Security National submitted comment letter today regarding 5th and D parking lot to Eureka City Council

There was a comment letter sent to the Eureka City Council this afternoon from a firm representing Security National about agenda item E 2 for tonight's meeting. The letter asserts that the City of Eureka "failed to disclose and mitigate the potential significant adverse environmental impacts associated with the project." 

Item E 1 also pertains to similar topic.  Public comment included Dolores Vellutini does not want low income housing and thinks the Coastal Commission should put the kibosh on the City of Eureka's plan .  You can see Greg Pierson in the background in the public speaker screenshot.  

Vellutini's husband and business partner, retired architect John Ash made a dig at Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery. Ash said he had dealt with different Eureka City Managers since David Tyson who had different ideas but Slattery is "the first manager who wants to give it away."

Security National's Allison Arkley Holland is speaking now. Holland said "we understand the City is under tremendous pressure to provide housing and the need for housing but we cannot stand by the City's efforts to reshape the waterfront." 

Ms. Holland said to the lots maybe contaminated. She asked the City Council to table the item and suggested a park might be  more appropriate. SN is considering buying the lots to turn it to a park.

A source who wishes to be anonymous claimed City of Eureka Planner Kristen Goetz claimed she had no idea the City of Eureka owned  the C to F lots. The same source said the City of Eureka had these lots since 1995. In 2016, a Phase II environmental study of 16 sites was done by SHN.  High levels of arsenic, motor oil were discovered. The Water Board should have been notified. This just got uploaded to geotrackers in March this year."

Goetz at the meeting said there could be issues with a diesel spill but nothing significant. The SHN study is available and people are free to look at it and draw their own conclusions.

SN comment letter:

I have had several conversations in the last few months with people in Eureka who have different political, social and economic views and they all expressed similar views on parking, housing and how it is being handled by City of Eureka. I encouraged them to contact the City of Eureka because online is dominated by the same few voices with agendas. Privately, people tend to open up and be more honest.