Ballot Measure Pits Housing Against Parking In Eureka

While many jurisdictions in California have been working hard to develop housing elements that comply with state law—whether stakeholders like it or not—a ballot measure in the city of Eureka in Humboldt County may lead that city in the opposite direction. If passed, Measure F could incur penalties from the state. That’s the argument made by opponents of Measure F, an initiative they say would upend development on six city-owned downtown parking lots, totaling about 640 spaces, that are slated for affordable housing under the city’s housing element. The measure would maintain the current parking supply on the downtown lots and instead rezone a school-owned parcel outside of downtown for parking. Eureka’s election battle is all the more intriguing because the group sponsoring the measure, Citizens for a Better Eureka, is financed with $1 million from Rob Arkley. Arkley owns Security National Properties, a downtown Eureka-based business with about 200 employees. Security’s employees park in some of the impacted city lots. (Arkley received national attention in 2023 when ProPublica reported that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito stayed free at a Alaskan fishing lodge that Arkley owned, and Alito didn’t report the gift.)

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