Cleanup Mess
As for the argument that opponents care only about stopping Marina Center, Nichols turned it around, saying Leonard, Bass and Jager, et al., are not advocating cleanup so much as Marina Center.
Standing against a window at City Hall Monday, environmental activist Mel McKinney suggested another motive. “This is political theater,” he said, “and it’s very simple to figure out.” The press conference was simple grandstanding, McKinney argued. Leonard has announced his intention to challenge incumbent (and Coastal Commission Chair) Bonnie Neely for her county supervisorial seat next year, and rumors abound that Bass may also throw her hat into the ring. By publicly supporting (or at least appearing to support) the popular Marina Center proposal, Leonard and Bass set themselves in contrast to Neely, who is seen as an obstructionist.
In Wednesday’s Times-Standard, Councilman and longtime Arkley adversary Larry Glass echoed McKinney’s assessment, calling the event a “political stunt” designed to launch their respective campaigns.
The council hand-delivered a letter to Bonnie Neely, outlining for the Coastal Commission their main points. (Leonard caused a stir when he brought the letter before the council for approval at a recent council meeting without first placing it on the agenda. “Totally my fault,” he told the Journal apologetically Monday.)
Jager said his gut feeling is that the commission will hear the appeal and schedule a de novo hearing to consider refusing the development permit. In what, on this issue, has been a rare instance of common ground, Nichols agreed.
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10 Comments
Comment / By Why? / Dec. 10, 2009, 11:32 a.m.
Why is it you don’t mention the fact that councilman Glass is a board member for the NEC?
Comment / By Jeff Muskrat / Dec. 10, 2009, 12:55 p.m.
Is this an op-ed?
Could have fooled me…
Comment / By Thirdeye / Dec. 10, 2009, 1:58 p.m.
If Nichols really had a substantial argument that the cleanup plan was inadequate, that matter should have been taken up with the Water Quality Board, which has staff expertise in the matter. It is obvious that the Coastal Commission is the chosen venue for the objections because it is more arbitrary than the Water Quality Board in its charge of authority and lacks in-house expertise on technical matters pertaining to site remediation,i.e. easier to politicize. It will be interesting to see if the Commission handles this situation appropriately. If the Coastal Commission attempts to usurp the authority of the Water Quality Board on the cleanup, it becomes a potentially serious matter under the Business and Professions Code and laws governing engineering practice.
Comment / By Buzz / Dec. 10, 2009, 6:53 p.m.
The Coastal Commission is always making decisions technically out of its league because they can. They are the poster child of an out of control public agency. The other agencies can’t even sue them without the governors’ permission. Nobody can reign them in but the legislature and they won’t for fear of the enviro’s.
And Muskrat please, everything you say is biased.
Comment / By Thirdeye / Dec. 10, 2009, 11:21 p.m.
Interesting thought by Why? on Larry Glass. If Glass is still on the NEC board and NEC is appealing Eureka’s decision on the EIR, there is a conflict of interest and he should recuse himself on Marina Center matters.
@Buzz, if the CC is in the habit of using its authority to play armchair engineer and they are not professionally qualified, that’s a dangerous game. They would be begging to get called out on it before a professional board. And such an action can be initiated by a complaint from a private party.
Comment / By Buzz / Dec. 12, 2009, 3:46 p.m.
The Commission staff has been pretty much telling Caltrans what the Eureka-Arcata corridor project will look like..bike trail but no interchange ect.. I think this would qualify as making traffic engineering decisions.
http://humboldtmirror.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/coastal-commission-slams-brakes-on-highway-fix/
Comment / By Thirdeye / Dec. 12, 2009, 10:24 p.m.
That’s pretty gnarly stuff. Their definition of coastal resources seems so elastic as to be meaningless. Seems their perceived scope of authority would be hard to defend — IF someone were to mount a determined challenge.
Comment / By Buzz / Dec. 13, 2009, 6:46 p.m.
The commission is safe picking on Caltrans. They can’t fight back because the Commission is ‘family’ and more importantly the Commission has its defenders in all the environmental organizations who lobby the legislature for them. Who really cares if Caltrans gets a beating and is robbed? They’re about all that is left besides Arkley to represent “the man” in these parts.
Comment / By unanonymous / Dec. 14, 2009, 7:57 a.m.
3eye hit it on the nose. It is about public health and safety when unlicensed, un-certified people play with engineering decisions for political purposes.
Larry was confronted by Tyson about NEC directorship (I hear through the grapevine) and Larry said he recused himself of any decisions regarding ballon tract at NEC hearings. However, unless he provides some sort of public evidence of such, he should recuse himself at Eureka City meetings.
Comment / By Jeff Musgrave / Dec. 17, 2009, 2:09 p.m.
“And Muskrat please, everything you say is biased.”
I’m entitled to my own “enviro” opinion, just as you are entitled to your “anti-environment” opinion. Just trying to clear up some confusion about the article…