Residents Implore State to Fund Gateway Project for Southern Humboldt Hub
[Click on the conceptual plan to access a zoomable version of the plan]
The project is intended to market Garberville as the gateway to Humboldt, updating underground utilities, replacing dilapidated sidewalks, enhancing crosswalks, installing pedestrian lighting, landscaping, and parking; Essentially giving the main street in Garberville a much-needed facelift to encourage tourism, business development and curb appeal.
Humboldt County began the revamping efforts years ago, and at the time it, had earmarked funds for the six-million-dollar project, according to SHBVB Director of Operations, Laura Lasseter. A stakeholder’s group was founded, studies were done, and plans were drawn up. The project is basically “shovel-ready”, but those earmarked funds were spent elsewhere.
Now, county officials and Garberville residents are writing letters and gathering signatures to implore Senator Padilla to allocate funds to complete the project. States have been awarded federal funds from Biden’s $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Bill and the $1.8 trillion Build Back Better Act funds.
Supporters of the Complete Streets project wants some of those funds to be allocated to the hub of Southern Humboldt. Lasseter said that the state and county have extracted roughly $70 million in Measure S and state cultivation tax revenue from the Southern Humboldt area. “We can’t only have extraction from the south part of the county, we need to invest back in its future. And that time is now!” she wrote.
Trent Sanders, business owner, founding board member of SHBVB, and Complete Streets Project stakeholder committee member, said that the completed project will allow the Southern Humboldt region to attract investors and tourists; something the area desperately needs. In addition to lifting the overall appearance of the town, Sanders said the project will increase property values and the enlarged sidewalks will be ADA compliant and allow space for outdoor seating for the town’s remaining restaurants.
Prior to being elected to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, business owner and Southern Humboldt resident, Michelle Bushnell was also a Complete Streets Project stakeholder committee member. Bushnell has been advocating at the state level for project funding, gathering letters of support.
Bushnell told Redheaded Blackbelt, “I would encourage everyone to sign this petition, we need to lift this up so this project will get funded by the state. We as a county have done all we can do on our end and need the state to know the value of funding and supporting this project.”
To sign the Garberville Complete Streets Infrastructure Project petition, click here: Petition · Garberville Complete Streets Infrastructure Project · Change.org
Note: This author is a Garberville resident and supporter of the Garberville Complete Streets Infrastructure Project.
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Seems like a stretch to call this project “complete streets”, as that term refers to creating safe conditions for all users, including drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, the mobility impaired, and public transportation.
https://www.transportation.gov/mission/health/complete-streets–not so much parking, landscaping, etc.
An examination of the conceptual plan reveals bike lanes, enhanced pedestrian crossings, mid-block pedestrian crossings (near Ray’s), bike facilities (parking, etc.), designated stops for public transport, a traffic pattern designed to slow vehicles passing through town, more street lighting, enhanced sidewalks with handicapped crossing, among pedestrian and bicycle-friendly alterations.
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I hope that all lighting design is done with an effort to prevent light pollution, and use warm color temperature, as cooler color temps disrupt human night vision.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution
https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/light-pollution-solutions/
Let’s spend $6 million on pothole repair in sohum, perhaps some trails where pedestrians have no verge to walk o7. G-ville is walkable, cars drive slowly and we have 8 great crosswalks. Aside from concrete workers, this does not seem like it would actually help our struggling economy in any meaningful way.
I thought we were the gateway to the Avenue of the giants. The 215r’s are moving out so town is less crowded. We should wait a year before we do changes that might not need to be done with the growers moving out. Leave town alone. Do not change our town character. This idea is 8 years late.
This is putting lipstick on a pig… until the homeless hoards at night pissing & shitting wherever they want, & being a general nuisance is addressed this is a waste of time
It would definitely be gilding a boar hog…
(and I’m not talking about the town…)
It is a pretty map- how much did this and the under whelming community input cost to develop? At least 7 business on the map no longer exist. Trees planted 30 years ago have been cut down as they matured. New plantings that need on going maintenance and water- and the county can’t even see the sense in funding maintenance of the public toilet.
An ambitious, costly project that provides feel good curb appeal and raises property value seems like a screwy goal. Tourist don’t come here for Garberville, they come for nature and culture, one of those still exists….no quantity of artful concrete, brick, lighting, fountains and bike paths will resurrect the the other.
🤔🧐I think a big part of what is killing, and has killed, may of the businesses and businessmen and businesswomen on Garberville main street, is the exorbitant jacked up rents they have to pay the property owners…
Who might those property owners be???
It’s not some of the same folks lobbying for relief, that are a big part of the problems, is it?🤷♂️
Do you think those outrageous rents might possibly be a factor in the empty storefronts and eateries?
Is there nothing they can do to alleviate part of those problems?
(Yes those are rhetorical questions…)
Good points to bring to the forum! Empty storefronts have a direct affect on tourism. Let’s put the landlord in the spotlight and hear their stories.
It’s a hard time. Yet this community needs some support to get through an era created by the ‘leaders’ in Humboldt county and in Sacramento.
Garberville has much to offer as the hub of a very interesting rural community. It was improved by the income derived from the ‘back to the landers’ and the cannabis industry (after the logging industry collapsed). And, while it is struggling now, if marketed correctly, this community will renew itself. (The long dreamed-about Marijuana Museum would anchor a serious interest here).
PS: The ‘homeless’ situation is a bummer. Yet unhoused people are everywhere now. Not unique to Garberville, maybe more visible though with one ‘main street’.
If you click on and look at the street designs, the one on the left shows a ‘Brown’s Sporting Goods’ sign, just like the original, hanging from a street lamp. To my understanding, that sign was taken down for the building facelift and not put back up. I really appreciate that store, it’s funky, overstuffed style and the very casual, down-home feel there. THAT is old school, authentic Garberville and we need to help them and other business owners survive! Yes! Hang Brown’s sign up (on the street lamp and the store front)!
Pot for potholes!
Save your town yourself. US GOV OUT IF HUMBOLDT COUNTY https://therenegadenation.org/video-posts/interview-dr-andrew-kaufaman/
Internalize the profits and externalize the cost to the public, this is what private developers do best, outside of public meeting and in backroom deals. The only one who benefits from boondoggles like this are developers, allot of smoke and mirrors, without any detailed information, management plan or financial responsibility! Where do you plan to have water shipped in from? Or if PG$E can support this project? Who is the SHBVB, a private group of developers who need public funding to internalize the profits and claim, with nothing to back it up, it will increase your property value. They will say anything, because if their lips are moving, they are lying…