Humboldt County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Humboldt County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
AT&T wireless facility in McKinleyville
An 89-foot faux-evergreen cell tower is proposed at 3384 Lily Avenue to replace coverage lost when the Murray Avenue gas station tower came down. Twenty-one Yamaha Place neighbors petitioned against it over property values, health, and neighborhood character, and commissioners want alternative sites compared before deciding.
Housing Element progress and state mandates
The 2025 progress reports show the county still lagging state housing targets, and staff said it's pursuing public-private partnerships to build affordable housing faster. One commissioner asked what happens if progress stays 'insufficient.'
County buying three Fourth Street properties in Eureka
The county is buying 1101, 1117 and 1119 Fourth Street near the courthouse — first for parking, possibly for county offices later. It's part of the push to own rather than lease, and to grow the downtown civic campus.
HOME Housing Funding for We Are Up and Home Rehab
$1.5 million of recycled HOME loan dollars goes to the We Are Up project in McKinleyville — senior housing paired with homes for autistic adults — and $239,078 continues the owner-occupied rehab loan program, which has a waiting list.
Cannabis facility expansion near Rohnerville
A Fortuna-area cannabis operator more than doubled its outdoor cultivation and added retail, nursery, and manufacturing — while promising to cut water use from about 487,500 to 380,000 gallons a year via rainwater catchment.
Humboldt Bay Area Plan and low-impact camping ordinance
Staff announced public meetings on the Humboldt Bay Area Plan with a July 16 commission workshop, and a new state-enabled low-impact camping ordinance (up to nine campsites, 14-day stays) headed to a July workshop.
ARPA child care investment
The county is using federal pandemic funds — which had to be spent by end of 2026 — for loans to build child care capacity: two new classrooms near the Eureka Library and a First 5 Humboldt facility. When child care is scarce, parents can't work.
Beau Pre Heights Subdivision, McKinleyville
A 79-lot subdivision in a spruce forest got its final map approved after 15 years. Critics say the 2011 environmental review never analyzed cumulative impacts on wetlands, wildfire risk, and forest fragmentation; the developer refused a voluntary full wetland study.
Samoa Town Master Plan concerns and proposed low-income housing
Samoa residents were rattled by a possible Danco low-income housing project on what was promised as their town square, and suspected the plan update secretly changed the Samoa Town Master Plan. Staff confirmed the master plan is unchanged — only previously certified 2016 amendments are being added — but residents say this is the moment to add protections.
First-Time Homebuyer and Rental Assistance Funding
The Board added $1.5 million to its $1 million HOME award for first-time homebuyers and tenant rental assistance; a resident urged fast rollout, noting county workers can't afford local homes.
Purchase of former Kmart property for one-stop permitting center
The county is buying the old Kmart on Broadway in Eureka to consolidate permitting, public works, and other departments under one roof. Supporters say it saves lease money long-term; critics flagged the tsunami zone, transit access, and the county's poor record maintaining existing buildings.
Humboldt Commons Senior Housing Road Condition
The county is requiring the Humboldt Commons senior housing project to spend about $200,000 paving a 13-foot strip along Hiller Road on top of roughly $1 million in other public improvements. The appeal was denied 3-2, and some supervisors want grant funding for the full boulevard build-out within the five-year window.
King Salmon growth and short-term rentals
The Bermers project adds a business and a residence to a mostly residential stretch of Boone Drive. Neighbors raised parking and view concerns; commissioners saw the added housing as a net positive but urged the applicant to be a good neighbor on the view question.
Life Plan Humboldt subdivision and Hiller Road improvement burden
A nonprofit senior community in McKinleyville said county-required road improvements would add roughly $15,000 to each resident's entry fee. Commissioners split the baby: the widening stays required but is deferred five years, with the county helping chase grant money.
Bracut Industrial Park compliance and coastal access
An unpermitted caretaker's unit built decades ago and 485 square feet of extra signage get legitimized. The Coastal Commission wants trespass signs reworked so the public can reach the adjacent restoration site.