To: Planning Commission
From: Planning and Building Department
Agenda Section: Continued
SUBJECT:
title
A Public Workshop on the Humboldt Bay Area Plan (HBAP).
Assessor Parcel Numbers (APN) 000-000-000
Record No.: LRP-2023-18700
All of the unincorporated areas of Humboldt County within the Humboldt Bay Area Plan.
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Planning Commission:
1. Request that staff present the staff report;
2. Receive public comment;
3. Deliberate and comment on the Humboldt Bay Area Plan Public Draft; and
4. Provide guidance to Planning & Building Staff on any desired amendments to the draft Humboldt Bay Area Plan prior to a public hearing.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Project Location: All unincorporated areas of Humboldt County, within the Humboldt Bay Area Plan.
Present General Plan Land Use Designation: All land use designations within the Humboldt Bay Area Plan.
Present Zoning: All coastal zoning districts within the Humboldt Bay Area Plan.
Environmental Review: N/A for workshop.
State Appeal: N/A for workshop.
Executive Summary:
This is a continued workshop from 7/16/2026 and 8/6/2026. Staff and the Planning Commission have been working with Humboldt Bay Area Plan Version 2 - Workshop Draft 07.16.2026 (Attachment 1) during the workshops.
Background
The Humboldt Bay Area Plan (HBAP) is being revised and updated as a collaborative project between the Planning Department and California Coastal Commission (CCC). The HBAP was originally certified in 1982.
Proposed Changes
Changes from the previous Planning Commission workshops and Public Comments made to the HBAP include:
• General Edits (Update background information and policies to reflect current conditions, grammar, formatting, error corrections)
o Fix spelling and grammatical errors.
o Revisions per Planning Commission and Public Comments.
• Sea Level Rise (SLR) (Background information, policies, guidance from CCC documents)
o Met with CCC to discuss comments and decide which SLR scenario to use. It was decided that the intermediate high scenario was appropriate.
• Tsunami (Background information, policies, guidance from CCC documents)
o Met with CCC to discuss comments and to decide which Tsunami scenario to use. It was decided that the 975-year scenario was appropriate.
• Revisions to 2.1 Tribal History
o Revisions made to 2.1 Tribal History Background after receiving input from the Planning Commission and Public Comment.
o Reached out to Local Tribes asking for their input.
• Coastal-Dependent Industrial (Background information, policies)
o Add discussion about renewable energy.
o Remove some references to offshore wind per Planning Commission comments.
• Addition of Aquaculture section under Agriculture
o Per Planning Commission direction and Public Comments.
• Samoa Town Master Plan
o No changes proposed in the draft. Any changes would be discussed with residents via Zoom public meeting 8/31/26.
o The following topics would like to be discussed:
§ Add “Completed in (date)” for any STMP Policy that has been completed.
§ Add CCC additions to “Purpose and General Provisions”.
§ Revisions to “Preservation and Enhancement of Community Character and Visual Resources”. Specifically, STMP (Community Character/Visual) Policy 6 by not requiring a Coastal Development Permit to repaint or reroof a house.
• Add that exterior lighting shall be consistent with the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance in STMP (Community Character/Visual) Policy 8.
• Add that signs shall be consistent with the Signs Ordinance in STMP (Community Character/Visual) Policy 9.
Revised HBAP Drafts
Changes made to the Humboldt Bay Area Plan Version 2 - Workshop Draft 07.16.2026 (Attachment 1) are shown in red strikethrough/underline in Humboldt Bay Area Plan Version 2 - Workshop Draft REVISED 09.03.2026 (Attachment 2).
Public Engagement
A public meeting via Zoom was held on February 17, 2026, at 6pm, to provide an overview of how the HBAP is going to be updated and reengage the public on the project.
A public meeting via Zoom was held on June 16, 2026, at 6pm, to go over the Public Draft, receive public comment, and answer any questions.
A public meeting via Zoom was held on July 7, 2026, at 5:30pm, to address questions and concerns over the Samoa Town Master Plan. This meeting was created in response to public comment.
A public meeting via Zoom was held on August 31, 2026, at 6pm, to address questions and concerns over the Samoa Town Master Plan.
Public Comments
Public Comments from June 13, 2026, through August 3, 2026, are attached as Attachment 3. Attachment 4 provides a list of the public comments made and responses to those comments by staff.
Other Agency Involvement:
California Coastal Commission
Attachments:
1. HBAP Version 2 - Workshop Draft 07.16.2026
2. HBAP Version 2 - Workshop Draft REVISED 09.03.2026
3. Public Comments 6/13/2026 - 8/3/2026
4. Response to Public Comments
5. Land Use and Zone Change List
A. Land Use and Zone Change Maps
Please contact Reanne Meighan, Associate Planner, at rmeighan@co.humboldt.ca.us or 707-268-3713 if you have questions about this item.