Terrible interview, given all the controversy and the questions that should be asked of Mark Lovelace. This is a typical puff piece interview, that you can expect to see of all the candidates. No tough questions, no examination of the issues, no challenges. A big disappointment.
Candidate seeks balance between growth, quality of life
By CERENA JOHNSON, The Eureka Reporter
Published: Mar 25 2008, 10:46 PM
Third District Supervisor candidate Mark Lovelace said he is focused on balancing a need for economic development and growth with quality of life.
Lovelace, who has lived in the area for 20 years, is president of the Humboldt Watershed Council and is involved with the Healthy Humboldt Coalition, a cooperative effort through the council geared at protecting the environment and strengthening the local economy through the Humboldt County General Plan.
Lovelace has also served with various community organizations, including Citizens for Real Economic Growth, and established a consulting business working with small manufacturers, and has worked on property issues, affordable housing, alternative transportation and land use issues.
Lovelace also notes work in 2000 on the Sunny Brae forest project, through which 175 acres were added to the city of Arcata’s community forest management plan.
Lovelace said his public and private sector involvement will help him to recognize the connection between all of the different projects facing the county.
In confronting challenges that lie ahead, Lovelace said a dialogue about the future of Humboldt County and what it should look like is necessary.
“People live here for the quality of life,” he said, including scenic beauty and a natural environment. “We need to build upon that.”
Lovelace said in focusing on economic development, it is important to look at growing businesses locally that are also able to compete outside of the community, providing good paying jobs and utilizing local talent.
“There are some amazing young people coming out of this area,” he said.
He described the third district as a “magnet” for innovative businesses.
Having worked in manufacturing and being Web based, Lovelace also stressed the area’s need for infrastructure.
“As supervisor, I would want to work with those kinds of businesses and see that they have the tools they need,” he said.
The Third District stretches from Arcata and Manila to Freshwater and Kneeland.
Lovelace is running against Arcata City Councilmember Paul Pitino and Bryan Plumley, a financial adviser.
Showing posts with label "Healthy Humboldt BS". Show all posts
Showing posts with label "Healthy Humboldt BS". Show all posts
3.26.2008
A new face for the 3rd District
A new face for the 3rd District
Jessie Faulkner Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/12/2008 01:25:56 AM PDT
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors race is on, with three of the five seats up for election, starting with the June primary.
The top vote-getters in races with more than two candidates will vie for the seats in November unless one hopeful receives more than 50 percent of the vote.
With 3rd District Supervisor John Woolley's recent announcement that he will not be seeking another term, the field is wide open -- and it remains so. Potential representatives have until the close of business today to file.
So far, three candidates are running: Humboldt Watershed Council President Mark Lovelace, Arcata City Councilman Paul Pitino and Environmental Systems Engineer Mike Wilson.
Second District incumbent Roger Rodoni faces former KMUD news director Estelle Fennell and Clendenen's Cider Works owner Clif Clendenen while 1st District Supervisor Jimmy Smith faces Ferndale dairyman John Vevoda.
This is the third story in a three-part series. Today's focus is on the 3rd District.
Mark Lovelace
Mark Lovelace said he debated whether he would be more effective at the podium or at the dais before deciding to run for the 3rd District supervisor.
After moving to the area in 1989, Lovelace said his activism began with an effort to establish the Sunny Brae Forest in 2000 -- an undertaking that resulted in adding 175 acres to the Arcata Community Forest -- and meant more than 2,000 hours of volunteer time.
The Humboldt Watershed
Advertisement
Council was next and has been his employer from 2003 to present. Most recently, he has focused on Healthy Humboldt -- a project of the watershed council that has brought together a coalition of agencies to advocate for the protection of working land and open space in the county's ongoing general plan update.
Citing his professional accomplishments, Lovelace points to his efforts with the Sunny Brae forest. His mother, he said, is particularly proud of his selection as the Arcata Eye's 2002 Citizen of the Year.
Lovelace suggested an alternative approach to the much-needed economic development on the North Coast.
”We're approaching economic development as if our only strategy is a 'Hail Mary' pass,” he said. “We tend to focus on the idea that we need a large employer bringing in 300 jobs.”
Instead, the area is rich in small businesses doing great things. A preferable approach is to encourage establishment of those smaller enterprises, Lovelace said.
Lovelace also stressed the importance of looking at the whole picture -- instead of compartmentalizing issues.
As to skills, other than his interest and attention to the county issues, is a calmness and clarity in how he works.
”I really don't like making any kind of decision if I don't have my knowledge base,” Lovelace said.
That knowledge base, he said, comes not only from a dedication to doing his homework to listening to many constituents.
The truth is usually not at the extremes, Lovelace said, it's likely to be in the middle. The key is to the ability to be patient and discuss issues, particularly the divisive ones.
The biggest issue facing the 3rd District and all of Humboldt County, Lovelace said, is determining what we want the area to look like.
”We've done a good job on what we don't want,” Lovelace said. “We need to be equally clear on what we do want to see.”
With the 10 fastest growing counties in the state being rural counties -- not unlike Humboldt County -- there's the possibility of being overwhelmed, he said. The solution is being proactive.
Lovelace, a resident of Sunny Brae, has been married to Valorie for 15 years. They have a 14-year-old daughter, Abbey.
Paul Pitino
Arcata City Councilman Paul Pitino, an Arcata resident since 1993 and the father of three grown sons, has held a number of careers over the years from teaching children Spanish to designing control centers for high-rise buildings.
He's also made money as a millwright, factory worker, deli worker and currently works as a landscaper. His interest in politics may have started as a small child when he helped his father, the president of the postal union, hand out fliers.
As an adult, Pitino sampled the political waters while living in Ukiah and was a member of the city of Ukiah's solar access committee. He also worked on Dan Hamburg's anti-recall committee, when opponents tried to oust the former Mendocino County supervisor. Later on, after moving to the North Coast, Pitino was one of four people spearheading opposition to a 900-unit subdivision in the Arcata Bottom. He worked on another council candidate's campaign followed by his own successful effort to join elected body in 2004.
One of the accomplishments as a council member, he said, is bringing a balance to Arcata City Council in the form of a working class, lower-income perspective.
Pitino also said he tends to be a personable, approachable person with a good rapport with others of all economic classes from the homeless to business owners.
The candidate is opposed to campaign advertisements and endorsements. He is, however, spending a fair amount of time knocking on doors and talking with district residents.
Winning is a byproduct, what's really, really important is how you run the campaign, he said.
If that effort is successful, Pitino said one of his goals is to work to make the county a kinder, friendlier place -- in part by modeling such behavior whether it's opening doors for others, saying “hi” or picking up trash.
He's also adamant about improving public bus service -- specifically offering such service on Sundays. Doing that and improving the service overall, Pitino said, would be a shot in the arm for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid and, by association, everyone. It's an area in which Pitino said he has developed some familiarity with as the city of Arcata's representative to the Humboldt Transit Authority board of directors.
The ongoing issue of homelessness remains a challenge for the 3rd District, he said. Pitino said he's been studying how Portland, Ore. and Ukiah work with their homeless populations.
”If we can make life a little less of a hassle for the economic bottom part of society, it's good for everybody,” he said.
Mike Wilson
A native of southern Humboldt County, Mike Wilson has been a resident of Arcata since 1984 with a temporary move to San Francisco a few years later to finish his bachelor's degree in engineering at San Francisco State University. Following graduation, he worked for Bay Area-based international engineering firms before moving back to the North Coast to earn his master's degree in environmental systems engineering from Humboldt State University. That led to establishment of Wilson and his wife Laura's business, Humboldt Water Resources, an engineering consulting firm based in Arcata. Among their projects was United Indian Health Service's Potawot Village. Wilson also works part-time managing marketing for Carlson Wireless.
In the political realm, he's represented the 3rd District on the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District for slightly more than two years.
Wilson is currently the vice president of the Friends of the Dunes board of directors and serves on the building committee for the organization's new nature center.
”I'm very excited about that,” he said.
As the 3rd District supervisor, Wilson said he would bring a fresh perspective -- adopting a practical approach to government. Part of that approach is bringing Humboldt County into the 21st Century in terms of infrastructure and, in particular, Internet redundancy. For the short term, he said, the preference is a microwave link while working to establish a second fiber optic link.
Wilson said he also wants to focus on connecting the area's existing skilled workforce to available employment. Humboldt State University is working in that direction, he said, and the county should support that effort.
As a parent of two young daughters, 1 and 7, Wilson said he is intimately aware of the importance of services to support families whether it's childcare or health insurance. The Board of Supervisors, he said, is responsible for making sure county programs and workers have the tools needed to deliver services.
Improving public transportation, focusing on affordable housing and getting the county general plan update done are all priorities, Wilson said. He also said it's important for the county to look into wind and wave energy opportunities as well as expanding solar programs.
Wilson said he was prompted to run for the 3rd District seat, in part, because of a positive experience as a representative on the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District. He said he's looking forward to putting his public service skill set and his professional skills to work for the district. He also noted his abilities as a problem-solver, and an understanding of small business concerns.
”With some fresh ideas and perspectives, there's a lot that can be moved forward,” he said.
Wilson said advocates for the establishing a regional trail system -- a benefit not only for current North Coast residents, but a powerful lure for those considering moving to the area.
”I believe the 3rd District can be the backbone of that system,” he said, with trails to Eureka, Blue Lake and out to the beach.
”It's going to take strong county support to make that happen,” Wilson said.
But, he said that won't be the limit of his efforts: Daycare needs, affordable housing, the general plan, the impacts of development in Arcata's sphere of influence will all get his attention if he's elected.
At a glance: The 3rd District: The 3rd District includes Arcata and Manila but also stretches inland to the Kneeland area and south -- roughly to a line running east from Fortuna.
Jessie Faulkner can be reached at 441-0517 or jfaulkner@times-standard.com.
Jessie Faulkner Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/12/2008 01:25:56 AM PDT
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors race is on, with three of the five seats up for election, starting with the June primary.
The top vote-getters in races with more than two candidates will vie for the seats in November unless one hopeful receives more than 50 percent of the vote.
With 3rd District Supervisor John Woolley's recent announcement that he will not be seeking another term, the field is wide open -- and it remains so. Potential representatives have until the close of business today to file.
So far, three candidates are running: Humboldt Watershed Council President Mark Lovelace, Arcata City Councilman Paul Pitino and Environmental Systems Engineer Mike Wilson.
Second District incumbent Roger Rodoni faces former KMUD news director Estelle Fennell and Clendenen's Cider Works owner Clif Clendenen while 1st District Supervisor Jimmy Smith faces Ferndale dairyman John Vevoda.
This is the third story in a three-part series. Today's focus is on the 3rd District.
Mark Lovelace
Mark Lovelace said he debated whether he would be more effective at the podium or at the dais before deciding to run for the 3rd District supervisor.
After moving to the area in 1989, Lovelace said his activism began with an effort to establish the Sunny Brae Forest in 2000 -- an undertaking that resulted in adding 175 acres to the Arcata Community Forest -- and meant more than 2,000 hours of volunteer time.
The Humboldt Watershed
Advertisement
Council was next and has been his employer from 2003 to present. Most recently, he has focused on Healthy Humboldt -- a project of the watershed council that has brought together a coalition of agencies to advocate for the protection of working land and open space in the county's ongoing general plan update.
Citing his professional accomplishments, Lovelace points to his efforts with the Sunny Brae forest. His mother, he said, is particularly proud of his selection as the Arcata Eye's 2002 Citizen of the Year.
Lovelace suggested an alternative approach to the much-needed economic development on the North Coast.
”We're approaching economic development as if our only strategy is a 'Hail Mary' pass,” he said. “We tend to focus on the idea that we need a large employer bringing in 300 jobs.”
Instead, the area is rich in small businesses doing great things. A preferable approach is to encourage establishment of those smaller enterprises, Lovelace said.
Lovelace also stressed the importance of looking at the whole picture -- instead of compartmentalizing issues.
As to skills, other than his interest and attention to the county issues, is a calmness and clarity in how he works.
”I really don't like making any kind of decision if I don't have my knowledge base,” Lovelace said.
