The old company town of Samoa may soon get new sewer and water systems, a rebuilt roadway with sidewalks, and three-story townhouses with room for 80 families. The community, as well as nearby Finntown and Fairhaven, may also get a new services district to provide governance and oversee sewer, water, parks, recreation, drainage and firefighting services on the peninsula.

The construction in Samoa is the first phase of a much larger project to subdivide the company town so its individual lots can be sold and to develop the area with more homes and a business park.

The first phase was approved May 4 by the Humboldt County Planning Commission, which granted Samoa Pacific Group LLC a coastal development, conditional use and planned development permits.

Infrastructure upgrades

The town’s main roadway, Vance Avenue, will be reconstructed and extended from the north end of Samoa near Cookhouse Road to the south end of the property. It will ultimately extend all the way to the industrial area where Eel River Resource Recovery operates. This will provide Samoa residents with two ways in and out of town, instead of just one entrance.

The road will be widened, sidewalks will be installed and utilities will be placed underground.

The town will get a new sewer treatment plant, which will be built so it can be expanded in future phases of the town’s development. A new water tank will be installed to provide residents with drinking water and to provide a reservoir adequate for fire fighting.

Townhouses

A total of 80 townhouses will be built in 10 different buildings to be located east of Vance Avenue and north of Soule Street and the south end of town. Included in the development will be a community building with a kitchen, office and meeting area.

Because part of the town is in a tsunami zone, the living quarters in the townhouses need to be at least 32 feet above sea level. To accomplish this, the townhouses will be three stories tall, with the first floors serving as a parking garages.

Mike O’Hern of Kelly-O’Hern Associates, an agent for Samoa Pacific Group LLC, said that construction of the infrastructure improvements and the townhouses may take place next year if financing is available.

The timing for future phases of the town’s development will depend on market conditions, he said.

New government

Voters may decide in November whether to create a new community services district to oversee municipal services in Samoa, Finntown and Fairhaven.

The Humboldt Local Agency Formation Commission on May 15 voted on a proposal to reorganize the Samoa Peninsula Fire Protection District into a community services district. The commission’s action begins a process with numerous hearings to advance the creation of a new governmental entity. Voters within the proposed district would ultimately decide the issue on Nov. 7.

NEW SERVICES DISTRICT: The boundaries of the proposed services district extend from Samoa down to Fairhaven and Finntown. Manila would retain its existing services district and is not part of this plan.

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Jack Durham is editor of the Mad River Union. Subscribe here.