If an irresistible force meets an immovable object, one possible outcome is a stalled Climate Action Plan. Caught between the realities of an ever-warming climate and a culture that is embedded in fossil fuels, city, state and county planners have been trying for years to come up with some acceptable and realistic ways of staving […]
Planning
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‘Ground Zero:’ Coastal Commission Approves Safety Corridor Project, Worries Sea Level Rise May Leave it Under Water
While Caltrans’ project on the 6-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 101 that connects Eureka and Arcata is aimed at improving safety for motorists, the agency got an earful Aug. 7 from California Coastal Commissioners who felt it is ignoring a potentially far more dangerous threat: sea level rise. “This is ground zero,” said Chair Dayna […]
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Officials Brace for Sea Level Rise
As sea levels inexorably rise, various public agencies have been working locally to find a defensive strategy to protect vulnerable bottomlands from inundation. This is a challenging enterprise. The cities of Arcata and Eureka, plus more than 10,000 acres of agricultural land, U.S. Highway 101, underground gas lines and electrical power lines are located in […]
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Confusion Reigns as Supes Punt Zoning Changes into New Year
Shortly after the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors convenes in the New Year, it will face a massive and controversial package of zoning changes that will bring new land use designations to almost 500,000 acres throughout the county, after board discussions on the matter stalled Dec. 11. That meeting saw more than 50 members of […]
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Supes Pass Cannabis Ordinance 2.0
After hours of discussion, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted this afternoon to pass its new commercial cannabis land use ordinance. The ordinance got four “yes” votes but Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson didn’t support it, though it’s unclear if he voted against it or abstained. (It seemed like he said he abstained from […]
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Community Group Presents New Plan for Student Housing at Arcata’s Craftsman’s Mall
When a massive student housing project goes back before the Arcata Planning Commission on March 27, a recently formed community group will be presenting more than a show of opposition to the proposal — they have an alternative plan. “We believe there’s a better way than The Village project,” says John Bergenske, one of Arcata […]
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The Shortest Distance Between Two Points…
A pair of Arcata streets is slated for improvements over the next several months — a move the city hopes will encourage cyclists to access the city’s busy downtown. T he plan is relatively straightforward, excepting one lopsided detour. The so-called bike boulevard will stretch east-west along the length of 10th Street (including the one […]