That knowledge base, he said, comes not only from a dedication to doing his homework to listening to many constituents.
The truth is usually not at the extremes, Lovelace said, it's likely to be in the middle. The key is to the ability to be patient and discuss issues, particularly the divisive ones.
The biggest issue facing the 3rd District and all of Humboldt County, Lovelace said, is determining what we want the area to look like.
”We've done a good job on what we don't want,” Lovelace said. “We need to be equally clear on what we do want to see.”
With the 10 fastest growing counties in the state being rural counties -- not unlike Humboldt County -- there's the possibility of being overwhelmed, he said. The solution is being proactive.
Lovelace, a resident of Sunny Brae, has been married to Valorie for 15 years. They have a 14-year-old daughter, Abbey.
Paul Pitino
Arcata City Councilman Paul Pitino, an Arcata resident since 1993 and the father of three grown sons, has held a number of careers over the years from teaching children Spanish to designing control centers for high-rise buildings.
He's also made money as a millwright, factory worker, deli worker and currently works as a landscaper. His interest in politics may have started as a small child when he helped his father, the president of the postal union, hand out fliers.
As an adult, Pitino sampled the political waters while living in Ukiah and was a member of the city of Ukiah's solar access committee. He also worked on Dan Hamburg's anti-recall committee, when opponents tried to oust the former Mendocino County supervisor. Later on, after moving to the North Coast, Pitino was one of four people spearheading opposition to a 900-unit subdivision in the Arcata Bottom. He worked on another council candidate's campaign followed by his own successful effort to join elected body in 2004.
One of the accomplishments as a council member, he said, is bringing a balance to Arcata City Council in the form of a working class, lower-income perspective.
Pitino also said he tends to be a personable, approachable person with a good rapport with others of all economic classes from the homeless to business owners.
The candidate is opposed to campaign advertisements and endorsements. He is, however, spending a fair amount of time knocking on doors and talking with district residents.
Winning is a byproduct, what's really, really important is how you run the campaign, he said.
If that effort is successful, Pitino said one of his goals is to work to make the county a kinder, friendlier place -- in part by modeling such behavior whether it's opening doors for others, saying “hi” or picking up trash.
He's also adamant about improving public bus service -- specifically offering such service on Sundays. Doing that and improving the service overall, Pitino said, would be a shot in the arm for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid and, by association, everyone. It's an area in which Pitino said he has developed some familiarity with as the city of Arcata's representative to the Humboldt Transit Authority board of directors.
The ongoing issue of homelessness remains a challenge for the 3rd District, he said. Pitino said he's been studying how Portland, Ore. and Ukiah work with their homeless populations.
”If we can make life a little less of a hassle for the economic bottom part of society, it's good for everybody,” he said.
Mike Wilson
A native of southern Humboldt County, Mike Wilson has been a resident of Arcata since 1984 with a temporary move to San Francisco a few years later to finish his bachelor's degree in engineering at San Francisco State University. Following graduation, he worked for Bay Area-based international engineering firms before moving back to the North Coast to earn his master's degree in environmental systems engineering from Humboldt State University. That led to establishment of Wilson and his wife Laura's business, Humboldt Water Resources, an engineering consulting firm based in Arcata. Among their projects was United Indian Health Service's Potawot Village. Wilson also works part-time managing marketing for Carlson Wireless.
In the political realm, he's represented the 3rd District on the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District for slightly more than two years.
Wilson is currently the vice president of the Friends of the Dunes board of directors and serves on the building committee for the organization's new nature center.
”I'm very excited about that,” he said.
As the 3rd District supervisor, Wilson said he would bring a fresh perspective -- adopting a practical approach to government. Part of that approach is bringing Humboldt County into the 21st Century in terms of infrastructure and, in particular, Internet redundancy. For the short term, he said, the preference is a microwave link while working to establish a second fiber optic link.
Wilson said he also wants to focus on connecting the area's existing skilled workforce to available employment. Humboldt State University is working in that direction, he said, and the county should support that effort.
As a parent of two young daughters, 1 and 7, Wilson said he is intimately aware of the importance of services to support families whether it's childcare or health insurance. The Board of Supervisors, he said, is responsible for making sure county programs and workers have the tools needed to deliver services.
Improving public transportation, focusing on affordable housing and getting the county general plan update done are all priorities, Wilson said. He also said it's important for the county to look into wind and wave energy opportunities as well as expanding solar programs.
Wilson said he was prompted to run for the 3rd District seat, in part, because of a positive experience as a representative on the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District. He said he's looking forward to putting his public service skill set and his professional skills to work for the district. He also noted his abilities as a problem-solver, and an understanding of small business concerns.
”With some fresh ideas and perspectives, there's a lot that can be moved forward,” he said.
Wilson said advocates for the establishing a regional trail system -- a benefit not only for current North Coast residents, but a powerful lure for those considering moving to the area.
”I believe the 3rd District can be the backbone of that system,” he said, with trails to Eureka, Blue Lake and out to the beach.
”It's going to take strong county support to make that happen,” Wilson said.
But, he said that won't be the limit of his efforts: Daycare needs, affordable housing, the general plan, the impacts of development in Arcata's sphere of influence will all get his attention if he's elected.
At a glance: The 3rd District: The 3rd District includes Arcata and Manila but also stretches inland to the Kneeland area and south -- roughly to a line running east from Fortuna.
Jessie Faulkner can be reached at 441-0517 or jfaulkner@times-standard.com.
HHC to Planning
Page 1
The Healthy Humboldt Coalition
P.O. Box 1301,
Eureka CA 95502
707.822.1166
www.healthyhumboldt.org
mail@healthyhumboldt.org
May 10, 2007
Planning Commission
Community Development Department
3015 H Street
Eureka, CA 95503
Re:Chapter Group 4 PoliciesEconomic Development
Dear Commissioners and Staff,
We are writing to provide comments and specific recommendations regarding the recently releaseddraft policies for the Economic Development Element for the General Plan Update. While we aregenerally supportive of the direction established by the staff’s document, we do have some specificconcerns which we believe must be addressed to ensure the document’s consistency with otherelements and with the General Plan’s Guiding Principles, and to ensure the adequacy of theforthcoming EIR.The document lists draft policies for Alternative B, with occasional alternate policies for AlternativesA and C. There are a number of policies which are listed for Alternatives B and C which areexcluded for Alternative A. We understand that the purpose of this is to assure that eachalternative brings with it its own suite of policies. However, most of the omissions for Alternative Aappear to be arbitrary, and are inconsistent with the Guiding Principles for that alternative.The Staff’s document reads:“Plan Alternative A includes many of the components of Alternative B, but as anenvironmentally superior alternative, some wording and policy choices are presented thatare less robust toward economic development initiatives, particularly those that might behigh impact or growth inducing, such as road, rail, and airport expansions. Alternative Adoes not accommodate big box in the unincorporated area.”Staff’s presumption that a ‘robust’ economic development policy is somehow at odds with an‘environmentally superior’ General Plan is misleading and completely unsupported by any facts ordata. More to the point, this assertion is completely contradictory to the narrative in the staff’s owndocument.The policy document identifies nine base industry clusters, none of which are in any way at oddswith the focused-growth approach of Alternative A. In truth many, if not all, of these industrieswould likely benefit from the increased protections for resource lands, scenic beauty and quality oflife presented in Alternative A, making it quite likely the best and most robust alternative foreconomic development. Our comments in this letter are primarily an attempt to remedy thatinconsistency, so as to ensure that the policies ascribed to each alternative are consistent with thatalternative’s goals.There are numerous policy choices which are omitted from A for no apparent reason. Some ofthese omissions create the false impression that something in the nature of Alternative A wouldsomehow be at odds with the desire to create a strong and stable economy. We have providedour own recommendations below and in the attached table.
Page 2
The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org The version of policy ED-G1 which is listed for Alternatives B and C reads:ED-G1. Stable Economy. To enhance and maintain a diverse, stable, and growing localeconomy with an emphasis on base and emerging industries, innovation,entrepreneurship, and global competition.The version listed for Alternative A reads:ED-G1. Stable Economy. To maintain a diverse, stable local economy with an emphasison strengthening existing local industries.Again, this gives the false and unsupported impression that Alternative A would not fostereconomic growth, and would not support emerging industries, innovation, entrepreneurship orglobal competition. The reasoning for this is not given. We ask that staff reference the recent“Targets of Opportunity” report, which clearly shows the high premium placed on open space,environment, and quality of life by those business which are thriving locally. An accurate goal forAlternative A should include all of the goals listed in ED-G1, plus the reference to “strengtheningexisting local industries.”It is equally inconsistent to include Alternative C in policy goal ED-G1. As a ‘free-market’ approachto our future, the County should not be making any judgements about what kind of economicgrowth it will be supporting, and should allow the County’s economic fortunes to rise or fall uponthe whims of the market. There should be no presumption that a less-controlled market will be agood thing for us in Humboldt County.Goal ED-G4 is also improperly omitted from Alternative A, and equally improperly listed forAlternative C. If government is to ‘get out of the way’ of industry, then it should be making nopresumption as to the type of workers that will be needed by industry in the future, nor should ithave any obligation to provide for those industries.ED-G5 falsely assumes that clarity and specificity regarding land use is somehow at odds withtimely and efficient processing of permits. If anything, such clarity should make permittingsmoother. On the other hand, the lack of specificity in Alternative C should be assumed to be arecipe for permitting gridlock when it comes to implementation. G5 should apply to A, and not C.Alternative A should also be assumed to have the most efficient and best planned infrastructure fortransportation and wastewater, where C will be unplanned and inefficient. Thus, G6 should alsoapply to A and not C.We have provided these corrections in the attached table, shown in markup.Sincerely,Mark LovelaceHealthy Humboldt Coalition
Page 3
The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart PlanAlternativeGoalsStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M B CED-G1. Stable Economy. To enhance and maintaina diverse, stable, and growing local economy with anemphasis on base and emerging industries, innovation,entrepreneurship, and global competition.See alternativewording belowAED-G1. Stable Economy. To enhance and maintain a diverse, stable, and growing local economy with anemphasis on base and emerging industries, innovation,entrepreneurship, global competition maintain adiverse, stable local economy with an emphasis on and strengthening existing local industries.Plan A alternativewording CED-G1. Que Sera Sera. Whatever happens happens,and we will live with it. A B CED-G2. Broadband Internet. To establish a reliablebroadband internet infrastructure that distributes achoice of economically accessible broadband servicesinto our most rural communities, and is not vulnerableto disruption. Integrate broadband service capabilityinto new buildings and developments. Providebroadband access in remote or rural communities.A BED-G3. Quality of Life. To attract and retain youngtalent by developing vibrant town centers thatincorporate a mix of employment, housing, and retailuses as well as access to child care, transportation, andcultural and natural amenities. A B C ED-G4. Skilled and Ready Workforce. To foster alocal workforce that is prepared to succeed in theindustries growing in Humboldt County, which valuesearly education, vocational training, and lifelonglearning. A B C ED-G5. Streamlining. To implement permitting andlicensing processes that are more responsive to theneeds and timelines of the marketplace, particularly formicroenterprises and home-based businesses. A B C ED-G6. Transportation Networks. To havetransportation facilities that allow freight mobility alongthe interstate highway system and provide connectivitybetween residential neighborhoods and employmentcenters.
Page 4
The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart A BED-G7. Public Water and Wastewater. To haveand maintain adequate public water and wastewaterfacilities to accommodate workforce housing andprovide opportunities for businesses to grow.A BED-G.8 Natural Resource Assets. To protectproductive agricultural, mineral resource, timber, andcoastal dependent lands.A BED-G9. Brownfields. To clean up and reusebrownfield sites.A BED-G10.Cooperation and Collaboration. To buildand maintain partnerships with cities, neighboringcounties, and the private sector that build and enhancecommon assets and resolve common obstacles.A BED-G11. Economic Development AssistancePrograms. To administer and support financial andtechnical assistance programs that support workers,businesses, and service providers.A BED- G12. Informed Public. To educate Countyresidents of economic trends, emerging markets,innovations and opportunities for entrepreneurshipthat benefit the region’s economic prosperity. C ED-G12. Public kept in the Dark. The public shallhave neither a role nor a voice in our economy. PlanAlternativeDevelopment PoliciesStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M A BED-P1. Prime Employment Land Protection.Identify and protect prime employment lands fromconversion and encroachment of conflicting uses.B CED-P2. Airport Expansion. Support expansion ofthe airport to include service to major airport hubs andexpanded flight schedules.A BED-P3. Broadband Internet. Promote the provisionof broadband infrastructure in all communities.A BED-P4. Workforce Housing. Promote thedevelopment of workforce housing and mixed-usehousing around multi-modal transportation options.A BED-P5. Child Care. Promote the provision of childcare facilities within business, commercial andindustrial centers and housing developments.
