UPDATED: Monday, March 7, 2022
GATEWAY AREA PLAN
The Community Development Department released the draft of the Gateway Area Plan on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 which provides details of how Arcata’s Gateway Area could be redeveloped to create more housing and job opportunities for the community. City staff has been holding a series of public meetings to discuss the contents of the draft since December 2021. More opportunities for public engagement will be announced as dates are finalized.
The Gateway Area Plan draft will be circulated to the public for approximately one year before it can be adopted by the City Council, and members of the public may review the Gateway Area Plan draft here. Click here to watch a 60-minute informational video about the Gateway Area Plan draft.
NOTICE OF PREPARATION
In addition, the City of Arcata has released the Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the General Plan Update. This EIR process includes an analysis of the Gateway Area Plan draft as a new Element of the City’s General Plan, and associated zoning changes needed in order to implement the General Plan. The City encourages the community to submit comments and suggestions regarding the preparation of the EIR, environmental issues and alternatives that will be addressed in the EIR, and any other related issues.
The NOP review period begins on Friday, February 4 and closes on Monday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m. Written comments may be sent by email to Community Development Director, David Loya, at dloya@cityofarcata.org with cc to comdev@cityofarcata.org, or by mail to City of Arcata, Community Development, 736 F Street, Arcata, CA 95521.
A virtual public scoping meeting regarding the EIR will be held on Thursday, March 10 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom communications and may be accessed with this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84814501420?pwd=V3E5NnJPZmFwN2J6R1RUUWI1YTF3UT09.
LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM UPDATES
The City is currently working to update its Local Coastal Program, which contains development regulations pertaining to properties located within the Coastal Zone of the City of Arcata. These properties are regulated by the California Coastal Act in addition to local regulations, which primarily relate to the protection and preservation of coastal resources as well as encouraging coastal access.
The City’s current coastal regulations date back to the 1980s and we have been working to update them for several years. Arcata’s updated Local Coastal Program is now at the point of having these updated regulations ready for review by the public. We will be sending these updates to the City’s Planning Commission and City Council for review and discussion over the course of the next few months.
Here is how you can learn more and get involved in this process:
- If you would like to learn more about where to find information on the updated Local Coastal Program, you can find more information at: https://www.cityofarcata.org/549/Local-Coastal-Program-Update
- To be updated about upcoming meetings, sign up for the Long Range Planning & Community Visioning and Sea Level Rise Notifications at: https://www.cityofarcata.org/list.aspx
- If you’d like to discuss this with our Planning team, feel free to contact us at comdev@cityofarcata.org or at (707) 822-5955. We would be happy to speak with you about the City’s plans for future development in the Coastal Zone and how we are planning to alter current regulations to address future economic and environmental needs into the future.
EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS
Community members are encouraged to sign up for the Community Development Department’s Long Range Planning & Community Visioning email notification list to stay updated on public comment and engagement opportunities. Sign up by clicking here.
GROUP TOURS BY CITY STAFF
Arcata residents are encouraged to share their input and reach out to the Community Development Department with questions regarding the draft of Arcata Gateway Area Plan.
Groups of five to 20 community members are invited to schedule their own Gateway Area Walking Tour with City staff by calling (707) 825-2213.
In addition, City staff is available to meet with individuals or groups of community members interested in discussing the plan. City staff can be reached by email at dfreitas@cityofarcata.org or by calling 707-825-2213 to schedule a virtual or in-person meeting.
COMMUNITY VISIONING SURVEY
The Community Development Department has created a Community Visioning Survey for residents and non-residents to share their thoughts on Arcata’s future. Based on community feedback, the deadline to participate has been extended to Friday, April 1, 2022. Feedback received from the survey will help shape Arcata’s future development priorities. The survey is available in Spanish and in English, and can be accessed here.
Based on public input received in the last month, the Community Development Department has identified common concerns related to the draft plan and has created a fact sheet for the public to review. The fact sheet will be updated regularly, and is available here.
Video recordings of previous public engagement meetings regarding the Gateway Area Plan draft, including the virtual Town Hall, Planning Commission and City Council meetings are available to view on the City of Arcata’s YouTube page.
For more information on the Gateway Area Plan draft or to learn more about Community Development projects and plans, please click here or call 707-825-2213.
A portion of the Gateway Plan Area, courtesy of the City of Arcata.