The Eureka City Council unanimously chose the Wiyot Tribe’s Dishgamu Humboldt Community Land Trust’s proposal for two affordable housing projects in Tuesday night’s council meeting.
In a spirited and at times divisive meeting, dozens offered thoughts on the project by the Wiyot Tribe, although Eureka staff recommended a separate proposal.
“We are not making a profit out of this. They want to make a profit,” said Ted Hernandez, chair of the Wiyot Tribe. The other two entities who submitted proposals were Danco Properties and Brinshore.
The Dishgamu Humboldt project includes a total of 93 units to be built in two former city parking lots at Fifth and D streets and Sixth and L streets.
According to Michelle Vassel, Dishgamu Humboldt’s interim department director and a Wiyot tribal administrator, the proposal actually included more units of affordable housing than the one recommended by staff, and she questioned the process of awarding more points to the other proposal.
She said a local developer, Pacific Builders, would be doing the construction work and the land trust will work with the Travois firm, which specializes in developing housing in Indian Country, and raises capital for affordable housing. An employee of the firm spoke at the meeting about Travois’ experience. The employees of the Dishgamu Humboldt also noted that the nonprofit will apply for state and federal funding for the projects.
Later, Leslie Castellano said that she saw this partnership with this firm gives the project funding points that is similar to the funding proof provided by the other proposals, who are for-profit.
Marnie Atkins, cultural center director, asked why the right of refusal wasn’t given to the tribe initially. She also noted that “we’ve listened already,” and done outreach for the past two years on what the community would like to see in the form of a board game.
Hernandez noted at the meeting that the tribe wants to support Eureka by providing affordable housing for all that need it. He pointed out the public commenters who earlier accused the city council of not doing enough to solve the city’s homeless problem and said the Wiyot Tribe is here to help.
“In 55 years, somebody will be in your seats,” said David Cobb, advancement manager at Dishgamu Humboldt. He said if a corporate developer hits this site, then “as sure as God made little green apples,” the housing will become market rate. This won’t happen with the Wiyot Tribe, he said.
A state requirement makes affordable housing developers keep the cost low for the first 55 years.
Comments from the public
Michael Murdock, a public commenter, said this is an excellent opportunity to do more than lip service in the form of a land acknowledgment. Many other public commenters also spoke in support of the Wiyot Tribe’s proposal after hearing the comments by the land trust, noting the importance of supporting local business and the longevity of the tribe’s presence in the area.
Melodie Meyer, a public commenter, also added that the Wiyot Tribe’s proposal would strengthen the city’s relationship with the tribe and noted that Native Americans experience higher rates of homelessness.
One Security National employee came again to ask to preserve a parking lot, asking the council to “build it somewhere else,” she said. The company claims employees use the parking lot and need it to be safe.
Roy Gomez, a frequent public commenter, said he wanted more parking downtown and then began to talk again about the code of ethics, alleging there was a conflict of interest because David Cobb used to work in a nonprofit that some city council members are affiliated. Castellano later noted that conflicts of interest are generally limited to instances where there is some kind of financial benefit for public employees.
“There are none more community oriented than those in the room,” said councilmember G. Mario Fernandez.
Councilmember Renee Contreras-DeLoach added that the proposals are both excellent, with Mayor Kim Bergel asking that the Brinshore group continue working with the city after an employee from Brinshore said the group respects any decision made today.
“I think everyone wanted to second that,” said Leslie Castallano, when the council voted to approve the Wiyot Tribe’s project. She said it would be great to include a community benefit metric in the future in the way projects are chosen.
The building at Fifth and D streets would be six stories and 51,523 square feet; the building at Sixth and L streets would be 5 stories and 46,357 square feet. According to the proposal, other benefits include green building materials, a kitchen, child care, garden space and other amenities. Sixty-three of the units are affordable to very low-income households and 30 are affordable for low-income households.
A staff presentation noted the most recent HUD income limit for low-income housing in Humboldt is $65,950 for a four-person family. These projects help meet the city’s housing element goal of 330 affordable units by 2028.
Councilmember Kati Moulton said she thinks people have a skewed idea of what low-income means, adding that showing this project as working-class housing is important.
Changes to parking lots
In other parking lot news, Public Works Director Brian Gerving noted that some new changes are coming to downtown and Old Town Eureka. The city council unanimously approved a pilot program that will test some ideas that came from a 2022 parking study.
“Despite some concerns, there is currently an adequate supply of parking in Old Town and Downtown,” said Brian Gerving.
He said that improvements in the study that were later approved by the council included recommending better signs, modifications to the time zones and better marking on streets. The parking time limits were amended to include Saturdays. Other ideas are on the horizon, including a potential electric shuttle.
Some paid zones are part of the pilot program. A few city parking lots will be part of the program, at the southwest side of Third and E streets, northeast side of Third and E streets, southeast side of First and E streets and southeast side of Second and H streets will become pay-to-park lots. The parking fee rate was amended to $0.50 an hour.
Gerving said signage is on the way to better point cars to the city parking lots. An employee permit pilot program will start to encourage the use of lots, to allow customers to use street parking that will be limited to two-hour parking.
Moulton said that the parking lot signs are not clear, with a large P but no “free parking” or public parking readily visible. She said constituents have told her this and have assumed in the past the lots were private.
Gerving said it would be easy enough to add a rectangular sign on the pole underneath that would say free public parking.
Fernandez and Moulton each noted concern for the employee parking permits eventually becoming paid, noting that many of the employees downtown are working class.
Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.
