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Hello Planning Commissioners,
I am writing to you as a resident of Arcata and member of Arcata’s Energy Committee. I appreciate the collective work
going into the Gateway Area Plan and am grateful for the opportunity to provide constructive input. Thank you for
holding these meetings ‐‐ I understand that there is quite the schedule lined up for you all this week.
Regarding topics on the agenda today:
Gateway Area Plan: Building Height and Shading
To support walkability, bikeability, and high‐quality transit in the area, and to adhere to the goal of protecting
our forest, agriculture, and natural resource lands, it is imperative that taller buildings are included in this
plan. If measures are taken to mitigate shading concerns, it is important to offset them elsewhere in order to
maintain effective density development.
General Plan: Public Safety Element
I support CRTP’s stance regarding (and join them in requesting) a policy stating that the city does not support
the use of armed police officers for traffic enforcement. Racial disparities in traffic stops have been widely
exposed and reported in national and state media, and the frequently lethal results of putting armed officers
in charge of enforcing traffic laws have also been well documented. As the linked article reports, “…traffic and
pedestrian stops comprise about 15 percent of law enforcement encounters in which a civilian is seriously
injured or killed” (Lofstrom et al. 2021; Premkumar et al. 2021). Such stops occur disproportionately with
Latino and Black individuals.
Thank you for your consideration, and for your service to the city of Arcata.
Regards,
Carisse Geronimo