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Rezoning decision awaits Supes today; after marathon meeting, board continues discussion - Thadeus Greenson/The Times-Standard
After a marathon session Tuesday high on acrimony and disagreement but short on decisions, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will continue meeting today to determine the fate of a massive effort to rezone properties throughout the county for multifamily housing developments.
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Supervisors punt rezone decision to next month; board action puts county in breach of lawsuit settlement - Thadeus Greenson/The Times-Standard
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors opted Wednesday to put off a final decision on its multifamily rezoning effort for about a month in a vote that puts the county in breach of a recent legal settlement and jeopardizes hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding.
Voting 4-1, with 3rd District Supervisor Mark Lovelace dissenting, the board delayed a decision on whether to approve a massive plan to rezone dozens of parcels throughout the county to accommodate multifamily housing developments until its Aug. 23 meeting. The board made the decision to allow more time to consult with the McKinleyville Community Services District, which stands staunchly opposed to the plan that would place 45 percent of the rezoned properties within its service area.
At the start of Wednesday's meeting, Lovelace also took a moment to apologize to the Humboldt Association of Realtors, after saying Tuesday the group seemed to have “lost its soul.” Lovelace deemed the remark “unwarranted and unhelpful,” saying it was made in frustration.
The county's plan -- plagued by a tight timeline -- seeks to rezone about 55 parcels throughout the county to allow for the development of more than 1,000 multifamily units, a little more than half of which would be designated for low-income families. Under state law, the county needs to rezone enough properties to provide for the construction of at least 980 multifamily units.
