This is Arcata’s Plan for the McKinley Statue

This is a press release from the City of Arcata:

Plaza V, Installation of McKinley statue 1906

Installation of McKinley statue 1906.

Arcata, CA –The City of Arcata has initiated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review as approved by the City Council for the removal of the McKinley statue.

The current scope of the project determined by the Arcata City Council vote on Wednesday, February 21 is to remove and store the statue and amend the City’s General Plan, which identifies the McKinley statue as a part of the Plaza Historic District. At the City Council meeting on Wednesday, March 21, Councilmembers discussed alternatives to determine where the statue would be relocated following removal, which will be taken into consideration during this process.

The McKinley statue is identified as a historic feature of the Plaza in the City’s guiding document called the General Plan, and this designation requires the City to complete an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prior to taking further action. The intent of environmental review under CEQA is to describe the potential impacts of removing McKinley to city officials and the public prior to removing the statue.

The City of Arcata Community Development Department is currently finalizing a full project summary and will consider the impacts of alternative options for the relocation such as placing the statue in storage, relocating the statue within Arcata, relocating the statue regionally or relocating the statue outside of the region.

In addition, Community Development Department staff is compiling a list of verified alternatives for statue placement following removal, and any interested community members are encouraged to come forward with offers and suggestions to be reviewed and considered.

The EIR process will be initiated by a public scoping meeting, which is estimated to take place at the end of April or early May. Following the meeting, the City will complete a Draft EIR and circulate it for 30 days, which is estimated to take place in June or July. The public and other agencies will have the opportunity to comment during this period.

Next, the Community Development Department will respond to input on the Draft EIR and prepare its findings. The findings will then be brought to the Planning Commission, who will make a recommendation to the City Council. These actions will be made at public hearings, currently estimated to take place in late summer through October.

The current timeline for the EIR process is estimated at six months, which is subject to change based on the number of public hearings the process requires.

Additional details will be announced as they become available.

Community members with offers and suggestions for the relocation of the McKinley statue are encouraged to call 707-822-5953 or email [email protected].

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26 Comments
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Ralph
Guest
Ralph
5 years ago

Lynch the statue and replace HIM with fake American Pocahontas Elizabeth Warren! Then everyone in Arcata will finally be happy.

CoveTroll
Guest
CoveTroll
5 years ago
Reply to  Ralph

I say just paint it black n Brown. Pretty cheap and pleasing

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

At least Arcata’s Cultural Revolution has been restricted to the purging of inanimate objects like the statue and not college professors. So far at least.

“Criticize the old world and build a new one with Mao Zedong Thought as a weapon.”

Bozo
Guest
Bozo
5 years ago

Why not just trade it for the Totem pole in McKinleyville?
If you haven’t seen it, it’s a big power pole, (which used to be painted),
has a couple of boards on top to represent wings.

Putting a makeshift Totem pole in the middle of the plaza would really attract tourists,
and serve as a ‘magnet’ attraction for the homeless & bums.

Might pull them out of Eureka. A good deal for all !

Cove broseph
Guest
Cove broseph
5 years ago
Reply to  Bozo

But that would be “ cultural appropriation “ and the wheels of manufactured outrage would start spinning once again

uri
Guest
uri
5 years ago

With an initiative likely to be put on the ballot for November all this work and expense associated with the EIR will be wasted either way. If the measure ends up saying the voters of Arcata want it gone than the EIR is not needed.
If they vote to keep it we are back to square one and the previous council vote means nothing.

Katherine Harvey
Guest
Katherine Harvey
5 years ago

I think it is a bad decision to remove the statue that has been there for years. It is our history folks!!!!

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

JUST PUT A FUCKIN GIANT BONG THERE SO ALL THE FUCKIN HIPPIE POTHEADS WILL SHUT THE HELL UP

Chuck U
Guest
Chuck U
5 years ago

I blame this on Arcata Police. They shut down partying years ago so none of these people understand the true historical meaning of this fine statue by many people like me…which is hanging off it drunk at midnight on New Years Eve dodging champagne and beer bottles flying everywhere!

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

I love how riled up all the conservatives get at any mention of Arcata.. makes it worth a read.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

I was thinking it was much like Trump Derangement Syndrome. But unfortunately it’s not quite the same. Trump got liberal’s shorts in a knot before he did anything at all because, after the Obama era rose colored glasses, it was a rude awakening that there was unlooked for resistance to their ideas. Liberals just couldn’t believe it. Refused to believe it. It’s Denialism.

On the other hand Arcata is the worse combination of liberal social theories with enough of an immature community, easily led, with the free time to act on them. It’s a conservative’s recurring nightmare after the Obama years. Sucking their income from the government allows Arcata to be as stupid as they want without having real world interference. It’s scary. Conservatives have recent examples of the mess such power created. It’s PTSD.