Page 5
The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart A BED-P6. Revitalization. Promote the revitalization ofunderutilized lands in communities in transition due tothe decline of resource-based industries.A BED-P7. Brownfields. Consider land use designationsfor brownfields to encourage cleanup and reuse.A BED-P8. Commercial and Industrial SitesDatabase. Maintain a commercial and industrial sitesdatabase and continue to improve accessibility toonline information on commercial and industrialproperty.AED-P9. Commercial Retail. Large format “big box”commercial uses shall not be located in theunincorporated area to avoid sprawl.Plan A alternativewordingBED-P9. Commercial Retail. Include standards fordiscretionary review of large format “big box”commercial uses to reduce their land use impact.Plan B alternativewordingCED-P9. Commercial Retail. Include standards fordiscretionary review of large format “big box”commercial uses.Plan C alternativewordingBED-P10. Industrial Parks. Where appropriate,promote development of well planned and designedindustrial parks catering to existing local, as well asoutside opportunities. Encourage masterenvironmental assessments for industrial parks in orderto streamline the subsequent development process.From FrameworkPlan AED-P10. Industrial Parks. Where appropriate,promote development of well planned and designedmultiple-use centers which include industrial,commercial, and residential development within acohesive, walkable area. PlanAlternativeInvestment PoliciesStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M A BED-P11. Financial Resources. Acquire anddistribute financial resources for workforce training,economic research, infrastructure, and businessdevelopment.B CED-P12. Freight Mobility. Pursue financial andtechnical solutions to provide reliable interstate truckaccess on both U.S. 101 and State Highway 299.
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The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart B CED-P13. Broadband Internet. Support thedevelopment and management of a redundant fiberoptic line that connects to the fiber backbone runningalong the U.S. 5 corridor. Support the expansion anddelivery of broadband Internet in the rural or remotecommunities in the county through all appropriatetechnologies.See alternativewording belowAED-P13. Broadband Internet. Support the expansionand delivery of broadband Internet in the rural orremote communities in the county through allappropriate technologies.Plan A alternativewordingA BED-P14. Workforce Housing. Encourage productionof housing at a price commensurate with income levels,and a transportation system to provide efficientconnectivity between housing and places ofemployment to maintain satisfactory commute traveltimes and distances.A BED-P15. Public Infrastructure. Pursue anddistribute funding and technical assistance to upgradeand enhance the water and wastewater facilities ofcommunities.A BED-P16. Brownfields. Pursue and distribute fundingand technical assistance to assess, clean up, and reusebrownfields.PlanAlternativePartnership PoliciesStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M A BED-P17. Job Growth. Collaborate with economicdevelopment entities in the region to promote jobgrowth, technical innovations, and entrepreneurship inbase and emerging industries.A BED-P18. Workforce. Work with the education andprivate sectors to promote education, vocationaltraining, professional development, and lifelonglearning.A BED-P19. Cities and Counties. Collaborate withcities and neighboring counties to identify andimplement regional economic initiatives that benefitbase and emerging industries.A BED-P20. Child Care. Foster private/publicpartnerships with child care service and informationproviders.
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The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart PlanAlternativeImplementation MeasuresStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M A BED-IM1. Ordinances. Update ordinances related toeconomic development for consistency with the uses ofbase and emerging industries.A BED-IM2. Commercial and Industrial SitesDatabase Mapping. Update the Commercial andIndustrial Sites Database on a two-year cycle andprovide online maps of vacant industrial andcommercial properties using the County’s GeographicInformation System.A BED-IM3. Broadband Deployment. Revisesubdivision regulations to provide infrastructure forbroadband internet.A BED-IM4. Programs. Support technical and financialassistance programs, including delivering capital,technical expertise, and training to businesses startingup and expanding.B CED-IM5. Streamlining. Provide regular review andimprovement of ordinances and permit processes toincrease efficiency and reduce permit processing timesfor strategic targets such as, but not limited to,microenterprises, home based-businesses, andworkforce housing.A BED-IM6. Child Care. Investigate and supportfinancing tools that leverage public and private fundingto increase the establishment, rehabilitation, expansion,and viability of child care facilities.A BED-IM7. Informed Public. Conduct and publiceconomic research relating to emerging markets,innovations, and opportunities in which the region mayhave competitive advantages.PlanAlternativeExisting Framework PlanStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M D 1. Promote economic development by coordination ofefforts with both local economic developmentorganizations and members of the private sector.Replaced by P16,P17. P18 and P19
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The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart D 2. Encourage a diverse range of commercial andindustrial development consistent with communitygoals and the level of services provided in each of thecities and communities.Replaced by G1, P1and P9D 3. Continue to provide for, through General Planamendments and zoning revisions as needed, anadequate supply of commercial and industrial land tomaximize opportunities for development.Replaced by P1, P7,P9, IM1, and IM2D 4. Prevent the loss of designated industrial lands toother uses requiring permanent facilities.Replaced by P1D 5. Ensure that industrial or commercial developmentwhich requires provision for public water, sewagedisposal, roads and other needed utilities and services isplaced in a suitable urbanized area.Replaced by P14D 6. Allow Resource Dependent Industrial uses outsideof urban areas when such uses are:• dependent upon close proximity to resourceproduction lands, and• not dependent on urban services.D 7. Where appropriate, promote development of wellplanned and designed industrial parks catering toexisting local, as well as outside opportunities.Encourage master environmental assessments forindustrial parks in order to streamline the subsequentdevelopment process.Included as P10D 8. Locate commercial development in appropriatecommunity centers that will assist and supplementexisting commercial activity.Replaced by P9D 9. Discourage strip commercial development, whereappropriate.D 10. Encourage the economic opportunities forproduction facilities that efficiently utilize all productsand by-products of forestry, fishery, or agriculturaluses.D 11. Maximize local energy opportunities from therenewable resources found in the County.D 12. Encourage innovative methods for pollutionreduction and waste product disposal and utilization.
The Healthy Humboldt Coalition
P.O. Box 1301,
Eureka CA 95502
707.822.1166
www.healthyhumboldt.org
mail@healthyhumboldt.org
May 10, 2007
Planning Commission
Community Development Department
3015 H Street
Eureka, CA 95503
Re:Chapter Group 4 PoliciesEconomic Development
Dear Commissioners and Staff,
We are writing to provide comments and specific recommendations regarding the recently releaseddraft policies for the Economic Development Element for the General Plan Update. While we aregenerally supportive of the direction established by the staff’s document, we do have some specificconcerns which we believe must be addressed to ensure the document’s consistency with otherelements and with the General Plan’s Guiding Principles, and to ensure the adequacy of theforthcoming EIR.The document lists draft policies for Alternative B, with occasional alternate policies for AlternativesA and C. There are a number of policies which are listed for Alternatives B and C which areexcluded for Alternative A. We understand that the purpose of this is to assure that eachalternative brings with it its own suite of policies. However, most of the omissions for Alternative Aappear to be arbitrary, and are inconsistent with the Guiding Principles for that alternative.The Staff’s document reads:“Plan Alternative A includes many of the components of Alternative B, but as anenvironmentally superior alternative, some wording and policy choices are presented thatare less robust toward economic development initiatives, particularly those that might behigh impact or growth inducing, such as road, rail, and airport expansions. Alternative Adoes not accommodate big box in the unincorporated area.”Staff’s presumption that a ‘robust’ economic development policy is somehow at odds with an‘environmentally superior’ General Plan is misleading and completely unsupported by any facts ordata. More to the point, this assertion is completely contradictory to the narrative in the staff’s owndocument.The policy document identifies nine base industry clusters, none of which are in any way at oddswith the focused-growth approach of Alternative A. In truth many, if not all, of these industrieswould likely benefit from the increased protections for resource lands, scenic beauty and quality oflife presented in Alternative A, making it quite likely the best and most robust alternative foreconomic development. Our comments in this letter are primarily an attempt to remedy thatinconsistency, so as to ensure that the policies ascribed to each alternative are consistent with thatalternative’s goals.There are numerous policy choices which are omitted from A for no apparent reason. Some ofthese omissions create the false impression that something in the nature of Alternative A wouldsomehow be at odds with the desire to create a strong and stable economy. We have providedour own recommendations below and in the attached table.
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The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org The version of policy ED-G1 which is listed for Alternatives B and C reads:ED-G1. Stable Economy. To enhance and maintain a diverse, stable, and growing localeconomy with an emphasis on base and emerging industries, innovation,entrepreneurship, and global competition.The version listed for Alternative A reads:ED-G1. Stable Economy. To maintain a diverse, stable local economy with an emphasison strengthening existing local industries.Again, this gives the false and unsupported impression that Alternative A would not fostereconomic growth, and would not support emerging industries, innovation, entrepreneurship orglobal competition. The reasoning for this is not given. We ask that staff reference the recent“Targets of Opportunity” report, which clearly shows the high premium placed on open space,environment, and quality of life by those business which are thriving locally. An accurate goal forAlternative A should include all of the goals listed in ED-G1, plus the reference to “strengtheningexisting local industries.”It is equally inconsistent to include Alternative C in policy goal ED-G1. As a ‘free-market’ approachto our future, the County should not be making any judgements about what kind of economicgrowth it will be supporting, and should allow the County’s economic fortunes to rise or fall uponthe whims of the market. There should be no presumption that a less-controlled market will be agood thing for us in Humboldt County.Goal ED-G4 is also improperly omitted from Alternative A, and equally improperly listed forAlternative C. If government is to ‘get out of the way’ of industry, then it should be making nopresumption as to the type of workers that will be needed by industry in the future, nor should ithave any obligation to provide for those industries.ED-G5 falsely assumes that clarity and specificity regarding land use is somehow at odds withtimely and efficient processing of permits. If anything, such clarity should make permittingsmoother. On the other hand, the lack of specificity in Alternative C should be assumed to be arecipe for permitting gridlock when it comes to implementation. G5 should apply to A, and not C.Alternative A should also be assumed to have the most efficient and best planned infrastructure fortransportation and wastewater, where C will be unplanned and inefficient. Thus, G6 should alsoapply to A and not C.We have provided these corrections in the attached table, shown in markup.Sincerely,Mark LovelaceHealthy Humboldt Coalition
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The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart PlanAlternativeGoalsStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M B CED-G1. Stable Economy. To enhance and maintaina diverse, stable, and growing local economy with anemphasis on base and emerging industries, innovation,entrepreneurship, and global competition.See alternativewording belowAED-G1. Stable Economy. To enhance and maintain a diverse, stable, and growing local economy with anemphasis on base and emerging industries, innovation,entrepreneurship, global competition maintain adiverse, stable local economy with an emphasis on and strengthening existing local industries.Plan A alternativewording CED-G1. Que Sera Sera. Whatever happens happens,and we will live with it. A B CED-G2. Broadband Internet. To establish a reliablebroadband internet infrastructure that distributes achoice of economically accessible broadband servicesinto our most rural communities, and is not vulnerableto disruption. Integrate broadband service capabilityinto new buildings and developments. Providebroadband access in remote or rural communities.A BED-G3. Quality of Life. To attract and retain youngtalent by developing vibrant town centers thatincorporate a mix of employment, housing, and retailuses as well as access to child care, transportation, andcultural and natural amenities. A B C ED-G4. Skilled and Ready Workforce. To foster alocal workforce that is prepared to succeed in theindustries growing in Humboldt County, which valuesearly education, vocational training, and lifelonglearning. A B C ED-G5. Streamlining. To implement permitting andlicensing processes that are more responsive to theneeds and timelines of the marketplace, particularly formicroenterprises and home-based businesses. A B C ED-G6. Transportation Networks. To havetransportation facilities that allow freight mobility alongthe interstate highway system and provide connectivitybetween residential neighborhoods and employmentcenters.
