A Vision for a Better, More Vibrant Downtown Eureka

The Citizens for a Better Eureka is a coalition of concerned residents and business owners seeking to have the City of Eureka step back from turning downtown parking lots into very low- and low-income housing developments. CBE is asking the city officials to work collaboratively with business owners, special interest groups, and residents on a sustainable downtown redevelopment plan and consider other viable options for housing developments.

Challenge

Eureka desperately needs more housing, but undermining the economic vitality of downtown is not the way to solve our affordable housing crisis.

  • The City of Eureka plans to eliminate 640 public parking spaces from the downtown area and put in low- and very-low income housing. This has the potential to severely impact the economic vitality of our historic downtown. 
  • There is no plan to provide parking for visitors, tourists, shoppers, and downtown workers. Removing the "lifeline" of parking for restaurants and retail shops will further impact their businesses.

Solution

Together, we believe we can develop a collaborative vision and plan for downtown.

  • Develop a comprehensive Downtown Traffic and Parking Plan that considers the needs of downtown workers and businesses and that revitalizes our historic downtown as a center for culture and the arts and a magnet for tourists and visitors.
  • Preserve the 640 parking spaces the city is trying to sell off for low-income housing.
  • Improve public safety in downtown to ensure workers, visitors and residents are safe and secure.
  • Identify viable alternative sites where affordable housing for working- and middle-income families, as well as low income can be developed.
    • One such alternative is the 14-acre, publicly owned former school on Utah Street that is adjacent to transit, walking distance from shopping and services and can accommodate three times as many homes as the city is proposing for the downtown parking lots.

Voters' Views

A recently completed survey* of 365 Eureka voters assessed their views on the City of Eureka's proposal to build new affordable housing on nine existing parking lots in downtown.

Key findings of the survey include:

  • A majority of voters oppose the City's proposal to replace nine parking lots with affordable housing for low-income residents
  • Most people travel to downtown Eureka by car, and a majority don't think there is sufficient parking downtown.
  • While a majority say downtown is well-maintained, they view homelessness as a very serious problem.
  • Three in five feel unsafe walking downtown at night.
  • Less than half say they trust city government to do what is right for downtown.

For more information on the poll, click here.

* Poll conducted by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates