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Dear Planning Commission Members,
Please give serious consideration to the following comments.
Transportation: K and L streets couplet
As a resident and property owner in Arcata, my partner and I enjoy roundtrip walking from our North
Town I street home to the Arcata Marsh using the existing pedestrian/bike trail (Humboldt Bay Trail) along L
street. No cars/trucks zoom by near us and we are free from the noise and air pollution they create. We also use
this portion of the Humboldt Bay Trail for our dental visits (Barsanti Dental Group) and to attend
events/performances at Arcata Playhouse. We have only two street crossings that are dangerous for pedestrians:
(1) the HBT crossing of Alliance (from 11th to Foster Ave. on K/Alliance there are no stop signs, just one speed
lump and most drivers exceed 25 mph), and (2) the HBT crossing of 11th (no stop signs west of K street). Oneway streets and streets without stop signs encourage speeding. I urge you to reconsider the K and L streets couplet and recommend to city staff and city council: (1) designation of the L street corridor as a full-width linear park, and (2) consideration of the full range of alternatives to increase K street safety as a two-way street.
Stop signs at each intersection would be the easiest and least costly to implement. Parking elimination or
relocation can increase biking safety.
Housing
I urge you to recommend calculation of the number of housing units available if building heights are
limited to 4 stories. Arcata needs to cooperate with Cal Poly Humboldt but does not need to assume
responsibility for more than the city’s proportional share of housing. I doubt that anyone knows with certainty
how many students will be enrolled and/or retained in the future.
I urge you to recommend specific language directing the process to make at least 50% of the housing
available for combined very low, low, and low to moderate income residents, 35% for potential home
ownership, and restrict market rate to 15%. We need this mix of housing available for people who have to
relocate over the next 20-40 years due to sea level rise.
2
Thank you for giving serious consideration to my input.
Diane Ryerson