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The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart A BED-G7. Public Water and Wastewater. To haveand maintain adequate public water and wastewaterfacilities to accommodate workforce housing andprovide opportunities for businesses to grow.A BED-G.8 Natural Resource Assets. To protectproductive agricultural, mineral resource, timber, andcoastal dependent lands.A BED-G9. Brownfields. To clean up and reusebrownfield sites.A BED-G10.Cooperation and Collaboration. To buildand maintain partnerships with cities, neighboringcounties, and the private sector that build and enhancecommon assets and resolve common obstacles.A BED-G11. Economic Development AssistancePrograms. To administer and support financial andtechnical assistance programs that support workers,businesses, and service providers.A BED- G12. Informed Public. To educate Countyresidents of economic trends, emerging markets,innovations and opportunities for entrepreneurshipthat benefit the region’s economic prosperity. C ED-G12. Public kept in the Dark. The public shallhave neither a role nor a voice in our economy. PlanAlternativeDevelopment PoliciesStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M A BED-P1. Prime Employment Land Protection.Identify and protect prime employment lands fromconversion and encroachment of conflicting uses.B CED-P2. Airport Expansion. Support expansion ofthe airport to include service to major airport hubs andexpanded flight schedules.A BED-P3. Broadband Internet. Promote the provisionof broadband infrastructure in all communities.A BED-P4. Workforce Housing. Promote thedevelopment of workforce housing and mixed-usehousing around multi-modal transportation options.A BED-P5. Child Care. Promote the provision of childcare facilities within business, commercial andindustrial centers and housing developments.
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The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart A BED-P6. Revitalization. Promote the revitalization ofunderutilized lands in communities in transition due tothe decline of resource-based industries.A BED-P7. Brownfields. Consider land use designationsfor brownfields to encourage cleanup and reuse.A BED-P8. Commercial and Industrial SitesDatabase. Maintain a commercial and industrial sitesdatabase and continue to improve accessibility toonline information on commercial and industrialproperty.AED-P9. Commercial Retail. Large format “big box”commercial uses shall not be located in theunincorporated area to avoid sprawl.Plan A alternativewordingBED-P9. Commercial Retail. Include standards fordiscretionary review of large format “big box”commercial uses to reduce their land use impact.Plan B alternativewordingCED-P9. Commercial Retail. Include standards fordiscretionary review of large format “big box”commercial uses.Plan C alternativewordingBED-P10. Industrial Parks. Where appropriate,promote development of well planned and designedindustrial parks catering to existing local, as well asoutside opportunities. Encourage masterenvironmental assessments for industrial parks in orderto streamline the subsequent development process.From FrameworkPlan AED-P10. Industrial Parks. Where appropriate,promote development of well planned and designedmultiple-use centers which include industrial,commercial, and residential development within acohesive, walkable area. PlanAlternativeInvestment PoliciesStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M A BED-P11. Financial Resources. Acquire anddistribute financial resources for workforce training,economic research, infrastructure, and businessdevelopment.B CED-P12. Freight Mobility. Pursue financial andtechnical solutions to provide reliable interstate truckaccess on both U.S. 101 and State Highway 299.
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The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart B CED-P13. Broadband Internet. Support thedevelopment and management of a redundant fiberoptic line that connects to the fiber backbone runningalong the U.S. 5 corridor. Support the expansion anddelivery of broadband Internet in the rural or remotecommunities in the county through all appropriatetechnologies.See alternativewording belowAED-P13. Broadband Internet. Support the expansionand delivery of broadband Internet in the rural orremote communities in the county through allappropriate technologies.Plan A alternativewordingA BED-P14. Workforce Housing. Encourage productionof housing at a price commensurate with income levels,and a transportation system to provide efficientconnectivity between housing and places ofemployment to maintain satisfactory commute traveltimes and distances.A BED-P15. Public Infrastructure. Pursue anddistribute funding and technical assistance to upgradeand enhance the water and wastewater facilities ofcommunities.A BED-P16. Brownfields. Pursue and distribute fundingand technical assistance to assess, clean up, and reusebrownfields.PlanAlternativePartnership PoliciesStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M A BED-P17. Job Growth. Collaborate with economicdevelopment entities in the region to promote jobgrowth, technical innovations, and entrepreneurship inbase and emerging industries.A BED-P18. Workforce. Work with the education andprivate sectors to promote education, vocationaltraining, professional development, and lifelonglearning.A BED-P19. Cities and Counties. Collaborate withcities and neighboring counties to identify andimplement regional economic initiatives that benefitbase and emerging industries.A BED-P20. Child Care. Foster private/publicpartnerships with child care service and informationproviders.
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The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart PlanAlternativeImplementation MeasuresStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M A BED-IM1. Ordinances. Update ordinances related toeconomic development for consistency with the uses ofbase and emerging industries.A BED-IM2. Commercial and Industrial SitesDatabase Mapping. Update the Commercial andIndustrial Sites Database on a two-year cycle andprovide online maps of vacant industrial andcommercial properties using the County’s GeographicInformation System.A BED-IM3. Broadband Deployment. Revisesubdivision regulations to provide infrastructure forbroadband internet.A BED-IM4. Programs. Support technical and financialassistance programs, including delivering capital,technical expertise, and training to businesses startingup and expanding.B CED-IM5. Streamlining. Provide regular review andimprovement of ordinances and permit processes toincrease efficiency and reduce permit processing timesfor strategic targets such as, but not limited to,microenterprises, home based-businesses, andworkforce housing.A BED-IM6. Child Care. Investigate and supportfinancing tools that leverage public and private fundingto increase the establishment, rehabilitation, expansion,and viability of child care facilities.A BED-IM7. Informed Public. Conduct and publiceconomic research relating to emerging markets,innovations, and opportunities in which the region mayhave competitive advantages.PlanAlternativeExisting Framework PlanStaff Remarks Vote:R,D,M D 1. Promote economic development by coordination ofefforts with both local economic developmentorganizations and members of the private sector.Replaced by P16,P17. P18 and P19
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The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition The Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt CoalitionThe Healthy Humboldt Coalition P.O. Box 1301, Eureka CA 95502 707.822.1166www.healthyhumboldt.org mail@healthyhumboldt.org Table 11-1. Plan Alternatives Comparison Chart D 2. Encourage a diverse range of commercial andindustrial development consistent with communitygoals and the level of services provided in each of thecities and communities.Replaced by G1, P1and P9D 3. Continue to provide for, through General Planamendments and zoning revisions as needed, anadequate supply of commercial and industrial land tomaximize opportunities for development.Replaced by P1, P7,P9, IM1, and IM2D 4. Prevent the loss of designated industrial lands toother uses requiring permanent facilities.Replaced by P1D 5. Ensure that industrial or commercial developmentwhich requires provision for public water, sewagedisposal, roads and other needed utilities and services isplaced in a suitable urbanized area.Replaced by P14D 6. Allow Resource Dependent Industrial uses outsideof urban areas when such uses are:• dependent upon close proximity to resourceproduction lands, and• not dependent on urban services.D 7. Where appropriate, promote development of wellplanned and designed industrial parks catering toexisting local, as well as outside opportunities.Encourage master environmental assessments forindustrial parks in order to streamline the subsequentdevelopment process.Included as P10D 8. Locate commercial development in appropriatecommunity centers that will assist and supplementexisting commercial activity.Replaced by P9D 9. Discourage strip commercial development, whereappropriate.D 10. Encourage the economic opportunities forproduction facilities that efficiently utilize all productsand by-products of forestry, fishery, or agriculturaluses.D 11. Maximize local energy opportunities from therenewable resources found in the County.D 12. Encourage innovative methods for pollutionreduction and waste product disposal and utilization.
The Healthy Humboldt Coalition
To link to or bookmark this page, use the following url: http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:kISPSGZnK5oJ:co.humboldt.ca.us/planning/gp/PrelimHearingDraft/GeneralComments/1-22-07HealthyHumboldt.pdf+Mark+Lovelace,+Healthy+Humboldt&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us&client=safari
Page 1
The Healthy Humboldt Coalition
P.O. Box 1301,
Eureka CA 95502
707.822.1166
www.healthyhumboldt.org
mail@healthyhumboldt.org
January 22, 2007
All County Supervisors
825 5th Street
Eureka, CA 95502
Re: Request for 60-day review period for General Plan Update documents
Dear Supervisors and Staff,I am writing to request that your Community Development staff provide a 60-day public review period forthe draft chapters of the General Plan, EIR, and ordinances, rather than the 30-day period currently beingprovided.
We believe that this extended review period will provide greater opportunity for public input, willimprove the quality of that input, and will ultimately result in greater public understanding of, andconfidence in, the final General Plan.The December 5 th , 2005 General Plan Update: Status Report and Proposed Work Plan states:The Department will publish hearing drafts of the Plan, EIR and ordinances at least thirtydays prior to Planning Commission and Board review. Updated versions, revised throughpublic hearings, will be published at least ten days prior to Planning Commission andBoard review, unless your Board or the Planning Commission modifies the public reviewtime period.From the December 5 th , 2005 Schedule for the General Plan Update it appears that the revised drafts willtypically be made available at the same time that the initial draft documents for the next group are beingreleased. Similarly, there will likely be some overlap between the hearings on the initial draft documentsfor a given group and the hearings on the revised drafts for the prior group. Both staff and the public willthus have to juggle initial and revised draft documents for two different groups within an overlapping 30-day window. This is simply not enough time for the public’s input to be meaningful, and will likely lead toincreased confusion and decreased confidence in both the process and the product.These grouped chapters for the General Plan are likely to be lengthy and complex, and will requiresignificant time for public review. For organizations such as Healthy Humboldt, we will need time toreview and discuss these documents before we can provide informed and meaningful input in the way ofsuggestions or recommendations. Additionally, time will be needed for us to gather input from oursupporters and from the broader community. We believe that a 60-day review period for the initial draftdocuments will improve the public’s understanding of these documents, provide greater opportunity formeaningful input, and increase the public’s confidence in the resulting General Plan.We are aware that initial hearings on the first two Chapter Groups are already being scheduled, and thatthis 60-day review period simply could not be accommodated for these groups without creating asignificant delay. Due to this, we believe that it would be prudent and reasonable to accept the 30-dayreview period for these first two groups and move towards the 60-day review period beginning with Group3 or, if that cannot be accommodated, Group 4.We thank you for considering these comments.
Sincerely,Mark LovelaceHealthy Humboldt Coalition
Page 1
The Healthy Humboldt Coalition
P.O. Box 1301,
Eureka CA 95502
707.822.1166
www.healthyhumboldt.org
mail@healthyhumboldt.org
January 22, 2007
All County Supervisors
825 5th Street
Eureka, CA 95502
Re: Request for 60-day review period for General Plan Update documents
Dear Supervisors and Staff,I am writing to request that your Community Development staff provide a 60-day public review period forthe draft chapters of the General Plan, EIR, and ordinances, rather than the 30-day period currently beingprovided.
