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City of Arcata press release:

The Community Development Department has been actively working on a long-term project known as the Strategic Infill Redevelopment Program since 2017. The purpose of the Strategic Infill Redevelopment Program is to align the City’s policies with the necessities of the community and available resources to make sure Arcata’s housing and economic development needs can be met through infill development. According to the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the term infill development refers to building within unused and underutilized lands within existing developed areas, which is critical to accommodating growth and redesigning cities to be environmentally and socially-sustainable by reducing building sprawl.

As part of Arcata’s Strategic Infill Redevelopment Program, City staff has identified the Gateway Plan Area, which is a 138-acre location west of K Street that is expected to be rezoned when the City’s General Plan is updated. This area has potential to be redeveloped into housing in the future. The Community Development Department has released the draft of the Gateway Area Plan, which provides details of how the area may be redeveloped to create more housing opportunities for the community. The Gateway Area Plan draft will be circulated to the public for about a year before it can be adopted by the City Council. Members of the public may access and review the Gateway Area Plan draft at cityofarcata.org.

There will be several opportunities for public input regarding the Gateway Area Plan draft this month and throughout the coming year. The plan will also be evaluated under the California Environmental Quality Act, which will include additional opportunities for public engagement in the future. Upcoming community engagement opportunities regarding the Gateway Area Plan in December include:

● Thursday, December 9: City staff will host a public meeting at 5 p.m. on Zoom to present the Gateway Area Plan as drafted. The presentation will discuss how the land will be used, the proposed size of housing units, transportation in the area and more. Please visit cityofarcata.org for the Zoom link.

● Saturday, December 11: City staff will host another public walking tour of the Gateway Plan Area. This tour provides the opportunity for residents to learn more about the plan, including topics related to the environment, historic preservation, public transportation and more. The tour 1 will be roughly one mile in length and will take approximately 60 to 90 minutes. Those who wish to join the tour should meet outside in front of Arcata City Hall, located at 736 F Street, at 12 p.m. For more information, please call (707) 822-5955.

● Tuesday, December 14: The Gateway Area Plan draft will be presented to the Planning Commission for initial review at their regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m.. The meeting agenda and Zoom link will be available to the public at cityofarcata.org on Friday, December 10.

● Wednesday, December 15: City staff will present the Gateway Area Plan draft to the City Council for initial review at their regularly scheduled meeting. The City Council will also discuss their walking tour of the Gateway Plan Area, which took place at a special meeting held on Tuesday, September 1. The City Council meeting will take place at 6 p.m. The meeting agenda and Zoom link will be available to the public at cityofarcata.org on Friday, December 10.

More information on future public engagement opportunities will be provided as it becomes available. 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 or by clicking the eNotifications Sign Up button on the homepage of the City’s website.

The Community Development Department has created a Community Visioning Survey for residents and non-residents to share their thoughts on Arcata’s development. Feedback received from the survey will be used to help shape the way Arcata looks in the future. The survey is available in Spanish and in English, and can be accessed at cityofarcata.org.

Community members who wish to participate are encouraged to do so as soon as possible as the survey will close on Friday, December 31 at 5 p.m. For more information on the City’s Strategic Infill Redevelopment Program or to learn more about Community Development projects and plans, please click here, visit cityofarcata.org or call (707) 822-5955.