Kevin L. Hoover Mad River Union ARCATA – The just-announced $3.95 million sale of the 8-acre Craftsmans Mall to the Humboldt State University Foundation could eliminate the local planning process for future development of the site. In one possible scenario that the university isn’t ruling out, the Planning Commission and Arcata City Council would have no…
Council sets criteria for possible new Village project, sets developer, staff in motion
Mad River Union ARCATA CITY HALL – On a 3–1 vote with Mayor Brett Watson dissenting, the City Council tonight gave direction to a developer and city staff to evaluate a new version of The Village housing project, one that it could approve if properly configured. As stipulated by the council, the new project must…
Council to reconsider revised Village housing project
Kevin L. Hoover Mad River Union ARCATA – The City Council voted last week to reconsider the revised Village housing project, rejected by default on a tied council vote last August. The project has been redesigned to address one of the principal objections to the previous plan voiced by councilmembers and citizens: Village 2019 includes…
The Village is back, and it’s somewhat similar, but different from the last version
Kevin L. Hoover Mad River Union ARCATA – The Village student housing project is back. The revised project is physically much the same as the version which failed approval by the City Council last August, but meets a key demand for mixed housing voiced by its council skeptics. However, it loses some other features which…
ACRH wants to see what HSU blacked out in The Village document dump
Mad River Union ARCATA – They who hold “The Village” student housing project in low esteem and want it replaced with a less dense alternative are asking for more documents detailing Humboldt State University’s involvement with the developers. A Public Records Act request by Arcata Citizens for Responsible Housing recently resulted in a 369-page document…
Humboldt State and developers of The Village are closely coordinating after all
Kevin L. Hoover Mad River Union ARCATA – The proposed “The Village” student housing project will finally reach the City Council June 6 after failing to gain the endorsement of the Planning Commission. The council hearing will be a public culmination of extensive behind-the-scenes preparation by both advocates and opponents – much of it purposefully…
Deadlocked Planco punts Village to council
Note: This story appeared in the May 16 edition of the Union. Updates appear at the end of the story. – Ed. Kevin L. Hoover Mad River Union ARCATA – An even-numbered Planning Commission last week deadlocked 2–2 on approval of findings required for The Village student housing complex. But that doesn’t end consideration of…
‘The Village’ vilified in first two Planco hearings
Kevin L. Hoover Mad River Union ARCATA – The first two of at least three Planning Commission meetings on the proposed “The Village” student housing project were held last week at City Hall. A third was scheduled for Tuesday night of this week. Proposed by Agoura Hills-based AMCAL Equities LLC, and its development partner, Coleraine…
‘The Village’ student community – last call for Craftsman’s Mall?
Kevin L. Hoover Mad River Union ARCATA – A new housing project will, if created as designed, give 800 students modern new accommodations near Humboldt State. It will also transform a centrally located but relatively obscure 11 acres from industrial to residential, increasing Arcata’s population by 4.5 percent. “The Village,” which would be sited on…