When: Tues. April 17 at 6 pm
Where: Eureka Council Chambers, 2nd floor of Eureka City Hall, 531 “K” Street, Eureka
Peter Douglas, the director of the California Coastal Commission from 1985 to 2011, said the coast is never saved; it’s always being saved. That’s because bad projects rarely go away for good.
On Tuesday, one of tho
se bad projects that should go away forever is being brought back by the Eureka City Council, which will vote on restarting the Waterfront Drive Extension project—a proposal to punch a new road through the Palco Marsh from Del Norte Street to Hilfiker.
This proposal would impact coastal wetlands, important bird habitat, rare plants, water quality, cultural resources, and public open space. It would violate the City’s own General Plan, which vows to protect environmentally sensitive habitat areas as required by the Coastal Act.
It’s time to give up the Waterfront Drive Extension, just as the Eureka Freeway Bypass was abandoned in 1995.
Click HERE for a map of the proposed road.
The Coastal Commission has gone on record saying the project cannot be approved because it is not consistent with either the Coastal Act or the City of Eureka’s own Local Coastal Program, which governs coastal development in the city.
In 2005, Peter Douglas wrote to the City, “Because this project cannot, in our view, be approved consistent with the Coastal Act, we respectfully urge the city not to expend any additional public resources in pursuit of it.”
How much more taxpayer money is the City going to waste on this project? The City has already spent millions of dollars—mostly state funding—on the EIR process over the past 10+ years, without any final product that would be consistent with state law.
The project would also destroy what progress has been made on restoring Palco Marsh and planning for the restoration of Parcel 4 behind the Bayshore Mall—restoration projects that have been funded with taxpayer dollars from the Coastal Conservancy and other agencies.
Let the Eureka City Council know how you feel about 4000-8000 vehicles driving through a wildlife sanctuary every day!
Tuesday, April 17, at 6 pm in the Eureka Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of Eureka City Hall at 531 “K” Street, Eureka
To call or email your concerns, contact:
Dave Tyson, City Manager
441-4144
Mayor Frank Jager
441-4200
Marian Brady
441-4169
Linda Atkins
441-4168
Mike Newman
441-4170
Melinda Ciarabellini
441-4167
Lance Madsen
441-4171
To review the staff report, click HERE and download the full agenda packet for April 17 (this item starts on page 66).
