The Humboldt County Planning Department will soon be suspending the permits of hundreds of cannabis farmers who failed to enter into a payment agreement for owed Measure S taxes by the March 31 deadline, Planning Director John Ford told the Journal. The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted in October to give cannabis farmers until […]
John Ford
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Despite Coastal Commission Appeal, Schneider Mansion Demolition, Restoration Could be Complete by July
It’s been more than six months since the Humboldt County Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the permits and permit modifications necessary for local developer Travis Schneider to tear down his partially constructed family mansion overlooking the Fay Slough Wildlife Area. The deal ratified by the commission in July would have seen Schneider avoid up […]
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PlanCo Approves Permits for Tear Down of Schneider Home
After an emotional apology from the developer, the Humboldt County Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve the permits and permit modifications necessary for Travis Schneider to tear down his partially constructed family home overlooking the Fay Slough Wildlife Area. After amassing a host of permit violations during construction of the more than 20,000-square-foot home […]
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Developer Agrees to Tear Down Controversial Home, Faces Daily $40K Fines
Local developer Travis Schneider has agreed to remove his partially constructed 20,000-square-foot home on Walker Point Road in an effort to resolve a litany of permit violations that resulted in a county-issued stop-work order on the project in December of 2021. In an April 5 letter to Humboldt County Planning Director John Ford, an attorney […]
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Bongio Steps Down as PlanCo Chair, Commission Approves Letter of Apology to Tribes
Humboldt County Planning Commission Alan Bongio officially stepped down as the commission’s chair before last night’s meeting, at which he and fellow commissioners voted unanimously to send a letter of apology to three Wiyot area tribes stemming from his conduct at a meeting last month. Bongio did not speak at the meeting about stepping down […]
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New Schneider Permit Problems Prompt Query Into Planning Staff’s Handling of Project
Amid revelations last week that local developer Travis Schneider’s family home is twice the permitted size, it was also discovered that Schneider brought in 10 times the amount of fill dirt allowable for the project under its coastal development permit, county Planning Director John Ford confirmed to the Journal. The latest in what is now […]
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Planning Director: Developer’s Home is More than Double Permitted Size
It appears Travis Schneider’s problems may have just doubled in size. The local developer’s efforts to get a permit and permit amendments necessary to lift a county stop work order and resume construction of his family home on Walker Point Road south of the Indianola Cutoff have already been complicated by concerns over the permitted […]
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Planning Commission Sends Schneider Permit Back to Staff
The Humboldt County Planning Commission voted unanimously last night to send the issue of local developer Travis Schneider’s permits back to staff in an effort to find a path forward that will be agreeable to local tribes and the California Coastal Commission. While Schneider and Commission Chair Alan Bongio expressed deep frustration at a meeting […]
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UPDATE: Planning Director Disputes Developer’s Account as More Permit Problems Arise for Schneider
UPDATE: Planning Director John Ford followed up with the Journal this afternoon after publication of this article to say he’d checked his records and wanted to clarify the timeline surrounding his Jan. 19 conversation with developer Travis Schneider. Ford was adamant that he did not undermine what county planner Cliff Johnson had relayed to Schneider […]
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PlanCo Staff Recommends Approval of Schneider Permit; Documents Shed New Light on Contentious Meeting
A couple weeks after the matter spilled cantankerously into public view, Humboldt County and Building Department staff is recommending the Planning Commission approve the permits necessary to allow a local developer to continue construction of his family home, with some revised conditions, at its meeting tonight. The issue arose after Travis Schneider violated the terms […]
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HumCo Planning Director Headed to Fort Bragg
Humboldt County Planning and Building Director John Ford has informed the Board of Super visors he will be leaving his post next month and is expected to start work as the city manager of Fort Bragg in July. Ford, who stepped into the role in 2016, has helmed Planning and Building through a tumultuous period, […]
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Ford Sentenced in Cannabis Insurance Embezzlement Case
Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Christopher Wilson sentenced John Ford to serve 90 days in jail and five years probation after the former insurance broker pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement. An investigation by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office and the California Office of Insurance alleged that Ford contracted with various clients […]