The Gateway plan: Getting Started
Here is a one-hour presentation on what a Form-Based Code is, some background of its development, some examples nationally, some Northern California examples, and the nature of the Ministerial Review permitting process. Click on any image to view that article or video.
If you are new to this website, you may want to read “How to Use this website” to see some good hints and suggestions and then return to this page.
The letter from by Andrea Tuttle, PhD (environmental planning). Originally written February 13th, 2022, it was submitted to the Planning Commissioners two months later. Dr. Tuttle’s letter also appeared in the May 5, 2022 Eureka Times-Standard. Excerpts: “3500 units is a mathematically-derived number. It is NOT a “factual” number that reflects the carrying capacity of the city to support such growth. It has no relationship to the ability – or desire – of the town and infrastructure to accommodate that many people.” “Building height and scale: With apologies to the drafters, the very idea of 8-story housing blocks in Arcata is an insult. It is disingenuous to propose a plan that is dependent on unrealistic building types.”
Here’s the link for the actual “DRAFT Gateway Area Plan 2022” that was released to the public on December 1, 2021. You can read it here. 110 pages PDF.
This is the official video introducing the December 2021 “draft Gateway Area Plan.” 1 hour 4 minutes. It goes through the draft Plan chapter by chapter. The entire video has been transcribed, and the article is set up so that you can read the transcription and watch the video at the same time. Mixed in with the transcription is commentary and opinion.
Arcata’s Gateway Plan apparently includes humor and satire in its form-based code. Who would have guessed.
After all — what’s Life without a little levity?
More humor is found here.