Blue Lake plans to annex up to 134 acres By Matt Kapko Eye Reporter The Arcata Eye October 7, 2003 Over the years, the Blue Lake Rancheria and City of Blue Lake have found their relationship in times of cooperation and times of conflict. Currently, both governments are seeking annexation of land and find their interests again somewhat at odds. Residents and public officials alike were given a brief overview, at last Tuesday’s City Council meeting, of the process and issues that may result with annexation by the city, and also the Tribe. The public response to annexation is heavily weighed in favor of going along with the city’s plans. Those who’ve opposed the move are often more interested in keeping their government at bay in Eureka. For others it boils down to the availability of water and sewer. The city wants to annex land to increase its tax base and continue to provide water and sewer services to households outside the city limits. The parcels being sought for annexation vary from timber production zones to agricultural land and some residential housing tracts. The Rancheria’s scope is exclusively limited to the parcels of land it owns outside its land trust. The city’s plans, however, bring the potential for 134 land parcels to be annexed by the city. Such a goal has been on the council’s agenda for more than a year. It sent its proposal to the Planning Commission for recommendations last October. Since that time, the commission has held a series of meetings to gather input from residents that helped determine the commission’s recommendations and gauge the public’s reaction to annexation. City Planner Bob Brown presented to the council a draft report on annexation generated from those meetings, which includes the Planning Commission’s pre-zoning recommendations, details on each of the properties being considered and various maps that bring the city’s potential growth to full view. He expects to have the environmental documentation complete by January. One concern made clear by Brown is the potential for overload on the city’s sewer system. If the entire area being considered for annexation is annexed and each of the property owners apply for sewer immediately, the city’s current sewer system couldn’t sustain the demand, he said. Brown is expecting to avoid such a dilemma with a steady influx of applications for water and sewer service, rather than all at once. The goal is that each new hookup to the city’s system would help fund projects to increase the city’s sewer capacity. City Manager Wiley Buck said if annexation occurs, he expects a minor increase in police demand and calls, but nothing insurmountable. While the Rancheria isn’t supporting the city’s annexation plans, it is considering the annexation of Tribal-owned parcels to its land trust. City Councilmember Marlene Smith, who also serves as the council’s liaison to the Rancheria, asked the Tribe to explain its plans to the council for clarity and also, to continue her goal of improving the city’s relations with the Tribe. “The tribal holdings are going to increase. That’s a fact,” Smith said at the outset of the meeting. She said the Tribe is willing to include the city in its process and urged the council to quickly find its course. “I believe if not now, in the near future, this council will have to think about what part, if any, the city will take,” she said. Desperately wishing to avoid the conflicts that so divided the two governments in the past she said, “There is no question this will take tremendous levels of trust, on both sides.” Smith sees this as an opportunity for the city to, yet again, see if it can work in tandem with the Tribe. “If we aren’t able to work together, any hope of future collaboration will probably vanish,” she concluded. One of the Tribe’s properties sits at the corner of South Railroad Avenue and Chartin Way, just outside city limits at the main entrance to town from State Route 299. The Rancheria has plans to add this property and others to its trust for many of the same reasons as the city, Tribal Chair Arla Ramsey told the council. Jurisdiction over the land will change hands and land use designations will be directed by the Rancheria, not the city. The land will be held in a trust, but it doesn’t require that the land be included in the Tribe’s reservation. Reservation boundaries can only be expanded by executive order or congressional order, Ramsey said. “It’s a protection, because in the past a lot of Tribal people were ripped off,” she said. Rancheria members from previous generations were often duped into selling their property for amounts much lower than the actual value. Once the land is placed in a trust, the Tribe is protected from falling victim to deceptions such as occurred in the past. Ramsey insists that the Rancheria’s plan for the properties are compatible with current zoning, but the Rancheria’s long-term plans haven’t been fully revealed. One plan that the Rancheria is hoping to have done by the end of the year is construction of the Pavilion, a new bingo hall situated alongside the current casino structure. It has filed an application for water and sewer services from the city, which will need to be contracted for in a memorandum of understanding. The council will further discuss and possibly approve the Tribe’s application at its special scheduled meeting of Oct. 20. The Planning Commission and City Council will be meeting together that night for more detailed discussion on the city’s annexation plans. Home