A notice for the civic-minded: The Arcata City Council is meeting twice next week, and both meetings are on the same day. One might even be worth going to, if you’re interested in shaping the city’s approach towards future housing development.

The first: On October 28, at 4:30 p.m., the council will meet to extend its data center moratorium. Last month, the council voted to stop processing applications from data center developers for 45 days — mostly a symbolic gesture, because no one’s applied to build one (although one company is interested).

State law allows for a 10 month and 15 day-extension of the moratorium, provided four out of the five councilmembers vote “yes,” and, plus a few other minor provisos, that “a current and immediate threat to public health, safety, or welfare, and that the approval of additional use permits, building permits, subdivisions, variances, or other entitlements for data center development would result in that threat.” The gargantuan amount of water and power some data centers consume constitute that threat, the council has asserted, and enacting a moratorium is a wise move to give them time to figure out how to protect Arcata’s public utility infrastructure from being overloaded if someone builds one.

The city is using the moratorium to weigh what kinds of data centers developers can be allowed to construct in Arcata, if any at all. If they can’t decide by September 15, 2027, when the extension will expire, state law allows for one more year-long increase before the moratorium ends permanently.

The other meeting: An hour later, at 5:30, the council will join up again at the D Street Neighborhood Center for a public workshop/joint study session with the Arcata Planning Commission. They’ll be discussing the 7th Cycle Housing Element, the complicated process of determining how much housing — for what income group — needs to be allowed to be built, and where it should all end up.

Arcata needs to zone for 1,042 new units of housing this eight-year cycle, and the public is invited to offer its input. Food and a kid’s zone will be provided.

A press release from the city about the event:

Fair housing is about planning for inclusive neighborhoods filled with opportunity and helping all residents have choice in where they live. Workshop attendees can learn more about fair housing, explore new requirements in the Housing Element and share feedback on housing needs and access to opportunity in Arcata.

Meeting goals are to:

• Better understand the policy context and history of fair housing
• Explore the new emphasis on fair housing in the Seventh Cycle Housing Element and what specific requirements are included
• Apply fair housing concepts to a local context, including adding more nuance on what “access to opportunity” means in the Arcata community

Community Development staff will be present at the meeting to document community feedback to include in the City’s 2027-2035 Housing Element. Getting input from residents, service providers and developers regarding their lived experiences is essential to helping the City draft policies, programs and actions that address the needs of the community and share what makes Arcata unique with the State.

Meeting the housing needs of Arcata residents as well as the City’s share of regional housing needs remains an important goal for the City of Arcata. The City is committed to expanding housing opportunities in a manner that supports affordability, equity and neighborhood quality for all residents in the community. This is a priority as the population of the state continues to grow and resource constraints continue to place pressure on local communities.

In recognition of the critical role housing plays in community well-being, the State of California has required every jurisdiction to adopt a Housing Element as part of its General Plan since 1969.

The workshop will take place Wednesday, Oct. 28 at the D Street Neighborhood Center, 1301 D St. in Arcata, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Food and a kid’s zone will be provided.

Visit the City’s Housing Element webpage at cityofarcata.org/1176/Housing-Element-2027-2035 to learn more.