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Eureka council declares corporation yard surplus under Surplus Land Act; city to offer 60‑day notice for affordable housing
Summary
Council voted unanimously to declare the city’s corporation yard at 945 West 14th Street surplus under the Surplus Land Act, triggering a 60‑day notice period for affordable housing or open‑space purchasers and a subsequent 90‑day good‑faith negotiation window.
Eureka — The City Council unanimously adopted a resolution declaring the corporation yard on West 14th Street surplus under the Surplus Land Act and directed staff to proceed with required notices and subsequent steps in the surplus‑land process.
Public Works Director Kenyon described the site as a long‑used corporation yard with aging infrastructure and a hazardous location that is vulnerable to liquefaction, tsunamis and sea‑level impacts. "It used to be tide lands, and that's why it's subject to liquefaction and tsunamis and future flooding with sea level rise," he said while reviewing maps and the facilities master plan.
Kenyon explained the Surplus Land Act implications: the city must first notice the property for affordable‑housing and open‑space uses for a 60‑day period; if no acceptable response emerges or terms cannot be agreed during a 90‑day good‑faith negotiation, the city may sell or lease the property to others. He noted the site lies in a public‑facility zoning district inside the coastal zone and that rezoning for residential use would require a local coastal plan amendment and likely a CEQA review.
Planning staff had previously considered the site and, at a public hearing on Aug. 14, recommended surplus determination after finding the land is not necessary for city use. Council discussion touched on the surplus‑land notice language, coastal certification constraints and the expectation that any redevelopment would return to council for discretionary review.
The council approved Kenyon’s recommended motion to find the property surplus and exempt from CEQA for the purpose of declaring surplus land. Staff said they plan to post the required public notice and then report back to council with any interested affordable‑housing or open‑space entities and potential negotiation outcomes.
Next steps: the city will issue the 60‑day notice under the Surplus Land Act and, if no qualifying proposals are reached, conduct a 90‑day negotiation period before pursuing other avenues for disposition.
