Please come to our general meeting at 6 PM Thursday Feb. 24 on Zoom. We will hear Arcata Planning staff member Delo Freitas address your questions and other questions that have been raised about the proposed Arcata Gateway Project.
350 Humboldt Steering Committee
Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84370554552?pwd=V2phMDBOUlNiS3hLL1BQSHNIVDFTQT09
AGENDA: GENERAL MEETING February 24s
Facilitator: Laura Simpson
Notes and Chat Monitor: Dan Chandler
Present:
1) Land Acknowledgement: Diane Ryerson
“350 Humboldt would like to acknowledge that where we live and hold our meetings in Humboldt County is on unceded territory and the ancestral homeland of indigenous nations which include Tolowa, Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Wailaki, Wiyot, and Yurok.
We thank indigenous nations who have been caretakers of the land. Additionally, we recognize that the well-being of all people is bound up with that of indigenous peoples, and we must all take action on the climate.”
This month we want to support the Wet’suwet’en People who are opposing a Canadian pipeline over their land. After setting up their Gidimt’en Checkpoint blockade, the Wet’suwet’en People have been subject to violent raids by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, including the use of sniper rifles and police dogs. 30 people have been arrested, including two elders. Notably, this pipeline crosses unceded lands under the care of Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs for time immemorial. Their consent has not been given, and their title to the land has been upheld by Canada’s Supreme Court.
Please read our blog and then take action by emailing the United Nations. Demand its intervention to end the Coastal GasLink pipeline and violent human rights abuses against Wet’suwet’en land defenders right now.
https://click.everyaction.com/k/41011051/326950611/-2099217619?
Poem: In honor of Black History Month we play a video of Maya Angelou: “Still I Rise”
https://youtu.be/qviM_GnJbOM
2) Check in: Introduce yourself and say a few words about your favorite thing about Arcata
3) Main discussion: The Arcata Gateway Project. Summary of the project with emphasis on climate-related aspects by Delo Freitas, from the Arcata City Planning Department. Questions/answers and discussion to follow.
You might want to check-out this Gateway FAQ: https://www.cityofarcata.org/964/Frequently-Asked-Questions
Please suggest other topics for discussion at our general meetings: Send to [email protected]
5. Committee reports
· CAP/local – Deborah Dukes and Diane Ryerson
· Book club – Deborah Monday, Feb. 28, we’ll discuss Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest, by Suzanne Simard. You can join the discussion without reading the book. Here is Suzanne’s TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDehr7JpyP8
· Legislative – Dan
· Offshore wind – Mary
· Art committee – Katy
· Climate fair committee — Katy
6. Announcements and general feedback
· We would like to have someone handle publicity for our group. Volunteers?
· Laura: Climate Action Now app. What it is, how we can participate.
****************From the Arcata Planning Department*************************
We have heard a lot of people wondering what will be done with the comments and questions received through public engagement on the Gateway Area Plan. Questions such as “Why hasn’t the Plan changed? How is my input being used? Is the Planning Commission and City Council going to receive the information I’ve given to staff?” are all very good ones, and we hope to address them in this notice. Updates to Frequently Asked Questions can be found at https://www.cityofarcata.org/964/Frequently-Asked-Questions.
First, “Why hasn’t the plan changed? I gave input weeks ago. Many of my friends and neighbors feel the same way I do. But the plan hasn’t been updated.” To answer that question, we want to explain that we are holding many engagements between December 2021, when the plan was released, and spring/early summer 2022. We are gathering input from a wide variety of people in our community. Some think we haven’t gone far enough in terms of housing creation. Others feel like the height of buildings and/or level of density proposed is just too much for Arcata. We will compile all of this information and provide it to Council with a recommendation on what parts of the plan should be modified. The current version of the Gateway Plan is a draft, and your voice counts. Please be patient as we work through this months-long process to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate.
It is not too late to participate. You can send us your thoughts and/or questions via email or letter mail. You can attend an upcoming public engagement event, or a Committee, Commission, or Council meeting. You can submit comments in writing directly to your decision makers. Or, you can tell the decision makers what you think directly at one of their meetings. Sign up for eNotifications and watch the “How do I get involved?” tab on our SIRP page for more information: https://www.cityofarcata.org/896/Strategic-Infill-Redevelopment-Program.
OK, but “How is my input going to be used? We’ve spent a lot of time telling you what we think. Is the Planning Commission and City Council going to receive the information we provided you?” Staff is compiling the input received and preparing an engagement report for the Planning Commission and City Council. Your input is important. We, as a community, need to help guide the Plan. The report will describe the diversity of opinions received. This report will be paired with a staff recommendation for proposed modifications to the draft. Ultimately, the Council will direct which modifications are made.
This process will take time. Part of our role as City staff in this effort is to ensure that we are hearing from as many different sectors of Arcata as we possibly can. It is the responsibility of staff to present a comprehensive picture of the community’s perspectives in the report—taking into account the inequities that may lead some voices to be heard louder. For example, attending a public meeting may be more difficult for those Arcatans working nights, or currently seeking housing. Our Community Development staff intend to provide various venues for feedback to accommodate all community members. This engagement is hard work, and it takes time. Our investment in this work will show returns in the form of a well-vetted Plan.
Furthermore, our commitment to meeting people where they are located has resulted in innovative approaches to getting the word out and taking input in. For example, we are offering “We’ll Come to You” meetings. If you are part of group that is interested in engaging with staff on the Plan, please reach out. We would be grateful for the opportunity to meet with your group. To date, we have met with local non-profits, neighborhood groups, Rotary clubs, business interest groups, environmental groups, and healthcare groups…to name a few.
Another method for providing feedback is our “meeting in a box” concept. We have materials that you can use to hold your own meeting, independent of City staff. You work through the materials, compile the feedback, then return the box to us. These meetings can be both fun and simple! Let us know if you would like to facilitate a meeting in a box and we will orient you to its use.
We want to close by thanking you for all of the energy that you are dedicating to this important piece of policy. We realize that each of you are donating your free time to work on this with us. This dedication shows how important this is to you. We don’t take that lightly. In fact, we appreciate you and your commitment.
RESOURCES:
- Gateway Area Plan Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.cityofarcata.org/964/Frequently-Asked-Questions
- Strategic Infill Redevelopment Program webpage: https://www.cityofarcata.org/896/Strategic-Infill-Redevelopment-Program
- “Long-Range Planning & Community Visioning” eNotification Signup: http://arcataca.iqm2.com/Citizens/default.aspx