The dynamic history of and public interest in the site has culminated in a situation where the zoning and designation within the Local Coastal Plan conflicts with a conservation easement held by the Audubon Society. The coastal dependent industrial use zoning is a product of the land being a former mill site and adjacent to a deepwater dock site. A conservation easement was placed on the site when no suitable development arose after purchase by the City of Eureka and State Coastal Conservancy in 1985. Because the zoning and conservation easement effectively cancel each other out, the property has sat undeveloped and largely unmanaged up to the present. While irregular site cleanups have been organized, the property has largely succumbed to use as a waste disposal site, homeless encampment, location housing a variety of unmanaged and potentially unsafe recreation uses including hiking, art, an after-school hang-out, bicycling and birding.
Where: Parcel 4 located behind the Bayshore Mall; please park in the parking lot north of the Mall buildings and look for the event table
When: Tuesday September 20th from 5:30pm to 7:00pm; show up a little early to register
Who should attend: Anyone from the public interested in participating in a tour and creative visioning session looking forward to improving public access and the environment at a long-neglected site along the Eureka waterfront. While there will be some clean-up and a site inspection prior to the field tour, the area has not been maintained for use by the public and we discourage bringing small children on the tour.
What participants will be doing: When you arrive, you will be guided to a table where you will sign a waiver. Staff leading the tour will give a brief presentation about the goals for looking at the site and a few details about safety. Once the walk begins, we will be looking at historic relics, modern problems and opportunities, and brainstorm together about future goals and visions for Parcel 4. The tour will take us all around the site, providing a thorough feel for existing activities behind the Bayshore Mall and showing off the dramatic views from the shoreline. At the end of the tour, all participants will have a chance to weigh in through written comment on future public access and open space ideas for Parcel 4.
What to bring: Please come prepared with sturdy closed-toed shoes, water, warm clothing that’s easy to hike in, and ideas about what you want to see on the site.
