Workshop on McKinleyville Town Center ordinance spotlights wetlands, road diet and housing proposals

Humboldt County planning staff presented a workshop on Aug. 21 on the draft McKinleyville Town Center ordinance and the accompanying draft environmental impact report. Director Ford told the Planning Commission and a large public audience the ordinance would rezone the town center to mixed use modified by a Q zone and establish form‑based design standards intended to create a pedestrian‑oriented, mixed‑use center.

Staff flagged three central, contested issues: wetlands delineation, street design on Central Avenue, and how to secure bicycle and pedestrian connectivity. Ford explained the difference between a 3‑parameter wetland (the federal/state typical test) and a 1‑parameter coastal definition, saying the site contains roughly 5.6 acres of 3‑parameter wetlands and 0.64 acre of single‑parameter wetlands. The ordinance draft proposes setting aside about 14 acres for wetland restoration or preservation and requires delineation and mitigation plans before entitlements are issued. "Before issuance of any permits... wetland delineation shall be completed," Ford said.

Central Avenue was the most divisive design topic. Staff presented cross‑section alternatives ranging from retaining four lanes with a center turn lane to a road diet that narrows through lanes inside the town center to slow traffic and expand bike/ped amenities. Ford described the road diet as intended to "give more of the street amenity for bicycles and pedestrians and landscaping" and to "slow down traffic." Supporters—many public commenters and community groups including CRTP and members of the McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee—argued lane reduction would improve safety and support local businesses. Opponents cautioned about emergency access, traffic flow and loss of the existing pedestrian/vehicular balance on Central Avenue; retired planner Kelly Garrett warned of a potential conflict with a McKinleyville General Plan wetland policy.

Staff emphasized funding constraints: large Central Avenue reconstruction would likely depend on grants and take years or decades to phase in. "This isn't a plan for next week," Ford told the commission. "20 to 40 years out" was the timescale he cited for major corridor work absent grant funding.

Specific development proposals were woven into the workshop. Life Plan Humboldt (Humboldt Commons), a proposed senior community that project representatives said would include roughly 200 units, was described as a likely early project under the ordinance. Project advocates said the ordinance would provide the regulatory certainty needed to move forward; Life Plan leaders reported local fundraising and loan commitments and urged timely county action to avoid financing delays.

Public comment was extensive and mixed. Supporters stressed housing, walkability and senior care; critics urged stronger wetland protections, higher mitigation ratios where policy 15 applies, and caution about maximum EIR build‑out numbers (which staff described as conservative upper bounds required for CEQA disclosure). Staff confirmed agency outreach (school district, fire, sheriff, McKinleyville Community Services District) and noted the DEIR includes both VMT‑based transportation analysis and a level‑of‑service appendix.

The MiCMAQ (McKinleyville Municipal Advisory Committee) was scheduled to meet Aug. 27 to finalize recommendations; staff asked the planning commission to identify priority issues for staff to address when the committee recommendation and final DEIR are presented. No formal action on the ordinance was taken at the Aug. 21 workshop.

Next steps: MiCMAQ recommendation to the commission (meeting Aug. 27), staff responses to commissioner priorities, and continued public review as the DEIR process moves toward certification and adoption.