Jane Woodward – March 23, 2023 – Sea Level Rise presentation questions

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    Hello Karen and David,
    Attached are my pubic comment questions for the March 28 Joint session. I would appreciate if you would send them to the City Council and Planning Commission members as well as including them in the pubic engagement area, at your earliest convenience.
    Thank you very much!! Please confirm receipt.
    Jane

     

    March 22, 2023 PUBLIC COMMENT/QUESTIONS FOR MARCH 28, 2023 JOINT SESSION ON SEA LEVEL RISE
    1. How much of Arcata (if any) will be flooded if the dikes break along the 41‐mile stretch of dikes
    that are privately maintained over the next 20‐40 years? Are there any requirements for dike
    maintenance? Who is responsible for that? What are the repercussions of such a breach?
    2. How much of Arcata will be flooded if sea level rises as projected by 2045, 2060 or
    subsequently? Can we see precisely how that applies to the Gateway Plan districts as well as
    other areas of Arcata such as the Bottoms?
    3. At what point of sea level rise will the current waste treatment plant become non‐functional
    and need to be moved? And where are possible locations for moving it that will not be
    vulnerable to sea level rise until at least 2100?
    4. What level of ground water incursion can be expected as sea level rises, and how will that affect
    the Gateway area? Does it rise at the same pace as sea level rises? What happens when
    groundwater rises within already developed areas?
    5. Is it reasonable to plan for buildings of any type to be built in areas that will be affected by sea
    level rise for a projected life of only, say, 40 years? Are there areas in Arcata where high
    density residential buildings can be built on higher elevations not subject to sea level rise, such
    as Happy Valley?
    6. The State Agency for Sea Level Rise Action Plan for California issued in February 2022 indicates
    that coastal jurisdictions should plan for 3.5 feet of sea level rise by 2050, and 6 feet by 2100.
    Given that the ground level in Humboldt Bay is sinking due to seismic activity, resulting in
    possible doubling of the rate of sea level rise locally, are we taking sea level rise seriously? Or
    are we basically encouraging development in soon‐to‐become flood zones? Can Arcata be sued
    for that by either developers or future residents?
    7. Is the Coastal Commission likely to authorize high density new building up to 7 stories in its
    Coastal Zone or in light of the Sea Level Rise Action Plan for California?
    8. How does the Gateway Plan fit in with the 2018 Arcata Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment?
    Is this report available to the public, and if so, how can we access it?
    9. How is the City planning to move its current residents from low‐lying areas over the next 20‐40
    years?
    Respectfully submitted,
    Jane P. Woodward