We believe that this extended review period will provide greater opportunity for public input, willimprove the quality of that input, and will ultimately result in greater public understanding of, andconfidence in, the final General Plan.The December 5 th , 2005 General Plan Update: Status Report and Proposed Work Plan states:The Department will publish hearing drafts of the Plan, EIR and ordinances at least thirtydays prior to Planning Commission and Board review. Updated versions, revised throughpublic hearings, will be published at least ten days prior to Planning Commission andBoard review, unless your Board or the Planning Commission modifies the public reviewtime period.From the December 5 th , 2005 Schedule for the General Plan Update it appears that the revised drafts willtypically be made available at the same time that the initial draft documents for the next group are beingreleased. Similarly, there will likely be some overlap between the hearings on the initial draft documentsfor a given group and the hearings on the revised drafts for the prior group. Both staff and the public willthus have to juggle initial and revised draft documents for two different groups within an overlapping 30-day window. This is simply not enough time for the public’s input to be meaningful, and will likely lead toincreased confusion and decreased confidence in both the process and the product.These grouped chapters for the General Plan are likely to be lengthy and complex, and will requiresignificant time for public review. For organizations such as Healthy Humboldt, we will need time toreview and discuss these documents before we can provide informed and meaningful input in the way ofsuggestions or recommendations. Additionally, time will be needed for us to gather input from oursupporters and from the broader community. We believe that a 60-day review period for the initial draftdocuments will improve the public’s understanding of these documents, provide greater opportunity formeaningful input, and increase the public’s confidence in the resulting General Plan.We are aware that initial hearings on the first two Chapter Groups are already being scheduled, and thatthis 60-day review period simply could not be accommodated for these groups without creating asignificant delay. Due to this, we believe that it would be prudent and reasonable to accept the 30-dayreview period for these first two groups and move towards the 60-day review period beginning with Group3 or, if that cannot be accommodated, Group 4.We thank you for considering these comments.
Sincerely,Mark LovelaceHealthy Humboldt Coalition
One-on-one with Mark Lovelace
One-on-one with Mark Lovelace
by Glenn Franco Simmons
The Eureka Reporter
(Editor’s note: In last week’s Eureka Reporter, there was a story about
The Pacific Lumber Co. that featured an interview with PALCO President
and Chief Executive Officer Robert Manne. This week’s story features an
interview with Mark Lovelace of the Humboldt Watershed Council.)
The Humboldt Watershed Council said it would like to support The Pacific
Lumber Co., but it finds itself unable to do that.
“We would love to see PL be a company that we could support and get
behind,” said watershed council President Mark Lovelace, “because timber
is an important part of our economy up here. Unfortunately, there are
some long-standing issues with Pacific Lumber Co. that make that an
uphill battle.”
Part of the problem, Lovelace said, is flooding in the Freshwater and
Elk River watersheds.
“The watershed council and residents of Elk River and Freshwater have
been dealing for years with the impacts (of logging),” he said. “There
have been the damages caused by flooding that these residents have been
suffering from. There are people in these watersheds who have boats who
only use them for getting around when it floods.”
Lovelace said it takes about 1.24 inches in a 24-hour period to flood
some areas of these watersheds — and, it causes significant problems for
some residents.
“It causes damage to people’s homes, their foundations, vehicles, septic
systems and wells,” he said. “When a septic tank is flooded and you have
a well on your property, then you have just got septic contamination in
your well. People have been told by the (county) Health Department that
any time it floods, they need to put on waders, rubber gloves and masks
and scrub their whole house out because they have septic contamination
in it.
“And there are people in these watersheds who have taken to keeping a
Sharpie around so that every time it floods, on their door jam they keep
track of the height of the flood.”
Lovelace said there is one house that is more than 100 years old that
has recordings of floods in it.
“It has markings from the whole 100-year history,” he said. “Almost all
the marks have been from the last 15 years, so it (flooding) is a real
serious problem.”
Lovelace said the cause of the flooding is overlogging.
“The watershed council and residents of Elk River and Freshwater have
been dealing for years with the impacts: the flooding and damages caused
by the flooding,” he said. “They first started noticing problems with
the river and Freshwater Creek in the early 1990s and formed a group
called the Friends of Freshwater.
“It wasn’t until 1996 that things really got to be too bad. At that
point, residents in both of these watersheds started forming, in
conjunction with some other people, what became the Humboldt Watershed
Council, in 1997.”
The organization started going to various agencies involved in the
timber harvest approval process.
“They started going to the Board of Forestry, with an emergency petition
that went no where,” Lovelace said. “They went to CDF, likewise, which
didn’t do anything about it (flooding). They really had a huge learning
curve about what these agencies will or won’t do. And they started going
to the regional water board.”
The water board began looking at watersheds in total and said there were
problems from cumulative logging that caused increased sedimentation
but it wasn’t only in Freshwater and Elk River watersheds, Lovelace
said.
“It was Freshwater, Elk River, and Bear, Stitz and Jordan creeks,” he
said. “They called them the five watersheds. Along with being impacted,
what these five watersheds have in common is that they are all owned in
the majority or completely by The Pacific Lumber Co.
“Flooding used to happen, on average, maybe twice a decade. It is now
happening as often as four or five times a year. Over all these years,
they have yet to get any relief from this flooding. The agencies have
studied the issue, they have looked at it for many years. The water
board has an appointed board that presides over the staff, and the board
has been convinced by PL and others that their (water board) staff was
out of line. Their staff was saying the problem was that there was too
much timber harvesting, and the board didn’t believe them for a long
time.
“It took years and years of research,” Lovelace said. “The board had
lots of independent studies done. They commissioned independent
scientific review panel reports and they tried to facilitate mediation
between the residents and PL, which failed because PL said they would
not allow any discussion of the rate-of-harvest issue. The rate of
harvest was just off-limits.”
The flooding, Lovelace said, can be traced back to when PALCO was first
acquired by MAXXAM.
“MAXXAM was an investment company,” he said. “They had no background in
timber. They knew nothing about timber harvesting, so one of the first
things they did after acquiring PL was to hire a consultant called
Pacific Meridian Resources to study what they had acquired and how they
should run the business.”
Lovelace said PALCO then became a company that would start liquidating
its timber resource with heavy logging and high employment. He claimed
PALCO knew that down the line, its rate of harvest would lead to less
logging and less employment, meaning mills would have to shutdown and
employees be laid off.
“After the 1985 takeover by MAXXAM, PL’s rate of harvest increased
dramatically,” according to a handout Lovelace gave The Eureka Reporter.
“By 1999, it had skyrocketed to 10 times PL’s historic average, and
three times PL’s previous highest rate ever.
“CDF later reduced that rate somewhat to the current 500- and 600-acre
caps in Freshwater and Elk River, respectively, but those rates are
still four times the historic average and 50 percent greater than PL’s
highest-ever pre-MAXXAM rate.”
The watershed council said the current timber harvest rate is high and
comes “on top of the devastation already caused by the even-higher rates
of the 1990s.”
“Effectively, CDF responded to the designation of these watersheds as
impaired by granting PL a rate of harvest that was higher than they had
ever been subjected to in the 135 years before MAXXAM took over,”
according to the handout. “This rate of harvest was driven by a plan to
maintain not pay off the debt that had been incurred through
MAXXAM’s leveraged buyout of the company.
“Since 1986, a steady ‘upstreaming’ of $100 million per year to MAXXAM
kept PL bordering on the brink of bankruptcy. The only significant
payment towards principal occurred when MAXXAM sold off PL’s cutting and
welding division and gutted the employee retirement plan, netting some
$431 million. Even then, the majority of this profit went straight to
MAXXAM.”
In 1993, the council said, MAXXAM refinanced its debt, taking hundreds
of millions of dollars out of the company while returning the debt to
its 1985 level.
“In 1998, MAXXAM refinanced again,” the handout stated. “This time they
mortgaged all of the company’s timberlands, leaving PL in as much debt
as ever, but minus its greatest asset.
“The significance of this arrangement is two-fold: First MAXXAM used its
increased rate of cut as a way to show a track record of growth before
making a public offering. At the same time, MAXXAM lobbied CDF that they
need a high rate of harvest to meet their outstanding financial
obligations.”
The council said PALCO is structured so that its profits flow to MAXXAM
“while (it) remains on the edge of bankruptcy.”
Lovelace said the net result is that MAXXAM has intentionally
manipulated PL into a precarious financial situation so as to guarantee
a steady income stream and to ensure that state regulatory agencies
won’t curtail PALCO’s rate of harvest, for fear of economic hardship.
“You’ve got a resource that is renewable but it only renews at a certain
rate,” he said. “Trees only grow so fast. If you log in excess of that,
you can’t sustain it. The more you log upfront, the more of a decline
you are going to have further down the line.”
Lovelace said PL is cutting too much by selectively logging an area and
then going in 15 years later and harvesting the rest of the lumber.
“When you are talking about trees that should have a lifecycle of around
600 years, the idea that a 15-year difference in age qualifies for
uneven-aged harvest (is incorrect),” Lovelace said.
He said the net effect of such logging “means there is little
harvestable timber” that PALCO is logging.
And it’s the cumulative impact of logging on multiple timber harvest
plans in single watersheds that has Lovelace and others concerned. He
said CDF looks at each harvest plan as an isolated plan, rather than
contributing to a cumulative effect in a watershed.
“They (CDF) keep approving each timber harvest plan based on one timber
harvest plan; meanwhile, their stack of plans to approve keeps growing
and they are not looking cumulatively at all of these timber harvest
plans having an impact. They claim to, but they simply don’t have a
mechanism to do that. CDF does not even have a desire to look at
cumulative impact.
“CDF is supposed to regulate the impact of timber harvesting and they
have to protect the public interest, but at the same time they are
supposed to be advocates for and facilitate timber harvest plans. You
can’t really do both, so they typically, consistently, opt for
facilitating and advocating for timber harvesting.”
Visit us at http://www.ourhumboldt.org
This message came to you from the Alliance for Ethical Business. This list is intended to serve exclusively as an information and organizing tool for building a strong volunteer base to promote corporate and civic responsibility.
by Glenn Franco Simmons
The Eureka Reporter
(Editor’s note: In last week’s Eureka Reporter, there was a story about
The Pacific Lumber Co. that featured an interview with PALCO President
and Chief Executive Officer Robert Manne. This week’s story features an
interview with Mark Lovelace of the Humboldt Watershed Council.)
The Humboldt Watershed Council said it would like to support The Pacific
Lumber Co., but it finds itself unable to do that.
“We would love to see PL be a company that we could support and get
behind,” said watershed council President Mark Lovelace, “because timber
is an important part of our economy up here. Unfortunately, there are
some long-standing issues with Pacific Lumber Co. that make that an
uphill battle.”
Part of the problem, Lovelace said, is flooding in the Freshwater and
Elk River watersheds.
“The watershed council and residents of Elk River and Freshwater have
been dealing for years with the impacts (of logging),” he said. “There
have been the damages caused by flooding that these residents have been
suffering from. There are people in these watersheds who have boats who
only use them for getting around when it floods.”
Lovelace said it takes about 1.24 inches in a 24-hour period to flood
some areas of these watersheds — and, it causes significant problems for
some residents.
“It causes damage to people’s homes, their foundations, vehicles, septic
systems and wells,” he said. “When a septic tank is flooded and you have
a well on your property, then you have just got septic contamination in
your well. People have been told by the (county) Health Department that
any time it floods, they need to put on waders, rubber gloves and masks
and scrub their whole house out because they have septic contamination
in it.
“And there are people in these watersheds who have taken to keeping a
Sharpie around so that every time it floods, on their door jam they keep
track of the height of the flood.”
Lovelace said there is one house that is more than 100 years old that
has recordings of floods in it.
“It has markings from the whole 100-year history,” he said. “Almost all
the marks have been from the last 15 years, so it (flooding) is a real
serious problem.”
Lovelace said the cause of the flooding is overlogging.
“The watershed council and residents of Elk River and Freshwater have
been dealing for years with the impacts: the flooding and damages caused
by the flooding,” he said. “They first started noticing problems with
the river and Freshwater Creek in the early 1990s and formed a group
called the Friends of Freshwater.
“It wasn’t until 1996 that things really got to be too bad. At that
point, residents in both of these watersheds started forming, in
conjunction with some other people, what became the Humboldt Watershed
Council, in 1997.”
The organization started going to various agencies involved in the
timber harvest approval process.
“They started going to the Board of Forestry, with an emergency petition
that went no where,” Lovelace said. “They went to CDF, likewise, which
didn’t do anything about it (flooding). They really had a huge learning
curve about what these agencies will or won’t do. And they started going
to the regional water board.”
The water board began looking at watersheds in total and said there were
problems from cumulative logging that caused increased sedimentation
but it wasn’t only in Freshwater and Elk River watersheds, Lovelace
said.
“It was Freshwater, Elk River, and Bear, Stitz and Jordan creeks,” he
said. “They called them the five watersheds. Along with being impacted,
what these five watersheds have in common is that they are all owned in
the majority or completely by The Pacific Lumber Co.
