and the North Coast Journal -- and a great place for all readers to learn more about the Gateway Plan. This page will be changed and updated regularly. Come back for more!

Urban leadership needs to develop a shared vision that guides residents on their individual and collective contributions. Urban residents need to be involved in achieving set goals. Reprinted from "The Conversation"

The "couplet" created by making K Street and L Street be one-way, one-lane streets seems unlikely to happen. And if it were to take place, the joyful humanity of the current L Street Pathway would be destroyed. Why does it seem that the City is not being forthcoming on this? Why aren't we presented with alternatives?

At the site of the Craftman's Mall, Cal Poly Humboldt plans to put in dorms for 1,050 students. Is that good? Well, 5,500 dorm beds are needed.

The "plan" for human-access parks in the Arcata Gateway area is woefully inadequate. To make the Gateway area livable for thousands of people, we need real parks.

Sure, there's open space.  But where are the parks? Gateway needs parks! How is Arcata going to supply adequate parks for 2,000 people? Parks = Community. Places to meet, talk, hang out. Children's playgrounds too. If we don't insist on this, it's not going to happen.

A special page for readers of the Mad River Union -- and a great place for all readers to learn more about the Gateway Plan. This page will be changed and updated regularly. Come back for more!

Arcata joint City Council / Planning Commission study session meetings.

Click or press on any date to go directly to that newsletter. July 5, 2023 - for the July 10th meeting . July 5, 2023 - for...

Arcata Community-Led Meeting --  Tuesday, September 5th, 2023, at the Arcata Playhouse - 5:30 to 7:00 PM