Planning commission approves Fisher subdivision in McKinleyville with drainage condition

The Humboldt County Planning Commission on April 3 approved the Fisher partial‑map subdivision in McKinleyville, adopting a coastal development permit and a special permit and imposing conditions that require a drainage inlet across Fisher Avenue and allow deletion of a landscaping strip at staff’s recommendation.

Staff said the project would split a roughly 49,250‑square‑foot parcel into two lots — Parcel 1 at about 35,950 square feet and Parcel 2 at about 13,300 square feet — and that the reduced size of Parcel 2 triggers a special‑permit review. “This property is located in McKinleyville, a little bit north of the Mad River, about 400 feet north of the School Road and Fisher Avenue intersection,” Senior Planner Chris Lohefter told the commission during the staff presentation.

The staff report recommended approval conditioned on public‑works requirements, including installing a drainage inlet on the west side of Fisher Avenue that would run under the road and tie to an existing drainage inlet on the east side to carry water south along Fisher Avenue. Public Works advised against an applicant‑proposed alternative that would convey road runoff onto the new private lot.

Applicant and property owner Dave Mazurve told the commission he planned to accept responsibility for runoff generated by the new curb, gutter and sidewalk, and proposed a 6‑inch pipe and an on‑site leach area instead of the county’s recommended 18‑inch drain. “I’m perfectly willing to cooperate with the county on putting in a drain onto my property,” Mazurve said, but added he did not believe his subdivision should be required to accept runoff from the public road. A neighbor who spoke by phone said she supports Public Works’ recommended solution and expressed concern about ponding in front of her driveway.

Commission discussion focused on whether the drainage required by Public Works could be redesigned during the engineering review to avoid conflicts with underground utilities, and on the relatively modest size of the subdivision and the role of the existing accessory dwelling unit. Staff told commissioners the engineering phase could allow alternative pipe configurations if utilities precluded the county’s preferred detail.

The commission voted to adopt the resolution approving the Fisher Partial‑Map Subdivision, Coastal Development Permit and Special Permit, including the staff‑recommended conditions and elimination of the landscaping strip requirement. The motion carried on a roll‑call voice vote with commissioners voting in favor as recorded in the meeting minutes.

The approval requires the applicant to satisfy final engineering review and Public Works permitting before the map is recorded; Public Works will review pipe sizing and alignment during that design phase. The project record includes the McKinleyville drainage study cited by Public Works as background for the requirement.

Action on the project was limited to the findings and conditions presented; no building permits or grading were approved as part of the tentative‑map action.

Commissioners and staff flagged that if the engineering design shows utilities or other constraints make Public Works’ preferred pipe infeasible, alternative pipe shapes and configurations (for example flat arch or box pipes) could be proposed and reviewed during the permitting stage.