“Flooding used to happen, on average, maybe twice a decade. It is now
happening as often as four or five times a year. Over all these years,
they have yet to get any relief from this flooding. The agencies have
studied the issue, they have looked at it for many years. The water
board has an appointed board that presides over the staff, and the board
has been convinced by PL and others that their (water board) staff was
out of line. Their staff was saying the problem was that there was too
much timber harvesting, and the board didn’t believe them for a long
time.
“It took years and years of research,” Lovelace said. “The board had
lots of independent studies done. They commissioned independent
scientific review panel reports and they tried to facilitate mediation
between the residents and PL, which failed because PL said they would
not allow any discussion of the rate-of-harvest issue. The rate of
harvest was just off-limits.”
The flooding, Lovelace said, can be traced back to when PALCO was first
acquired by MAXXAM.
“MAXXAM was an investment company,” he said. “They had no background in
timber. They knew nothing about timber harvesting, so one of the first
things they did after acquiring PL was to hire a consultant called
Pacific Meridian Resources to study what they had acquired and how they
should run the business.”
Lovelace said PALCO then became a company that would start liquidating
its timber resource with heavy logging and high employment. He claimed
PALCO knew that down the line, its rate of harvest would lead to less
logging and less employment, meaning mills would have to shutdown and
employees be laid off.
“After the 1985 takeover by MAXXAM, PL’s rate of harvest increased
dramatically,” according to a handout Lovelace gave The Eureka Reporter.
“By 1999, it had skyrocketed to 10 times PL’s historic average, and
three times PL’s previous highest rate ever.
“CDF later reduced that rate somewhat to the current 500- and 600-acre
caps in Freshwater and Elk River, respectively, but those rates are
still four times the historic average and 50 percent greater than PL’s
highest-ever pre-MAXXAM rate.”
The watershed council said the current timber harvest rate is high and
comes “on top of the devastation already caused by the even-higher rates
of the 1990s.”
“Effectively, CDF responded to the designation of these watersheds as
impaired by granting PL a rate of harvest that was higher than they had
ever been subjected to in the 135 years before MAXXAM took over,”
according to the handout. “This rate of harvest was driven by a plan to
maintain not pay off the debt that had been incurred through
MAXXAM’s leveraged buyout of the company.
“Since 1986, a steady ‘upstreaming’ of $100 million per year to MAXXAM
kept PL bordering on the brink of bankruptcy. The only significant
payment towards principal occurred when MAXXAM sold off PL’s cutting and
welding division and gutted the employee retirement plan, netting some
$431 million. Even then, the majority of this profit went straight to
MAXXAM.”
In 1993, the council said, MAXXAM refinanced its debt, taking hundreds
of millions of dollars out of the company while returning the debt to
its 1985 level.
“In 1998, MAXXAM refinanced again,” the handout stated. “This time they
mortgaged all of the company’s timberlands, leaving PL in as much debt
as ever, but minus its greatest asset.
“The significance of this arrangement is two-fold: First MAXXAM used its
increased rate of cut as a way to show a track record of growth before
making a public offering. At the same time, MAXXAM lobbied CDF that they
need a high rate of harvest to meet their outstanding financial
obligations.”
The council said PALCO is structured so that its profits flow to MAXXAM
“while (it) remains on the edge of bankruptcy.”
Lovelace said the net result is that MAXXAM has intentionally
manipulated PL into a precarious financial situation so as to guarantee
a steady income stream and to ensure that state regulatory agencies
won’t curtail PALCO’s rate of harvest, for fear of economic hardship.
“You’ve got a resource that is renewable but it only renews at a certain
rate,” he said. “Trees only grow so fast. If you log in excess of that,
you can’t sustain it. The more you log upfront, the more of a decline
you are going to have further down the line.”
Lovelace said PL is cutting too much by selectively logging an area and
then going in 15 years later and harvesting the rest of the lumber.
“When you are talking about trees that should have a lifecycle of around
600 years, the idea that a 15-year difference in age qualifies for
uneven-aged harvest (is incorrect),” Lovelace said.
He said the net effect of such logging “means there is little
harvestable timber” that PALCO is logging.
And it’s the cumulative impact of logging on multiple timber harvest
plans in single watersheds that has Lovelace and others concerned. He
said CDF looks at each harvest plan as an isolated plan, rather than
contributing to a cumulative effect in a watershed.
“They (CDF) keep approving each timber harvest plan based on one timber
harvest plan; meanwhile, their stack of plans to approve keeps growing
and they are not looking cumulatively at all of these timber harvest
plans having an impact. They claim to, but they simply don’t have a
mechanism to do that. CDF does not even have a desire to look at
cumulative impact.
“CDF is supposed to regulate the impact of timber harvesting and they
have to protect the public interest, but at the same time they are
supposed to be advocates for and facilitate timber harvest plans. You
can’t really do both, so they typically, consistently, opt for
facilitating and advocating for timber harvesting.”
Visit us at http://www.ourhumboldt.org
This message came to you from the Alliance for Ethical Business. This list is intended to serve exclusively as an information and organizing tool for building a strong volunteer base to promote corporate and civic responsibility.
5.27.2007
Read BOTH Salzman's nearly identical My Words
Crocodile tears for hire on housing crisis
My Word by Richard Salzman
Article Launched: 05/27/2007 04:26:22 AM PDT
How often is the Times-Standard going to subject its readers to the repeated rants of Sacramento's professional spin doctor, Kay Backer? Her suggestion (”Housing crisis needs to be addressed,” May 16) that the city and county is somehow at a fault for defending itself whenever her billionaire boss decides to file a lawsuit is as absurd as the suggestion that the developers and land speculators she works for would actually want real estate prices to do go down (never mind that local housing prices are linked to prices statewide, so that no increase in local inventory will lower prices).
Since she insists on repeating her worn-out arguments, please let me remind your readers that Kay Backer is hired by local developers to badger county government and bamboozle the public. She feigns concern for our families by shedding crocodile tears about so-called affordable housing here in Humboldt County.
It's ridiculous that she is even treated as a legitimate voice in our local affairs just because Rob Arkley and HELP summon her to town for a meeting or to send off an e-mail full of accusations and threats to the media. She represents nothing other than a handful of developers.
It's absurd that those who pay her (they call themselves HELP but really should be called HELP Yourself) are implying that the reason they want to build more houses is because they want to see home values drop. When has any developer ever wanted to see any housing prices drop? Do you want to see the value of your home decline?
In the Sacramento area, where Ms. Backer lives, homes are being built at an astounding rate. Strangely enough, housing prices there are still shooting up and now routinely cost over half a million dollars. Is that what Ms. Backer's backers have in mind as affordable housing?
Now Arkley is using his money -- and another front group called Humboldt Sunshine -- to sue the county because our planning officials won't buy into HELP's fabricated projections of housing needs. Isn't that called blackmail?
I have no objection to developers making money off constructing houses. But it's an outrage to be told that the reason they want permission to build more -- and forever change the essentially rural character of Humboldt County-- has anything to do with stopping people from moving out of town, lowering home prices or anything other than their search for higher profits.
Where will Kay Backer's concern for our community be the day after her paychecks stop coming in? Will she still be shouting HELP or just go on to her next lucrative public relations campaign?
Richard Salzman lives in Sunny Brae, where he represents commercial artists, works as a freelance political consultant and gives of his time as a general rabbl -rouser. He can be reached at www.richardsalzman.com.
Opinions expressed in My Word pieces do not necessarily reflect the editorial viewpoint of the Times-Standard.
HELP is of no help to Humboldt
My Word by Richard Salzman
Article Launched: 04/13/2006 04:27:25 AM PDT
In response to Kay Backer's My Word of March 22, “Getting Humboldt leaders to lead”: Kay Backer is a paid professional spin doctor from Sacramento. Hired by local developers, she is paid to badger county government and bamboozle the public. She feigns concern for our families by shedding crocodile tears about so-called affordable housing here in Humboldt County.
It's ridiculous that Kay Backer is even treated as a legitimate voice in our local affairs just because Rob Arkley and HELP summon her to town for a meeting, or to send off an e-mail full of accusations and threats to the media. She represents nothing other than a handful of developers. Are there even five people who will admit to being a member of HELP?
It's absurd that those who pay her (they call themselves HELP but really should be called HELP-Yourself) are implying that the reason they want to build more houses is because they want to see home values drop. When has any developer ever wanted to see any housing prices drop? Do you want to see the value of your home decline?
In the Sacramento area, where Ms. Backer lives, homes are being built at an astounding rate. Strangely enough, housing prices there are still shooting up and now routinely cost about half a million dollars. Is that what Ms. Backer's backers have in mind as “affordable” housing?
Now Rob Arkley is threatening to use his money to sue the county unless planning officials buy into HELP's fabricated projections of housing needs. Isn't that called blackmail?
I have no objection to developers making money off constructing houses. But it's an outrage to be told that the reason they want permission to build more -- and forever change the essentially rural character of Humboldt County -- has anything to do with stopping people from moving out of town, lowering home prices or anything other than their search for higher profits.
Where will Kay Backer's concern for our community be the day after her paychecks stop coming in? Will she still be shouting HELP or just go on to her next lucrative public relations campaign?
Richard Salzman, who represents commercial illustrators, has also been involved in local politics and quality-of-life issues. He lives in Trinidad.
The opinions expressed in My Word pieces do not necessarily reflect the editorial viewpoint of the Times-Standard.
Discussion at:
watchpaul - Hysterical! (with links)
Fred's Humboldt Blog - Shut her up?
Eric's SoHum Parlance - Time for a Salzman come back?
And, there was a response to Salzman's My Word:
Shining a light on the need for housing, jobs
Author: My Word By Jim Furtado
Publication: Times-Standard (Eureka, CA) Date: April 29, 2006
I take offense to Richard Salzman's My Word of April 13, “HELP is of no help to Humboldt.”
I am a member of HELP and a developer who started back when one could start a home-building business with not much capital and building lots were readily available.
My first experiences with construction were extremely fulfilling because it was possible to provide a nice new home to local people with a typical Humboldt County job. Mr. Salzman... It is available on The Times-Standard archives
My Word by Richard Salzman
Article Launched: 05/27/2007 04:26:22 AM PDT
How often is the Times-Standard going to subject its readers to the repeated rants of Sacramento's professional spin doctor, Kay Backer? Her suggestion (”Housing crisis needs to be addressed,” May 16) that the city and county is somehow at a fault for defending itself whenever her billionaire boss decides to file a lawsuit is as absurd as the suggestion that the developers and land speculators she works for would actually want real estate prices to do go down (never mind that local housing prices are linked to prices statewide, so that no increase in local inventory will lower prices).
Since she insists on repeating her worn-out arguments, please let me remind your readers that Kay Backer is hired by local developers to badger county government and bamboozle the public. She feigns concern for our families by shedding crocodile tears about so-called affordable housing here in Humboldt County.
It's ridiculous that she is even treated as a legitimate voice in our local affairs just because Rob Arkley and HELP summon her to town for a meeting or to send off an e-mail full of accusations and threats to the media. She represents nothing other than a handful of developers.
It's absurd that those who pay her (they call themselves HELP but really should be called HELP Yourself) are implying that the reason they want to build more houses is because they want to see home values drop. When has any developer ever wanted to see any housing prices drop? Do you want to see the value of your home decline?
In the Sacramento area, where Ms. Backer lives, homes are being built at an astounding rate. Strangely enough, housing prices there are still shooting up and now routinely cost over half a million dollars. Is that what Ms. Backer's backers have in mind as affordable housing?
Now Arkley is using his money -- and another front group called Humboldt Sunshine -- to sue the county because our planning officials won't buy into HELP's fabricated projections of housing needs. Isn't that called blackmail?
I have no objection to developers making money off constructing houses. But it's an outrage to be told that the reason they want permission to build more -- and forever change the essentially rural character of Humboldt County-- has anything to do with stopping people from moving out of town, lowering home prices or anything other than their search for higher profits.
Where will Kay Backer's concern for our community be the day after her paychecks stop coming in? Will she still be shouting HELP or just go on to her next lucrative public relations campaign?
