###

Eurekans with a propensity for urban planning gathered at Eureka City Hall on Monday night for a town hall discussion on proposed design standards for infill housing and new developments. By setting comprehensive guidelines for new developments, the city aims to streamline its design review process while maintaining and protecting the character of Eureka.

Imagine there’s a mid-rise apartment complex planned for your neighborhood, which is full of Victorian-era and Craftsman-style architecture. A big, boxy building would stick out like a sore thumb among the pitched roofs, ornate eaves and turrets, right? The proposed standards would require architects and developers to take those design elements into account when drawing up new plans.

“The idea, here, is that we’re going to come up with a really good, comprehensive list of specific rules for developers to follow, so that when they go to their architect and say, ‘We want to do this on this piece of property!’ they already know what it is that we are after as a community,” Councilmember Kati Moulton said at last night’s meeting. “That’s why you’re here.”

The city’s design standards haven’t really changed since the city council approved a zoning code update in 2019, which better aligned the code with the city’s 2040 General Plan. 

To illustrate the before and after of the 2019 update, Ben Noble, a Bay Area-based urban and regional planning consultant, presented “The Tale of Two Starbucks.”

“These two projects were constructed around the same time, [but] they look very different,” Noble said, referring to the image above. “The Starbucks on the left was proposed before the city had established the new design standards in the zoning code, and the Starbucks to the right was proposed after those design standards were established, and therefore needed to comply with them.”

“I think the building on the right is a superior design for a variety of reasons,” he continued. “There’s more articulation [and] there’s a presence on the street. There’s an entry that faces and connects with the sidewalk. It’s definitely more pedestrian-friendly than the example on the left, which is largely just a blank wall that faces the street.”

Design standards go beyond architectural design, Noble said. Other important elements of design include building placement, parking location, building massing, entries, façade and roof design.

“It’s very important to understand and identify what these design features are that contribute positively to neighborhood character,” he said. “Once we’ve identified those features, then we can make sure that the design standards that are in the zoning code require new development to incorporate these design features, to maintain and enhance the positive design character of neighborhoods. That’s our guiding principle for how we’re proceeding with this work.”

Throughout the meeting, attendees were asked to answer questions about design priorities and local housing needs. The word cloud below features some of their top responses.

During the Q&A section of the meeting, an attendee raised concerns that the new design standards would hinder housing development due to increased costs.

Development Services Director Cristin Kenyon offered reassurance that “this is something that all California cities and counties are going through right now,” noting that there will be increased analysis of objective design to see how it affects cost down the line.

“The concern with objective standards is [whether] we are being overly burdensome,” Kenyon said. “Something that we want to pay attention to and think about — as with any new regulations — is the unintended consequences of that. … That’s also why we want to have this Zoom [meeting] next week with design professionals to hear from them about which of these design standards might be burdensome and affect their bottom line.”

Moulton added that proposed standards will help developers “know exactly what we want them to do ahead of time” to avoid a “back-and-forth kind of process.”

“Developers who are coming in to build housing are selling it,” she continued. “They’re building something, and they’re either going to turn around and sell it, or they’re going to manage that property. In either case, they want it to be appealing to the community it’s in. So, we’re doing them a favor by doing some of that market research for them and giving them clear, data-driven information about what Eureka likes and what Eureka doesn’t like.”

Other attendees underscored the importance of preserving green space and encouraged the city to repurpose and revamp properties that have “lost their primary economic value,” like the Bayshore Mall and Eureka Mall. 

Twice during the meeting, Eureka resident Daniel Smith criticized staff for prioritizing design standards over what he said was the city’s “$13.5 million debt,” though his source for the claim was not immediately clear. 

Fifth Ward city council candidate Daniel Smith speaking at last night’s town hall. | Screenshot. 

“[The city is] $13.5 million in debt, and what we’re doing right now is worrying about how to design our houses? You guys have to be kidding me!” Smith shouted. “$13.5 million in debt here in Eureka, and we’re sitting here doing this? What is wrong with everybody?!”

“Daniel Smith is running for Fifth Ward for city council,” Moulton explained to the audience.

“And I’m here to save money,” Smith said, apparently taking Moulton’s introduction as an opportunity to let his stance be known to prospective voters. “I’m here to save taxes – taxpayer money. To reinvest in the community. It’s not about ‘Oh my gosh, let’s try and change what it looks like’ — whatever, man! Are you serious?”

Someone in the audience asked if he had a question, to which Smith replied that he was “making a point,” and handed the microphone back to Moulton.

Following the Q&A, staff provided a tentative timeline for the new guidelines. If everything goes according to plan, the Eureka Planning Commission will review the draft standards at its Jan. 14 meeting, with a subsequent hearing scheduled for Feb. 11. The city council will hold a public hearing on March 17.