Date of original article: May 4, 2023
See also: Creamery District meeting – May 16, 2023 – What the People want
New! See how the Creamery District is divided into three separate Gateway Districts. See map below, click here.
As part of its outreach to the community, the City will be holding a meeting with owners and tenants in the Creamery District 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.”
UPDATE: The Planning Commission may or may not discuss Creamery District issues at its May 23rd meeting. There may just be a staff report from Community Development Director David Loya from what he learned at the May 16th meeting at the Arcata Playhouse — it could be a written or verbal staff report.
Should you come to speak, or speak via Zoom? Yes! Absolutely. The Planning Commission will consider your viewpoints ONLY if you speak up.
The link to the City’s meetings calendar and instructions on how to watch — or participate and speak via Zoom or phone — can be found here.
To read the letter that was sent to “Dear Current Occupant” scroll down or click here. We will note that the four URL website addresses in that letter have typos. Google Search is smart enough to figure out the typo on three of them. On the link to the City’s meeting calendar Google cannot find the right page from the link that was provided. You cannot get to the link where you can view the Planning Commission meeting by Zoom with the link that is in this letter. Those links have been changed in the text of the letter that’s shown below.
The Creamery District Combining Zone
The Creamery District Combining Zone was established in November, 2015. It is far larger than what we consider the Creamery District to be.
The light yellow line is the L Street Corridor Linear Park.
The Gateway Area Plan proposes four “Land Use Designations.” In September, 2022, the Planning Commission Chair brought up the idea adding the Creamery District as a distinct fifth district. This was not pursued at that time by the Planning Commission. Having a new Gateway district just for the Creamery is still a possibility. This can be brought up by you — the public — at these meetings on the 16th and the 23rd.
As it is currently, the Creamery District is divided into three different Gateway districts. If you want to see what the Creamery District would be if it were its own district, go to the map here and scroll through the five maps on that article.
- The Barrel District. At the far upper end of the map above.
Within the Creamery District from L to O Streets and south of 8th Street. This is within the Coastal zone and is governed by the Coastal Commission. Includes: Tomas / Open Door Clinic, the Montessori School garden, the Greenway Building, and the old Auto Electric yard past 8th & N. - The Corridor District. On the left side of the map above.
Within the Creamery District from 7th to 11th, from K to L and beyond L in some places. Includes: Northcoast Children’s Services, North Bay Automotive, Arcata Car Wash, Clothing Dock, German Motors, Far North Climbing, Humboldt Furniture and the other shops along K Street, Dark Staffing Solutions, Portuguese Hall, the Ag Sales building, Joseph Amaral and the furniture makers’ building, storage at 9th & L, Pacific Builders and Thomas Payne, Barsanti Dental, the auto shops at 9th & K, Apex Auto, The Ten Pin Building / Redwood Coast Montessori high school, the four Devlin Cottages on 7th Street between K and L, the Lord House, the big turreted house on 9th near K, another ~10 houses and apartments, and more. - The Hub District. On the right side of the map above. Includes the Creamery Building.
Within the Creamery District from 7th to 11th, from L and then past N, with some cut-outs between 9th and 11th. Includes: The Creamery Building, the Pub, Redwood Raks, the Arcata Playhouse, Phoenix Ceramics and all its many businesses at the Creamery, Holly Yashi, the Kinetic Lab, 21 Gram Gym, Jiminez Glass and all the businesses in the old Yakima building, the Back Porch, Familia Cafe, the big Ironside Metal (former recycling) building, the two light industrial buildings at 10th & O, the Hillyard Building with LPL Financial and the other six businesses there, Brio bread, Renaissance Computing, Country Living, Angels of Hope Thrift Store, Northern Humboldt Employment Services, plus ~7 houses. (Ag Sales, Portuguese Hall, North Bay Automotive, Joseph Amaral and the furniture makers’ building, and Northcoast Children’s Services are in the Corridor district).
If you are interested in learning more about the Creamery District’s place in the Gateway Plan and the effect it may have on the Creamery arts district, you are encouraged to view these articles:
Getting oriented: The Creamery Area
Maps: Building Height Districts – showing a new proposed Creamery District in the Gateway Plan
Letter from Playhouse Arts to the City — signed by 23 people
from April 4, 2022
L Street – 2010 Rail with Trail Feasibility Study
— this is a MUST READ article. It shows the foundations for a further expanding the Creamery Arts District with a walking “mall” on L Street.
And to see more on the L Street Corridor Linear Park:
The Street Linear Park – Overview
The L Street Corridor — It’s a goldmine, waiting to happen
Why the decision on the L Street Linear Park is so important — and so crucial
L Street Pathway: Aerial Views and Photos
L Street Pathway & Park — or another major road?
The L Street Pathway Deception
Petition to establish the L Street Linear Park
Below is the text of the letter. In the original letter, there are typographical errors in all of the links. The original letter has the links as “htp” or “htps” and they should be http or https. Google Search is smart enough to figure out the typo on three of them. On the link to the City’s meeting calendar Google cannot find the right page from the link that was provided. You cannot get to the link where you can view the Planning Commission meeting by Zoom with the link that is in this letter. Those links have been changed in the text below.
April 26, 2023
[address removed]
ARCATA, CA 95521
Dear Current Occupant,
The City of Arcata is moving forward with proposed Land Use and zoning updates that will change development potential around the Creamery District in Creamery District overlay zones A and B (see attached map).
The intent of these changes is to encourage redevelopment by private property owners, particularly that results in high density housing. Proposed updates are also intended to create additional flexibility around allowed uses. This work builds on the overlay zone efforts undertaken by business and property owners in partnership with the City circa 2015.
Arcata Planning Commissioners would like to hear from current property owners, tenants, and business owners within the Creamery overlay boundary regarding this proposed change. There are a few ways to get your voice heard:
- The City will host an information session for Creamery District stakeholders at the Arcata Playhouse the evening of May 16th from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. This event is drop-in and will provide an opportunity to ask questions, hear more about where the City is in the review and approval process, and learn how to get involved and get in contact with City decision makers. This meeting is intended to provide stakeholders with more direct access to staff and more time to ask questions and provide comments.
- A public hearing item is currently scheduled before the Planning Commission on May 23rd to discuss this topic. The meeting will be held at 5:30 PM in Arcata City Council Chambers at Arcata City Hall (736 F St., Arcata, CA). The meeting may also be attended virtually via Zoom communications and the Zoom link will be released with the agenda 72 hours in advance of the meeting, accessible at http://arcataca.iqm2.com/Citizens/calendar.aspx. The recording of the meeting can also be viewed online via the link provided above or in real time via the City of Arcata’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/CityofArcataCA).
We welcome you to join us or provide comments directly to the decision makers in advance of the meeting. The Planning Commission and City Council can be contacted directly through their City email addresses which are available on the City’s website at https://www.cityofarcata.org/446/Planning- Commission and https://www.cityofarcata.org/547/City-Council-Members. Comments can also be submitted to staff to be distributed to the Planning Commissioners and Council by sending comments to [email protected] or by calling 707-822-5955 and leaving a verbal comment.
Thank you for your continued investment in our community and we look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
David Loya, Community Development Director
