Planning Commission forwards McKinleyville Town Center ordinance and EIR to supervisors amid debate over Central Avenue 'road diet' and wetlands protections

The Humboldt County Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend that the Board of Supervisors certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the McKinleyville Town Center and adopt a zoning ordinance rezoning the town‑center area to mixed use with a Q (overlay) zone. The decision — the culmination of multi‑year public outreach, a community plan and a long Planning Department review — drew extended public comment and commissioner discussion focused on a proposed reduction of lanes on Central Avenue known as a ‘‘road diet,’’ protection and relocation of wetlands, and the scale of potential residential development.

The ordinance would rezone approximately the town‑center study area to a mixed‑use base zone with an overlay that establishes form‑based standards (street types, building height and frontage rules), public‑space and connectivity requirements, and procedures for wetland protection and mitigation. Staff and the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee (MiCMA) explained the code would allow up to four stories on some primary streets and three stories elsewhere, create requirements for pedestrian and bicycle connections, and require an enhanced transit facility to be constructed before 50% of the buildable town center is developed.

Environmental review and wetlands: Planning staff said the FEIR found most environmental topics less‑than‑significant or less‑than‑significant after mitigation; the lone unavoidable impact identified was an increase in traffic noise along Railroad Avenue that exceeded the FEIR’s 5‑decibel change threshold (staff reported a modeled increase of about 7 dB). The FEIR includes measures for air quality, biological resources (including options to protect or restore habitat for special‑status species such as the western bumblebee), wetland mitigation and greenhouse‑gas reductions.

Wetlands policy in the McKinleyville Community Plan led to a detailed staff analysis. Policy 14 allows development within wetland areas on existing parcels if effects are fully mitigated; Policy 15 prohibits land use in wetland areas on newly created parcels that ‘‘degrade the wetland or detract from the natural resource value.’’ Staff concluded that on‑site wetland restoration or recreation that does not reduce overall natural‑resource value can be consistent with the community plan; however, those determinations will be project‑specific and must meet state and federal permitting and conservation easement requirements.

Scale and open space: Multiple members of the public questioned the scale of development the FEIR analyzed (the DEIR evaluated up to 2,650 dwelling units as a program maximum). Staff said the undeveloped acreage within the town center is about 54 acres (including approximately 35 acres on the Pearson property, about 14.2 acres for the Humboldt Commons/Life Plan Humboldt parcel and about 4.3 acres on Pickett Road). Using a 25‑units‑per‑acre planning density for a four‑story mixed‑use buildout on those undeveloped parcels would yield about 1,350 units; staff emphasized the DEIR number is a high‑end analysis and the zoning and form‑based code will control what actually may be built. The ordinance requires 3% of undeveloped, developable area be set aside for public open space with a minimum of 20,000 square feet (MiCMA members and several speakers argued for a larger minimum public plaza or ‘‘town green’’).

Central Avenue and public safety: Central Avenue’s proposed lane reduction prompted the meeting’s most sustained public debate. Proponents — including business, transportation and neighborhood advocates — told the commission that narrowing lanes and adding bike/pedestrian facilities would calm traffic, create a safer main street, and support a walkable town center. Opponents — including long‑time residents and some emergency‑services commenters — said a lane reduction could create congestion, impede emergency response, and shift traffic onto nearby residential streets.

Commissioners sought clarity on process and funding. Staff and members of MiCMA said the road redesign is conceptual in the ordinance and would require engineering design, funding and subsequent environmental review before construction. The commission added a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors directing the county to prepare a comprehensive transportation plan for McKinleyville and to ensure any design work for Central Avenue be coordinated with MiCMA to allow public review and input before implementation.

Public comment: The record included more than 70 letters and dozens of in‑person and online speakers. Supporters included the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee (which voted 6‑0 to recommend the ordinance), McKinleyville Community Services District and residents who favored the town‑center vision and safety improvements. Opponents raised concerns about wetlands, open‑space minimums, construction noise, traffic impacts and outreach. Pearson property stakeholders and the Ann S. Pearson Land & A Foundation urged protections for wetlands and conveyed support for the ordinance’s general approach to wetland mitigation.

Vote and next steps: The Planning Commission motion — to certify the FEIR, adopt findings, adopt the mitigation monitoring and reporting program, and recommend adoption of the Town Center ordinance — passed on a roll‑call vote. Commissioner O'Neil moved the resolution and Commissioner Curiazzi seconded; all commissioners present voted yes. The commission’s recommendation includes the added direction that a comprehensive transportation plan be prepared for McKinleyville and that any Central Avenue designs be coordinated with MiCMA to permit public review. The matter now goes to the Board of Supervisors for final action; specific design, funding and construction of street improvements will require separate engineering, funding and, if required, additional environmental review.