Mike
Guest
Mike
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Cue Emily…

CoveTroll
Guest
CoveTroll
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Love it guest

Honeydew Bridge C.H.U.M.P.
Guest
Honeydew Bridge C.H.U.M.P.
5 years ago

I’d sure like it in my garden, got several others that commies get angry over, because they are trying to rewrite history.

You know that these commies claim art is protected under first Amendment, until it jars their lies.

All these pieces of ART being removed can be used for a Redneck Style Theme Park?

Just buy them and when the theme park opens, young children will have a vacation that teaches values that Israel can’t control.

Ask me an The Plaza needs a Walmart to sell farm sushi, gmo organics, and fake dreads to cater to this nonsense.

After the fall, people will flock to ‘Neck Land, complete with art, ranges, and a simulator or using a SAM to down the jet that brought The Beatles here.

The country is hungry for ‘Neck Land, let’s use this art to create it.

avenuerider
Guest
5 years ago

While we are at it we need to take Washington off the dollar bill for being a slave owner along with all of the other currency.Let’s change history and erase everything that does not work with the socialist liberal agenda. Hitler and Stallen did the same thing.Let’s erase the constitution and re right it so it fits,never mind the truth. This is the difference between education and indoctranation.It is true those who want to erase history are destioned to repete it!

Life is good OG
Guest
Life is good OG
5 years ago

Sorry. With all the crazy shit going on in this county and this country, putting this much energy and money into a friggen statue is beyond me. I’m sure there is someone out there who can pitch a fit about every national monument we have too and what it represents to them in particular. But are we going to take it all down because of a few disgruntled people? Let’s look at the big picture in this country and get off the idiotic McKinley statue debacle.

Correct, but not politically correct
Guest
Correct, but not politically correct
5 years ago

At some point in the future, I will savor the irony when people will realize that the “activists” who are driving this bullshit are really just extremist thought police. They consider themselves “progressives” fighting for social justice (whatever the fuck that is), but really they’re authoritarian and repressive bullies, more like Stalinist goons than true free thinking tolerant people.

avenuerider
Guest
5 years ago

absolutely right!

Mike
Guest
Mike
5 years ago

Can I buy the statue? I’d like to put it at the bottom of my driveway with a giant American flag.

avenuerider
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Thank you!

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

The only saving grace to being made aware of these kinds of non thinking of Arcata-ites (Arcataians?) is that it is a singularly ugly statue. I think the reason for having it on a tall base is to remove it’s physical ugliness from the proximity of passersby who would then have to look at it if it was lower.

My solution would not be to try to chastise dead people in an attempt to indirectly chastise everyone but the current few “right thinkers” of today. Removing the statue removes understanding. Never a good thing. It would be better to raise the funds for a new memorial reflecting new values to be added to the Plaza. But I can see that would be too much like work.

Humboldt Hillsman
Guest
Humboldt Hillsman
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

The people of arcata would rather see a statue of someone that more represents their values. There is no problem with this. It’s our plaza so I don’t really see the problem here. Arcata is an overwealmingly liberal town, so why would we want a conservative colonialist to look at as we enjoy our farmers markets and other local events. We would much rather have a monument of someone that we respect that has done good deeds for humanity like MLK or someone who’s morals align with ours.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

I guess the best answer I can give is that editing out public monuments based on current value judgements is like a disease that spreads where people whose values are not in alignment or who value history are bullied for not agreeing. It’s demands spread, sowing discord.

Monuments are not like fads. Removing them is intended a political condemnation, especially when not just finding something more congenial to memorialize. It is not simply replacing with updated values. It has totally been framed in terms of the past being irredeemably evil. It is condemning what other people value, like trampling on a flag. You can not frame that in terms of personal feelings any more that you would frame a monument raised to honor to nazis as something that a city could do with impunity if their population wanted it.

Proud Deplorable Grandma
Guest
Proud Deplorable Grandma
5 years ago

Fighting slavery wasn’t good enough for you? This whole thing would be really ridiculous if it were not so dangerous.

“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it” and all that.

Life is good OG
Guest
Life is good OG
5 years ago

No offense but MLK’s morals weren’t all that great. Numerous affairs and cheating on his wife. Yes, he spoke of peace and equal rights which I think is beyond reproach, his morals? Not so much.

unbridled philistine
Guest
unbridled philistine
5 years ago

I blame HSU for spewing their garbage all over Arcata! What a bunch of dirt bag kids! never seen such half assed people dirt, shirt torn kids! They are future? Oh shit!