, subject to the Mayor’s discretion.){kind=link}
City Council / Planning Commission
Joint Study Session
Tuesday, September 26 6:00 PM
The Gateway items to be discussed at this meeting will be announced sometime around September 15. This page will be updated when the topics are released to the public.
To see the pre-meeting discussion prior to the August 22 meeting, click here.
Council Chambers • City Hall • 7th & F Streets
Future Study Session meetings: September 26 and October 24
This page will be updated — Come back for more info.
For info on the The Community-Led Meetings, first Tuesday of each month: click here
Notes from the August 22 meeting:
To see the pre-meeting discussion prior to the August 22 meeting, click here.
The Linear Park for the L Street corridor is on the agenda
Join us there ♦ Show your support ♦ Bring Signs
Speak at the meeting if you want
Or speak via phone or Zoom
The L Street Pathway and the L Street Linear Park
Click here for a selection of articles, maps, aerial images, and opinions on the L Street Corridor Linear Park and the proposal for and against the K-L Street couplet.
You can watch an Arcata meeting at the City’s YouTube “Live” channel here — but you would not be able to speak.
To speak via Zoom to provide public comment
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device — Please use this URL:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83955348052
To join the meeting by phone
Call: *67 1-669-900-6833
Enter Meeting ID: 839 5534 8052
If you want to comment during the public comment portion of any item, click on “raise your hand” on the right-hand side of your Zoom screen.
If you are accessing the meeting via phone and want to comment during the public comment portion of any item, press star (*) 9 on your phone. This will raise your hand.
When it is time for public comment on the item on which you wish to speak, the City Manager will unmute your phone. You will hear a prompt that will indicate your phone is unmuted. You will have 3 minutes to comment (2 minutes for Early Oral Communications), subject to the Mayor’s discretion.
How to: Click or press on the blue links. Then, use your back arrow to return here.
Contact all the Councilmembers or Planning Commissioners- Attend a regular live meeting of the City Council or Planning Commission, or watch and speak by Zoom or phone
- Contact individual Councilmembers or individual Commissioners
- Write a letter to the local media
The Community-Led Meetings
- First Tuesday of each month More info, click here
At the Arcata Playhouse. 5:30 to 7:00 PM - September 5, 2023
- October 3, 2023
Background: The Gateway Plan, The L Street Linear Park
- What is the Gateway Area Plan? A brief introduction
- The L Street Pathway and the L Street Linear Park
A selection of articles, maps, aerial images, and opinions on the L Street Corridor Linear Park and the proposal for and against the K-L Street couplet. - ArcataLinearPark.org A walking “woonerf” linear park for the L Street pathway
Learn more about the Petition to eliminate the K-L Street couplet and to establish a walking, cycling, strolling linear park on the L Street corridor. Over 780 signatures so far. - The Gateway plan: Getting Started
Videos and articles to help you get started. Includes a 4-minute intro video, Andrea Tuttle’s excellent letter from February 2022, aerial views, maps, and other sources of information. - Facebook: Arcata Gateway District Community
517 members. Learn more about the Gateway Area Plan. Comments, feedback, and information from members of our community. - To learn more about the Gateway Area Plan
Arcata1 home page Arcata1.com: Newest Articles
For your comments, questions, and concerns about the Gateway Area Plan, you contact or call Fred Weis fred @ arcata1.com 707 – 822 – 4400.
What is the Gateway Area Plan?
The Gateway Area Plan is a long-range plan that’s being developed by the City of Arcata with the expressed purpose of adding housing to areas near downtown.
The original proposal was for buildings with height limits of five to eight stories, based on the “district” or area. The June 2023 current proposal is for seven stories maximum.
The plan includes having K Street be changed to be one-lane one-way going north, from Samoa Boulevard to Alliance Road. And developing what is called “L Street” (which is not currently a through road) into a one-lane one-way street going south, from Alliance to Samoa. This design puts a truck route right alongside the Creamery Building, in the heart of the Creamery District. While technically the current pathway would survive, the serenity and pleasantness of the current pathway would be ruined by cars and trucks rolling by, just six feet from the pathway. For more info on the L Street “couplet” issue, see L Street – Proposed design does not fit and The Street Linear Park – Overview here on Arcata1.com.
The plan has been worked on in concept for several years, with the first draft made public in December 2021, about a year and a half ago and an updated draft in October 2022. That recent draft can be seen here.
To learn more about the Gateway Area Plan
You can poke around here on Arcata1.com, and follow your interests to explore the over 300 articles on this website. There are articles on the practicality of the plan (it’s not very feasible) and on the political headaches; on the lack of playgrounds and parks; on the complete destruction of what we now enjoy as the L Street Pathway; and — most importantly — on the lack of the ability to create housing that people of Arcata can afford to live in or purchase.
Unfortunately, so much of the Gateway Area Plan is presented as technical, obscure information that is not easy to access and understand. It’s my opinion that is done on purpose — to keep people such as yourself away from the decisions that are being made — decisions that affect you.
Please do feel free to write if you have any questions or wish to discuss any of these matters. And if you have suggestions for what you’d like to see added to Arcata1.com.
For your comments, questions, and concerns about the Gateway Area Plan, you contact or call Fred Weis fred @ arcata1.com 707 – 822 – 4400.
How to attend a City Council or Planning Commission meeting — Live or via Zoom or Phone
The City of Arcata’s Meeting Calendar is on their website here. The City Council and Planning Commission meetings are held in the Council Chambers at City Hall: 736 F Street — 7th & F, across the street from the Safeway / Uniontown Shopping Center, in Arcata.
Regular City Council meetings take place the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. Regular meetings of the Planning Commission take place the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m.
You can watch an Arcata meeting at the City’s YouTube “Live” channel here — but you would not be able to speak.
From the Meeting Calendar page, you can click on the Agenda for that meeting, and there will be information about how to link up to a meeting by Zoom or by phone.
If you want to comment during the public comment portion of any item, click on
“raise your hand” on the right-hand side of your Zoom screen.
If you are accessing the meeting via phone and want to comment during the public comment portion of any item, press star (*) 9 on your phone. This will raise your hand.
When it is time for public comment on the item on which you wish to speak, the Clerk will unmute your phone. You will hear a prompt that will indicate your phone is unmuted. You will have 3 minutes to comment (2 minutes for Early Oral Communications), subject to the Mayor’s discretion.
Contact our officials
Do you have a viewpoint that you’d like them to hear? It’s easy.
To send a message to the three City Councilmembers who can discuss and vote on Gateway matters:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
To send a message to all five City Councilmembers:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
To send a message to the Planning Commissioners:
If clicking on the links does not open up your e-mail for a new message, you may have to copy-and-paste the addresses into your e-mail program.
The letters can be addressed to:
Honorable Mayor Schaefer, Vice-Mayor Matthews, Councilmembers Atkins-Salazar, Stillman, and White
Chair Davies, Vice-Chair Tangney, Commissioners Mayer, Simmons, Lehman, Yodowitz, and Strickland
(Note: Future Mayor/Chair elections may change the titles. If you see something that is incorrect, please contact this website.)
The City Council
Here are the e-mail addresses and phone numbers for our City Councilmembers.
These are the phone numbers on the City of Arcata’s website.
Which form of contact is better for them — phone, text, or e-mail? You’ll have to ask them.
Clicking on their name will take you to the City of Arcata’s webpage for that person.
Clicking on the e-mail address will start an e-mail to that person.
| For discussion and vote on the Gateway Area Plan |
||
| Sarah Schaefer | Mayor | [email protected] 707-498-9342 |
| Meredith Matthews | Vice-Mayor | [email protected] 707-499-0809 |
| Kimberley White | [email protected] 707-633-3867 |
|
|
For General Plan discussions and all other matters |
||
| Stacy Atkins-Salazar | [email protected] 707-496-4779 |
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| Alexandra Stillman | [email protected] 707-845-3900 |
|
(When a new Mayor is voted in, the City may change these links. Please contact [email protected] if the link does not work properly.)
The Planning Commission
Note: To reach all the members of the Planning Commission, you must send your e-mail to all of their individual addresses. Sending a message to “The Planning Commission” or to “The Community Development Department” or to Community Development Director David Loya — this will not reach the Planning Commissioners.
| Scott Davies | Chair | [email protected] |
| Dan Tangney | Vice-Chair | [email protected] |
| Judith Mayer | [email protected] | |
| Matt Simmons | [email protected] | |
| Peter Lehman | [email protected] | |
| Joel Yodowitz | [email protected] | |
| Abagail Strickland | [email protected] |
Write a letter to the local media
- Mad River Union. Deadline: Noon Friday
- Northcoast Journal. Deadline: 10 a.m. Monday.
- Times-Standard
- Lost Coast Outpost
- Red-Headed Blackbelt
- Arcata1.com
NOTE: To avoid spam, there are spaces in the emails listed below. You need to remove those spaces before e-mailing.
Mad River Union
Website: madriverunion.com
Mad River Union readers’ page on Arcata1.com: arcata1.com/union
Deadline for letters: Must be received in their final form by noon Friday.
Letters to the Editor, opinion columns: opinion @ madriverunion.com
Tips for writing letters on their website here.
Northcoast Journal
Website: northcoastjournal.com
Submit letters to the Editor by 10 a.m. Monday.
Letters to the Editor: letters @ northcoastjournal.com
Tips for writing letters on their website here (scroll down)
Times-Standard
Website: times-standard.com
Letters to the Editor: letters @ times-standard.com
Tips for writing letters on their website here.
Lost Coast Outpost
Website: lostcoastoutpost.com
Comments can be left on any article. Using the Search box or the 
Search button at the upper right of the page.
Type in “gateway” to see the Gateway articles.
Contact Stephanie McGeary at stephanie @ lostcoastoutpost.com or through news @ lostcoastoutpost.com
Red-Headed Blackbelt
Website: kymkemp.com
Contact: redheadedblackbelt @ gmail.com
Comments can be left on any article.
Arcata1.com
Website: arcata1.com
Contact: letters @ arcata1.com