Richard Salzman lives in Sunny Brae, where he represents commercial artists, works as a freelance political consultant and gives of his time as a general rabbl -rouser. He can be reached at www.richardsalzman.com.
Opinions expressed in My Word pieces do not necessarily reflect the editorial viewpoint of the Times-Standard.
HELP is of no help to Humboldt
My Word by Richard Salzman
Article Launched: 04/13/2006 04:27:25 AM PDT
In response to Kay Backer's My Word of March 22, “Getting Humboldt leaders to lead”: Kay Backer is a paid professional spin doctor from Sacramento. Hired by local developers, she is paid to badger county government and bamboozle the public. She feigns concern for our families by shedding crocodile tears about so-called affordable housing here in Humboldt County.
It's ridiculous that Kay Backer is even treated as a legitimate voice in our local affairs just because Rob Arkley and HELP summon her to town for a meeting, or to send off an e-mail full of accusations and threats to the media. She represents nothing other than a handful of developers. Are there even five people who will admit to being a member of HELP?
It's absurd that those who pay her (they call themselves HELP but really should be called HELP-Yourself) are implying that the reason they want to build more houses is because they want to see home values drop. When has any developer ever wanted to see any housing prices drop? Do you want to see the value of your home decline?
In the Sacramento area, where Ms. Backer lives, homes are being built at an astounding rate. Strangely enough, housing prices there are still shooting up and now routinely cost about half a million dollars. Is that what Ms. Backer's backers have in mind as “affordable” housing?
Now Rob Arkley is threatening to use his money to sue the county unless planning officials buy into HELP's fabricated projections of housing needs. Isn't that called blackmail?
I have no objection to developers making money off constructing houses. But it's an outrage to be told that the reason they want permission to build more -- and forever change the essentially rural character of Humboldt County -- has anything to do with stopping people from moving out of town, lowering home prices or anything other than their search for higher profits.
Where will Kay Backer's concern for our community be the day after her paychecks stop coming in? Will she still be shouting HELP or just go on to her next lucrative public relations campaign?
Richard Salzman, who represents commercial illustrators, has also been involved in local politics and quality-of-life issues. He lives in Trinidad.
The opinions expressed in My Word pieces do not necessarily reflect the editorial viewpoint of the Times-Standard.
Discussion at:
watchpaul - Hysterical! (with links)
Fred's Humboldt Blog - Shut her up?
Eric's SoHum Parlance - Time for a Salzman come back?
And, there was a response to Salzman's My Word:
Shining a light on the need for housing, jobs
Author: My Word By Jim Furtado
Publication: Times-Standard (Eureka, CA) Date: April 29, 2006
I take offense to Richard Salzman's My Word of April 13, “HELP is of no help to Humboldt.”
I am a member of HELP and a developer who started back when one could start a home-building business with not much capital and building lots were readily available.
My first experiences with construction were extremely fulfilling because it was possible to provide a nice new home to local people with a typical Humboldt County job. Mr. Salzman... It is available on The Times-Standard archives
4.28.2007
The witch hunt/addtl info:
Salzman up to his usual tricks... this time Anti- development. Even anti one of the most "green" developments proposed. Lots more to this story
As usual, too many "misstatements" to detail. To see some, read Hank Sims Town Dandy
Remember, "Redwood Progressive" is just Salzman by another name, one of his many AKAs...
The spin:
From: Redwood Progressive
Subject: from our Neighbors in Manila
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:34:18 -0400
PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS CONTROVERSIAL 17-HOME DEVELOPMENT ON TOP OF THE MANILA DUNES - A PROPOSAL OF COUNTYWIDE SIGNIFICANCE:
Local Manila resident Scott Riley is proposing a 17-unit very dense subdivision of 2 and 3 story homes on 3.4 acres of his 8.5 acre property, which is mainly healthy intact willow wetlands and significant coastal dunes at the edge of Manila, about 1/4 mile south of the Manila Community Center, at 1521 Peninsula Drive (Parcel# 400-131-05). Zoning would have to be changed as he has requested a Planned Unit Development (PUD) which the neighborhood actively opposes.
The development could be precedent-setting county-wide in a number of harmful ways. So we, dozens of Manila Neighbors who are organizing to stop it, ask the larger community to attend a public meeting at the Manila Community Center, scheduled for this Wedn, April 11th at 7pm.
The lead developer, from Omsberg and Company, Jesse Buffington, as well as the lead planner, Michael Wheeler from the county's Planning Dept, had both accepted our invitation to attend, but just in the past few days they both cancelled. The public meeting goes on without them. Maggie Herbelin has generously agreed to facilitate the public meeting to keep it focused and friendly.
Over the past few weeks, we've gathered hundreds of Manila residents' signatures on a petition that we've taken door to door (with close to universal support!), as well as dropping a leaflet at every single Manila home informing our neighbors of the upcoming opportunities to get involved in this public discussion.
We also organized a publicized walk-about this last Saturday at the site of the proposed development, so local residents could see for themselves how destructive this will be to the existing dune ecosystem. About 20 people showed up, and had an excellent tour led by our ad-hoc group, as the developer also cancelled his participation at this event at the last minute. The Times-Standard attended the walk-about; here's a link to their story: http://times-standard.com/local/ci_5622340. The Arcata Eye was also present, as well as Channel 3, which ran with it as it's lead story that night.
Lastly, the Humboldt County Planning Commission will be having its initial discussion about this development on Thursday, May 3rd during its regularly scheduled meeting starting at 6pm. We hope that dozens of concerned residents across the Humboldt Bay area will recognize the importance of this meeting, and that we're able to pack the chambers with articulate voices of opposition. This is NOT just a Manila issue - it's about what kinds of development the residents of Humboldt Bay wish to allow in our communities in the future, and how these critical decisions should be made.
None of us are opposed to this property being "developed" as long as it matches the existing neighborhoods low density, and doesn't destroy any of the existing dunes. That would probably require that only a very small number of homes get built, all with Peninsula Drive frontage, as is the norm in the rest of the neighborhood.
The main issues of concern about this development are:
* 17 two and three story houses squeezed onto 3.4 acres of mostly dune-covered wildland - an unprecedented density in our village - in a Planned Unit Development (PUD) which throws out the existing zoning requirements. Some lots would be smaller than 4000 square feet when existing zoning requires minimum lot sizes of 20,000 sq.ft. And property frontages of as little as 27 feet while current zoning requires 75 foot wide minimums.
* 6500 cubic yards of dunes (about 650 dump truck loads) to be bulldozed and moved (described as "dune restoration" in the proposal!).
* Storm runoff from the new street, sidewalks, rooves, would be directed into the adjacent wild intact wetlands.
* Project is being marketed as the county's first solar/green subdivision. Amazingly, John Ash Group is the primary architect, which we thought had a higher standard of environmental responsibility in the projects they agree to participate in, as we believe this project is mostly a green scam.
* 30+ cars all coming out of one cul-de-sac driveway multiple times each day, on a narrow road with no sidewalks or walkable shoulders in a quiet rural neighborhood.
Want to share YOUR concerns with the various public officials who will be involved in this decision? Here's some folks who need to receive lots of letters from many of us:
* Michael Wheeler, Humboldt County Planner
* Bob Merrill, CA Coastal Commission
* CA Dept of Fish and Game
* Your local Board of Supes, especially John Woolley
And please cc a copy of your letter to us at. THANKS!
To get involved, or for more info about the ongoing efforts of Manila Neighbors to stop this development, please contact any of the core members of our neighborhood group: Aryay Kalaki, Tim Ayres, Michael Fennell, Colleen Clifford and Ian Davidson, Dan Edrich, Gordy Anderson, Amanda Pollock, and myself, Paul Cienfuegos. Any one of us would be happy to hear from you, if you know some of us personally. Or write to us at.
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Redwood Progressive
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po box 387 Eureka CA 95502
And Now, THE COUNTERSPIN:
Previously posted on watchpaul
Sunday, April 29, 2007
A witch hunt
She was my brother's teacher. She was creative, and innovative, and something of a radical. She talked about saving the forests long before the treesitters and Redwood Summer. She introduced the concept of organic food, and had the kids making (and drinking) carrot juice, brought in xeroxed sheets of information on the formaldehyde in ice cream. She exemplified the back to the land, grow your own, live off the grid lifestyle. And we loved her.
One day, a kid brought a Playboy Magazine into class. When she discovered it in his desk, she did something very unusual. She took it out, and hung it on the bulletin board. And the class had a discussion about what it represented.
The kids knew it to be the right reaction. It was just. It wasn't over-reactive. It was real and it was honest. And they loved her.
But the parents didn't. She was far too radical. And soon she was gone.
And the kids knew - she was the victim of a witch hunt.
It seems ironic to me that her son is now becoming a victim of the same sort of narrow minded thinking - but with a major twist.
Her name was Irene Riley.
Her son's name is Scott Riley.
His proposal for an "eco-groovy" development in Manila has brought out the lynch mob.
Salzman and his "eco-groovy" cohorts kicked into full gear, sounding the clarion call for warm bodies to kill the proposal, promising all kinds of dire consequences if Riley is successful - calling it "a very dense subdivision," stating that The development could be precedent-setting county-wide in a number of harmful ways. They "organized a publicized walk ... so local residents could see for themselves how d-e-s-t-r-u-c-t-i-v-e this will be. They hope that dozens of concerned residents across the Humboldt Bay area will recognize the i-m-p-o-r-t-a-n-c-e of this meeting, and that we're able to pack the chambers with articulate voices of opposition. They claim "None of us are opposed to this property being "developed" as long as it matches the existing neighborhood's low density, and doesn't destroy any of the existing dunes.,, Aryay Kalaki said it would irretrievably change the community's rustic attributes that residents cherish. ”We would permanently lose the rural character,” said Kalaki." (Don't laugh!) (Channel 3 they claim, ran the "publicized walk" as a lead story that night. The Times Standard and The Lumberjack covered it as well - Guys, you might wanna check your sources.)
As Hank Sims details in his recent column, there are some problems with their story.
"...Pine trees. In his letter, (Michael) Fennell stated that Riley was "caught cutting mature beach pines on [his] property prior to submitting [his] development plan." The implication was that this was an illegal act, and in a follow-up call Fennell asserted that it was.
In fact, it was not. The tree-cutting incident was covered in the Arcata Eye at the time. The story from that paper described how officers from the county's code enforcement unit had been called to the scene and had issued a stop-work permit for "possible" violations, but had later determined that no law had been broken. The trees were not, in fact, "mature," at least by the definition adopted by the county. In our phone conversation, Fennell insisted that code enforcement had simply been too busy to prosecute Riley, but this is not the case. No law was broken.
Sand. In his letter, Fennell mentioned that the Riley plan involves "bulldoz[ing] the dunes (about 650 large dump-truck loads)." In fact, the great majority of the sand removed from building sites in the Riley proposal will be used to restore historic dunes on the property, according to engineering plans that have been submitted to the county. Only one "large dump-truck load" of sand is scheduled to be removed from the site.
Density. Fennell, speaking for the community, said: "We welcome any new housing that ... maintains the half-acre minimum standard." (Half-acre-minimum lots are standard for the area's zoning.)
Riley's plan calls for 17 homes on 8.5 acres, which pencils out to one home per half-acre. However, those proposed homes will be scrunched into one corner of the property so that the rest of the parcel, which consists of sensitive wetlands, may be protected as open space. This kind of thing is the purpose behind "planned unit developments." Trevor Eslow, a planner with the county's Community Development Services division, assured us Tuesday that these kind of trade-offs -- smaller lot sizes for preserved open space -- are not entirely uncommon.
In fact, just last year there was another Manila developer who did a somewhat analogous deal with the county. His name is Michael Fennell. Last year, Fennell wanted to subdivide 3.7 acres, 3 acres of which was wetlands or pine forest. Fennell built three homes on the other seven-tenths of an acre, with the county's blessing. According to Eslow, the lead planner on the project, one of the lots was only 15,000 square feet in size -- about .35 acres, well below the standard he sets for Riley's development..."
Riley's development is "green" - the kind of thing that should make these guys happy.
