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It is nearly time again for the Arcata Planning Commission to convene, and if you follow the commission meetings much then you know that recently the commission has been almost exclusively spending its meeting time discussing the city’s General Plan and, one of Arcata’s hottest topics – the Gateway Area Plan. This week is no different, with the only item on the agenda being to “consider a recommendation to the City Council on the General Plan Updates.”
In case you aren’t up-to-date on the Gateway Area Plan, here’s a quick recap: With things like HSU becoming Cal Poly Humboldt and climate change making coastal Humboldt’s weather increasingly more attractive, Arcata’s population is expected to explode in the coming years. To accommodate that growth and to meet state housing requirements, city staff came up with the Gateway Area Plan – which will rezone about 138 acres of Arcata near downtown to allow for high-density housing and mixed-use developments. The city has been working on this plan for years and over the last several months the Planning Commission has been going over every detail of the General Plan, the Gateway Area Plan and the zoning code that will make these new developments possible.
During this week’s meeting the commission is slated to focus on its “bike rack” items – topics that have come up during recent discussions that the commission decided to table for later discussion (this is often referred to as a meeting “parking lot,” but is being called a “bike rack” to be more aligned with Arcata’s vibe.) Basically, the commission is going over any final topics that need to be discussed in preparation for its next meeting on July 11, when the commission is slated to make its recommendations to the Arcata City Council on the General Plan and Gateway Plan.
After the Planning Commission makes its recommendations, the council and commission will be holding multiple joint study sessions during the late summer and early fall, to go over all of the documents together. The Environmental Impact Report should be ready for review by late fall/ early winter and, if everything goes as planned, the city council should be ready to adopt the General Plan and Gateway Area Plan by spring, 2024.
Between now and then, city staff are still taking public feedback on the documents. You can provide feedback by attending the Planning Commission meeting, or other upcoming meetings, or by emailing comdev@cityofarcata.org.
The Arcata Planning Commission meets Tuesday, June 27 at 5:30 p.m. at Arcata City Hall – 736 F Street. You can view the full agenda and directions on how to participate here.
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PREVIOUSLY:
- ARCATA’S GATEWAY PLAN: City Releases Draft Plan For Developing Housing in the 138-Acre ‘Gateway Area’ of Town, and Wants Your Input
- Arcata City Council Approves Plan to Convert Valley West Hotels to Homeless Housing, Reviews ‘Gateway Area Plan’ to Create High-Density Housing in Town
- GUEST OPINION: Gateway Plan Does Housing the Right Way
- ARCATA’S GATEWAY PLAN: Planners Propose Converting K and L to One-Way Streets; Transportation and Safety Committee Will Review Plan This Evening
- Confused About Arcata’s Gateway Area Plan? There are Still Opportunities to Learn More and Provide Feedback About How You Want the City to Create More Housing
- Arcata Mayor Atkins-Salazar Can’t Participate in Gateway Plan Work, Says State’s Fair Political Practice Commission in Response to City’s Request for Guidance
- (UPDATE) Arcata’s Mayor Can’t Participate in the City-Defining Gateway Area Plan; These Two Current Candidates for City Council Probably Can’t Either, for the Same Reason
- HUMBOLDT HOLDING UP: Catching Up on the Arcata Gateway Plan With Senior Planner Delo Freitas
- Want to Learn More About Arcata’s Gateway Plan? City Holding Public Meeting on Wednesday to Answer Your Questions
- A Big Week for the Arcata Gateway Area Plan: Planning Commission, Historical Landmarks Committee to Look at the Area’s Past and Future
- A Big Public Meetings on Nordic Aquafarms and Arcata’s Gateway Area Plan Tonight
- ARCATA’S GATEWAY PLAN: Big Meetings Coming! Planning Commission to Consider New Public Engagement Approach Ahead of Big Study Session Later This Month
- TONIGHT at ARCATA CITY COUNCIL: Council to Review Request for ‘Gateway Plan Advisory Committee’, Receive Update on Wastewater Treatment Plant
- ‘Gateway Plan Advisory Committee’; Councilmembers Brett Watson and Alex Stillman Argue Over Stillman Not Recusing Herself From Gateway Meetings
- ARCATA’S GATEWAY AREA PLAN: Arcata City Council and Planning Commission Joint Study Session Tonight; Maximum Building Heights May be Set
- Big Gateway Study Session Produces Few Tangible Results
- What’s Next for Arcata’s Gateway Area Plan? Community Development Director Offers Clarification on Results of Recent Study Session
- TODAY in the GATEWAY PLAN: Arcata Planning Commission Will Discuss Plan’s Potential ‘Community Benefits’ During Special Meeting
- NEXT UP in the GATEWAY AREA PLAN: Arcata Planning Commission to Discuss Building Designs and Bird Safety at Upcoming Study Session
- GATEWAY AREA PLAN: Arcata Will Host Online Public Workshop Thursday Evening to Gather Your Design Input
- GATEWAY AREA PLAN: Fearing that the Community is Growing Restless, Arcata City Council Discusses Ways to Boost Public Engagement
- Arcata Planning Commission Keeps Proposal to Make K and L Into One-Way Streets on the Table, Looks at Other Short-Term Options to Improve K Street
- NEXT UP in the GATEWAY AREA PLAN: Arcata Planning Commission to Review Draft of the City’s New Form-Based Code that Will Guide New Development in the Gateway