The editorial cartoon in the Journal is very pro business (Lost Coast Brewery) and anti citizen rights (Weiler and Sunset Road residential owners). The cartoon entirely missed the point.
It is not about smells, views, jobs or what is good for Eureka, it is just about a little thing called constitutional rights and regulatory takings without due process. This is about the city jumping through hoops (trying) to legally get around what they are illegally trying to do. This is about government working closely with a single business, twisting the process to violate citizen rights.
To better understand what is happening, I have assigned numbers to the zones with Residential R1 number (1) (the best zone) and Heavy Industrial number (5) (the worst zone). To build a brewery on Public (2) land the city has to down zone from Public (2) to Service Commercial (3), then create a new code category under Light Industrial (4) called Craft Brewery, then reclassify Lost Coast Brewery as a Craft Brewery allowing them to move up a zone from Heavy Industrial (5) to Light Industrial (4) then grant a special variance to allow LCB to operate in zone (3) a zone higher than the (4) they just moved into. You wind up with a zone (5) Industrial complex being built and operated right beside a zone (1) residential area.
The Weiler and Sunset Road residential owners have tried to work with Ms. Groom and her Lost Coast Brewery project. We know that business is good for Humboldt County but not at the cost of our rights. If Ms. Groom wants our approval and blessing then let her get them the old fashioned way and compensate us for them. Stop trying to steamroll us under the guise of jobs creation and best for the community while the real bottom line is to make lots of beer and profit.
Why do the surrounding home-owners somehow have all the rights? What about the city’s right to amend/correct zoning decisions that were made decades ago? What about Ms. Groom’s right to find a suitable location in Eureka (instead of having to move elsewhere), and to ask for a sensible zoning change or a variance? I’d happily trade my current neighbors for a working, modern brewery. Beer and jobs are blessings, and Eureka needs all the help it can get.
Why is zoning always ‘corrected’ in favor of a business trying to do something not permissible? Zoning decisions go through a very long public process, and attempts to overthrow and reverse that thoughtful process are swift in favor of business at the expense of the citizenry.
Why bother having a general plan — why bother having zoning at all — if a city council is just going to throw out public sentiment every time a business wants to do something unpopular?
Unpopular? If it were put to a vote, I’m sure that the brewery would win the popularity contest.
The rhetorical questions (comment above) invite other rhetorical questions: Why have a City Council, if the future has been perfectly planned for by past City Councils? Why allow any variances at all, when we know what the future will bring?
Zoning variances and changes happen in all cities…..it’s what happens. Cities grow, businesses grow, things change – change is never received well and PEOPLE don’t adapt to change, nor do they welcome it.
I’m confused about one of the comments above…..was someone requesting ‘payment’ for ‘rights’???
‘….but not at the cost of our rights. If Ms. Groom wants our approval and blessing then let her get them the old fashioned way and compensate us for them.’
That statement left a bad taste in my mouth……
BTW – I’ve never even been to that brewery, but it’s on my Bucket List 😉
The editorial cartoon in the Journal is very pro business (Lost Coast Brewery) and anti citizen rights (Weiler and Sunset Road residential owners). The cartoon entirely missed the point.
It is not about smells, views, jobs or what is good for Eureka, it is just about a little thing called constitutional rights and regulatory takings without due process. This is about the city jumping through hoops (trying) to legally get around what they are illegally trying to do. This is about government working closely with a single business, twisting the process to violate citizen rights.
To better understand what is happening, I have assigned numbers to the zones with Residential R1 number (1) (the best zone) and Heavy Industrial number (5) (the worst zone). To build a brewery on Public (2) land the city has to down zone from Public (2) to Service Commercial (3), then create a new code category under Light Industrial (4) called Craft Brewery, then reclassify Lost Coast Brewery as a Craft Brewery allowing them to move up a zone from Heavy Industrial (5) to Light Industrial (4) then grant a special variance to allow LCB to operate in zone (3) a zone higher than the (4) they just moved into. You wind up with a zone (5) Industrial complex being built and operated right beside a zone (1) residential area.
The Weiler and Sunset Road residential owners have tried to work with Ms. Groom and her Lost Coast Brewery project. We know that business is good for Humboldt County but not at the cost of our rights. If Ms. Groom wants our approval and blessing then let her get them the old fashioned way and compensate us for them. Stop trying to steamroll us under the guise of jobs creation and best for the community while the real bottom line is to make lots of beer and profit.
What a revealing comment, Mr. Slone! You and your partners want money for nothing! Well, why didn’t you just say so?
Why do the surrounding home-owners somehow have all the rights? What about the city’s right to amend/correct zoning decisions that were made decades ago? What about Ms. Groom’s right to find a suitable location in Eureka (instead of having to move elsewhere), and to ask for a sensible zoning change or a variance? I’d happily trade my current neighbors for a working, modern brewery. Beer and jobs are blessings, and Eureka needs all the help it can get.
Why is zoning always ‘corrected’ in favor of a business trying to do something not permissible? Zoning decisions go through a very long public process, and attempts to overthrow and reverse that thoughtful process are swift in favor of business at the expense of the citizenry.
Why bother having a general plan — why bother having zoning at all — if a city council is just going to throw out public sentiment every time a business wants to do something unpopular?
Unpopular? If it were put to a vote, I’m sure that the brewery would win the popularity contest.
The rhetorical questions (comment above) invite other rhetorical questions: Why have a City Council, if the future has been perfectly planned for by past City Councils? Why allow any variances at all, when we know what the future will bring?
Zoning variances and changes happen in all cities…..it’s what happens. Cities grow, businesses grow, things change – change is never received well and PEOPLE don’t adapt to change, nor do they welcome it.
I’m confused about one of the comments above…..was someone requesting ‘payment’ for ‘rights’???
‘….but not at the cost of our rights. If Ms. Groom wants our approval and blessing then let her get them the old fashioned way and compensate us for them.’
That statement left a bad taste in my mouth……
BTW – I’ve never even been to that brewery, but it’s on my Bucket List 😉