And, there's more to the story. Kalaki has a longstanding grudge against Riley (reportedly he wanted Riley's piece of property, but offered less than Riley, and so did not get it, and has been on a vendetta ever since. There's also some evidence that he uses the "Dunes Forum" to harass Riley.)
Another neighbor is Salzman's buddy, extremist, Paul Cienfuegos.
Why is Salzman suddenly so interested in all proposed development? It's not just that he likes to meddle in other people's business. It appears that he's an active force in Mark Lovelace's "Healthy Humboldt." You can expect activist tactics to be employed, viral email alerts, plaintive "My Word's" penned by people other than him, and Salzman's Orks armed with talking points attending community meetings and speaking against Riley. Riley's only real sin appears to be that he doesn't belong to the Club.
It tells you that these guys are not really in it for "green" reasons. It's about power and control and you can't appease these guys.
The Humboldt County Planning Commission will consider Riley's development at its regular meeting on Thursday, May 3.
Paul Cienfuegos wants you to "share YOUR concerns with the various public officials who will be involved in this decision.
* Michael Wheeler, Humboldt County Planner mwheeler@co.humboldt.ca.us
* Bob Merrill, CA Coastal Commission bmerrill@coastal.ca.gov
* CA Dept of Fish and Game wcondon@dfg.ca.gov
* Your local Board of Supes, especially John Woolley jwoolley@co.humboldt.ca.us"
Will they take the time to check their sources?
ADDTL INFO:
Manila takes second look at Riley development, fluoride
Manila rejects wetland donation from developer
As usual, too many "misstatements" to detail. To see some, read Hank Sims Town Dandy
Remember, "Redwood Progressive" is just Salzman by another name, one of his many AKAs...
The spin:
From: Redwood Progressive
Subject: from our Neighbors in Manila
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:34:18 -0400
PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS CONTROVERSIAL 17-HOME DEVELOPMENT ON TOP OF THE MANILA DUNES - A PROPOSAL OF COUNTYWIDE SIGNIFICANCE:
Local Manila resident Scott Riley is proposing a 17-unit very dense subdivision of 2 and 3 story homes on 3.4 acres of his 8.5 acre property, which is mainly healthy intact willow wetlands and significant coastal dunes at the edge of Manila, about 1/4 mile south of the Manila Community Center, at 1521 Peninsula Drive (Parcel# 400-131-05). Zoning would have to be changed as he has requested a Planned Unit Development (PUD) which the neighborhood actively opposes.
The development could be precedent-setting county-wide in a number of harmful ways. So we, dozens of Manila Neighbors who are organizing to stop it, ask the larger community to attend a public meeting at the Manila Community Center, scheduled for this Wedn, April 11th at 7pm.
The lead developer, from Omsberg and Company, Jesse Buffington, as well as the lead planner, Michael Wheeler from the county's Planning Dept, had both accepted our invitation to attend, but just in the past few days they both cancelled. The public meeting goes on without them. Maggie Herbelin has generously agreed to facilitate the public meeting to keep it focused and friendly.
Over the past few weeks, we've gathered hundreds of Manila residents' signatures on a petition that we've taken door to door (with close to universal support!), as well as dropping a leaflet at every single Manila home informing our neighbors of the upcoming opportunities to get involved in this public discussion.
We also organized a publicized walk-about this last Saturday at the site of the proposed development, so local residents could see for themselves how destructive this will be to the existing dune ecosystem. About 20 people showed up, and had an excellent tour led by our ad-hoc group, as the developer also cancelled his participation at this event at the last minute. The Times-Standard attended the walk-about; here's a link to their story: http://times-standard.com/local/ci_5622340. The Arcata Eye was also present, as well as Channel 3, which ran with it as it's lead story that night.
Lastly, the Humboldt County Planning Commission will be having its initial discussion about this development on Thursday, May 3rd during its regularly scheduled meeting starting at 6pm. We hope that dozens of concerned residents across the Humboldt Bay area will recognize the importance of this meeting, and that we're able to pack the chambers with articulate voices of opposition. This is NOT just a Manila issue - it's about what kinds of development the residents of Humboldt Bay wish to allow in our communities in the future, and how these critical decisions should be made.
None of us are opposed to this property being "developed" as long as it matches the existing neighborhoods low density, and doesn't destroy any of the existing dunes. That would probably require that only a very small number of homes get built, all with Peninsula Drive frontage, as is the norm in the rest of the neighborhood.
The main issues of concern about this development are:
* 17 two and three story houses squeezed onto 3.4 acres of mostly dune-covered wildland - an unprecedented density in our village - in a Planned Unit Development (PUD) which throws out the existing zoning requirements. Some lots would be smaller than 4000 square feet when existing zoning requires minimum lot sizes of 20,000 sq.ft. And property frontages of as little as 27 feet while current zoning requires 75 foot wide minimums.
* 6500 cubic yards of dunes (about 650 dump truck loads) to be bulldozed and moved (described as "dune restoration" in the proposal!).
* Storm runoff from the new street, sidewalks, rooves, would be directed into the adjacent wild intact wetlands.
* Project is being marketed as the county's first solar/green subdivision. Amazingly, John Ash Group is the primary architect, which we thought had a higher standard of environmental responsibility in the projects they agree to participate in, as we believe this project is mostly a green scam.
* 30+ cars all coming out of one cul-de-sac driveway multiple times each day, on a narrow road with no sidewalks or walkable shoulders in a quiet rural neighborhood.
Want to share YOUR concerns with the various public officials who will be involved in this decision? Here's some folks who need to receive lots of letters from many of us:
* Michael Wheeler, Humboldt County Planner
* Bob Merrill, CA Coastal Commission
* CA Dept of Fish and Game
* Your local Board of Supes, especially John Woolley
And please cc a copy of your letter to us at
To get involved, or for more info about the ongoing efforts of Manila Neighbors to stop this development, please contact any of the core members of our neighborhood group: Aryay Kalaki, Tim Ayres, Michael Fennell, Colleen Clifford and Ian Davidson, Dan Edrich, Gordy Anderson, Amanda Pollock, and myself, Paul Cienfuegos. Any one of us would be happy to hear from you, if you know some of us personally. Or write to us at
--
The following information is a reminder of your current mailing list subscription:
You are subscribed to the following list:
Redwood Progressive
If you're still having trouble, please contact the list owner at:
The following physical address is associated with this mailing list:
po box 387 Eureka CA 95502
And Now, THE COUNTERSPIN:
Previously posted on watchpaul
Sunday, April 29, 2007
A witch hunt
She was my brother's teacher. She was creative, and innovative, and something of a radical. She talked about saving the forests long before the treesitters and Redwood Summer. She introduced the concept of organic food, and had the kids making (and drinking) carrot juice, brought in xeroxed sheets of information on the formaldehyde in ice cream. She exemplified the back to the land, grow your own, live off the grid lifestyle. And we loved her.
One day, a kid brought a Playboy Magazine into class. When she discovered it in his desk, she did something very unusual. She took it out, and hung it on the bulletin board. And the class had a discussion about what it represented.
The kids knew it to be the right reaction. It was just. It wasn't over-reactive. It was real and it was honest. And they loved her.
But the parents didn't. She was far too radical. And soon she was gone.
And the kids knew - she was the victim of a witch hunt.
It seems ironic to me that her son is now becoming a victim of the same sort of narrow minded thinking - but with a major twist.
Her name was Irene Riley.
Her son's name is Scott Riley.
His proposal for an "eco-groovy" development in Manila has brought out the lynch mob.
Salzman and his "eco-groovy" cohorts kicked into full gear, sounding the clarion call for warm bodies to kill the proposal, promising all kinds of dire consequences if Riley is successful - calling it "a very dense subdivision," stating that The development could be precedent-setting county-wide in a number of harmful ways. They "organized a publicized walk ... so local residents could see for themselves how d-e-s-t-r-u-c-t-i-v-e this will be. They hope that dozens of concerned residents across the Humboldt Bay area will recognize the i-m-p-o-r-t-a-n-c-e of this meeting, and that we're able to pack the chambers with articulate voices of opposition. They claim "None of us are opposed to this property being "developed" as long as it matches the existing neighborhood's low density, and doesn't destroy any of the existing dunes.,, Aryay Kalaki said it would irretrievably change the community's rustic attributes that residents cherish. ”We would permanently lose the rural character,” said Kalaki." (Don't laugh!) (Channel 3 they claim, ran the "publicized walk" as a lead story that night. The Times Standard and The Lumberjack covered it as well - Guys, you might wanna check your sources.)
As Hank Sims details in his recent column, there are some problems with their story.
"...Pine trees. In his letter, (Michael) Fennell stated that Riley was "caught cutting mature beach pines on [his] property prior to submitting [his] development plan." The implication was that this was an illegal act, and in a follow-up call Fennell asserted that it was.
In fact, it was not. The tree-cutting incident was covered in the Arcata Eye at the time. The story from that paper described how officers from the county's code enforcement unit had been called to the scene and had issued a stop-work permit for "possible" violations, but had later determined that no law had been broken. The trees were not, in fact, "mature," at least by the definition adopted by the county. In our phone conversation, Fennell insisted that code enforcement had simply been too busy to prosecute Riley, but this is not the case. No law was broken.
Sand. In his letter, Fennell mentioned that the Riley plan involves "bulldoz[ing] the dunes (about 650 large dump-truck loads)." In fact, the great majority of the sand removed from building sites in the Riley proposal will be used to restore historic dunes on the property, according to engineering plans that have been submitted to the county. Only one "large dump-truck load" of sand is scheduled to be removed from the site.
Density. Fennell, speaking for the community, said: "We welcome any new housing that ... maintains the half-acre minimum standard." (Half-acre-minimum lots are standard for the area's zoning.)
Riley's plan calls for 17 homes on 8.5 acres, which pencils out to one home per half-acre. However, those proposed homes will be scrunched into one corner of the property so that the rest of the parcel, which consists of sensitive wetlands, may be protected as open space. This kind of thing is the purpose behind "planned unit developments." Trevor Eslow, a planner with the county's Community Development Services division, assured us Tuesday that these kind of trade-offs -- smaller lot sizes for preserved open space -- are not entirely uncommon.
In fact, just last year there was another Manila developer who did a somewhat analogous deal with the county. His name is Michael Fennell. Last year, Fennell wanted to subdivide 3.7 acres, 3 acres of which was wetlands or pine forest. Fennell built three homes on the other seven-tenths of an acre, with the county's blessing. According to Eslow, the lead planner on the project, one of the lots was only 15,000 square feet in size -- about .35 acres, well below the standard he sets for Riley's development..."
Riley's development is "green" - the kind of thing that should make these guys happy.
And, there's more to the story. Kalaki has a longstanding grudge against Riley (reportedly he wanted Riley's piece of property, but offered less than Riley, and so did not get it, and has been on a vendetta ever since. There's also some evidence that he uses the "Dunes Forum" to harass Riley.)
Another neighbor is Salzman's buddy, extremist, Paul Cienfuegos.
Why is Salzman suddenly so interested in all proposed development? It's not just that he likes to meddle in other people's business. It appears that he's an active force in Mark Lovelace's "Healthy Humboldt." You can expect activist tactics to be employed, viral email alerts, plaintive "My Word's" penned by people other than him, and Salzman's Orks armed with talking points attending community meetings and speaking against Riley. Riley's only real sin appears to be that he doesn't belong to the Club.
It tells you that these guys are not really in it for "green" reasons. It's about power and control and you can't appease these guys.
The Humboldt County Planning Commission will consider Riley's development at its regular meeting on Thursday, May 3.
Paul Cienfuegos wants you to "share YOUR concerns with the various public officials who will be involved in this decision.
* Michael Wheeler, Humboldt County Planner mwheeler@co.humboldt.ca.us
* Bob Merrill, CA Coastal Commission bmerrill@coastal.ca.gov
* CA Dept of Fish and Game wcondon@dfg.ca.gov
* Your local Board of Supes, especially John Woolley jwoolley@co.humboldt.ca.us"
Will they take the time to check their sources?
ADDTL INFO:
Manila takes second look at Riley development, fluoride
Manila rejects wetland donation from developer