Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report for Arcata General Plan 2045 and Gateway Area Plan.
9 pages

The following summarizes the anticipated degree of changes for each Element:
     • New Element
            o Gateway Area Plan
     • Minor updates and consistency updates:
            o Introduction
            o Vision
            o Growth Management
            o Open Space Element
            o Resource Conservation and Management
            o Air Quality
            o Design
            o Historical Preservation
            o Public Safety
            o Noise
     • Comprehensive updates
            o Land Use
            o Transportation and Circulation
            o Public Facilities and Infrastructure
            o Parks and Recreation
     • No change
            o Housing Element

Of note:

The Health Element is a new element. It is not listed as a new element in this Notice — it’s not listed at all.

“The Arcata General Plan 2045 is anticipated to be adopted in late 2022.”

“As a part of this Project, all existing General Plan Elements (other than the Housing Element) will receive minor focused updates to: …  • Ensure consistency and compliance with other City plans that have been adopted or revised in recent years, such as the 2019 Housing Element.”

Note: The Gateway Area Plan and General Plan 2045 are not consistent with the 2019 Housing Element. The figures for growth in the 2019 Housing Element are shown as: “the City is planning on annual growth of between 0.25% and 0.5%, resulting in a population between 18,900 and 20,000 by 2027.”  The figures for grown used by the City now (2023) are in the order of 1.5% or 1.7% annual exponential growth. By 2045, a growth rate of 0.25% results in ~1,250 population increase. A growth rate of 0.50% results in ~2,600 population increase. A growth rate of 1.50% results in ~8,850 population increase. 

“The Gateway Area currently primarily consists of former industrial lands.”

Note:  I do not regard this as a true statement of fact. The Gateway Area traditionally has been a mixed-use area, with residences, retail, and industrial.

“Targeted upzoning (or increases in the allowable uses and development standards) will be necessary in these priority development areas to meet the City’s 6th Cycle housing allocation, in addition to twenty-year growth projections.”

As noted above, the City’s growth projections have changed substantially since the 2019 Housing Element.

Figure 3 “Potential Infill Opportunity Zones” shows downtown Arcata — from 5th to 11th, from F Street to I Street, plus the Safeway area — as a potential infill zone.

Question: How much opportunity for infill exists in downtown Arcata?

“Outside of the Infill Opportunity Zones, the Land Use Map and development standards are anticipated to receive only minor changes from the Arcata General Plan 2020 (adopted in the year 2000).”

This is a questionable statement. There is a current Implementation Measure to upzone the neighborhoods of Bayview, Sunset, Northtown, and Arcata Heights (upper I & J Street area) from Residential Low Density to Residential High Density.

“The City expects rezoning to accommodate new residential development, upzoning to allow higher densities in current residentially designated districts….”

“The Parks and Recreation Element will i …  analyze the existing and projected public demand for parks and recreation facilities, establish policies and guidelines for park planning and development…. It will also include current demographic and needs data.”

“The Noise Element will continue to provide a basis for comprehensive local programs to control and abate environmental noise and to protect citizens from excessive exposure. The update of the Noise Element will address the changes resulting from residential  densification in Potential Infill Opportunity Zones, including more intense and diverse uses. This Element will receive only minor changes to the Arcata General Plan 2020.”

Small item of note:  There is a typo on Figure 2, incorrectly labeled as Figure 1. (There are two “Figure 1” figures.)

The Document

Dated:  February 2, 2022

Notice is hereby given that the City of Arcata as Lead Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to evaluate the environmental effects associated with the proposed “Arcata General Plan 2045” (Project). This Project includes analysis of the Draft Gateway Area Plan as a new  element of the General Plan, and associated zoning amendments necessary to implement the General Plan. The City is soliciting comments regarding the scope and content of the environmental information.