Why I Love Humboldt County, California!

I Love Humboldt County, California!

A picture is worth a thousand words!

But just in case you missed some of them, let me repeat.  The mountains trail down right to the ocean, so we Eurekans can walk on the beach, often in the warm sun, and see snow in the mountain peaks inland a few miles.  I love the way big waves crash against our rocky coast and spray foam everywhere.  I love to walk the docks and quiz my wife about the different types of rigs on the sailboats.  I love buying fresh crab or fresh tuna off the fishing boats in the marina.  70% of the oysters grown in California are grown in Humboldt Bay! 

And the Victorian seaport of Eureka is a fabulous place to wander and look.  The architecture is epic!  The Carson Mansion is widely considered to be the most prominent example of Queen Anne Victorian architecture, and there are so many gorgeous examples of Victorian architecture in the Old Town area!  There are tons of cute little stores for shopping.  Great food in a wide variety of restaurants.  And lots of interesting people!  I truly love Eureka!

A Lesson for Victorian Homes from the Eureka, CA Earthquake

Many of you will recall that Eureka, California made national news on January 10, 2010 when a 6.5 earthquake rocked the city. We counted our own blessings, and were promptly forgotten by the rest of the world, when 2 days later when a 7.0 earthquake destroyed the country of Haiti. We in Eureka were truly fortunate, as there were no injuries, and relatively little property damage. My family lives in a 1902 Queen Anne Victorian home in the Henderson Center neighborhood of Eureka, and we sustained some property damage as our home rolled with the ground – lots of broken glasses, some dumped bookshelves, and our spice rack got de-alphabetized. (tear, sniffle)


Like all Californians, though, I know the “big one” is coming, so I immediately vowed to put a concrete perimeter foundation under my Victorian as soon as I could afford it. When a friend asked me how we had fared during the earthquake, I mentioned my plans. He gravely told me that was a bad idea, as the rigidity of the concrete perimeter would transfer more of the force of the earthquake to my home, thereby causing more structural damage; but the original post and pier foundation would allow the home to roll with the ground wave, and minimize the structural damage. “Why in the world do so many other updated Victorian homes have concrete perimeter foundations?” I thought. Hmm. What to do?

A couple of months ago I was visiting with a local civil engineer, Neale Penfold Sr., about the home of a client, and it was evident to me that he was in the talking mood after a long day. I decided to make it productive talk, so I asked his opinion; “Which is the better foundation for a Victorian home to survive the next big Eureka quake, a post and pier foundation, or a concrete perimeter?” He said, “Neither.” Mr. Penfold confirmed that post and piers allowed a home to flex, and that a concrete perimeter did indeed transfer more shock to the home.

He went on to explain a 3rd way. He said that lots of folks in the Eureka area have had lots of luck with a reinforced, braced post and pier system, whereby the posts are set on structurally enhanced concrete footings much bigger than the originals. The house is then attached to the posts, and the posts to the piers. Finally, the piers are cross-braced pretty extensively to one another. He said that this combination had the flexibility of the post and pier foundation, and the strength of the concrete perimeter foundation, and with the added bonus of being cheaper to boot!

Any other California Victorian owners out there? What experiences have you had with your home and earthquakes? Send them to me at Jeff@RealtorJeff.net!

Marijuana Co-ops and Distribution Centers in Eureka, CA?

I’m on the Planning Commission for the city of Eureka, CA, and on Tuesday, June 1 from 2:00 – 4:00 we are looking at a city planning ordinance to deal with medical marijuana. The ordinance has 2 parts. Part 1 is about individuals with a 215 card growing their own marijuana in their own homes; it’s pretty straight forward. State law and subsequent court cases say we have to allow them to grow their own pot, so the ordinance sets up guidelines about how that can be done. I encourage you to read the text of Prop. 215.

The 2nd part of the ordinance, though, is more controversial. There are those 215 permit holders who aren’t able to grow their own marijuana (health impediments or lack of permission from landlords, for example) so we are discussing whether the City of Eureka should allow for 215 Cooperatives to grow marijuana on larger scales, and whether they should be allowed to set up distribution centers for their members.

Theoretically, the 215 card holders would set up a cooperative that would grow the marijuana in an industrial building somewhere, for example, and then set up a distribution center in some place like an office complex for their members to pick up their marijuana. The questions are 1) Does the City want marijuana cooperatives and distribution centers at all, 2) Does the City want to allow a limited number of them, or 3) Does the City want to allow an unlimited number of them.

The first time this came before us we had a lot of “unlimited” proponents, folks who have 215 cards, and some health professionals that promote the use of medicinal marijuana. We didn’t have any of the following:

1) Health professionals that don’t support medical marijuana
2) Community members concerned about the sociological impact of marijuana coops and distribution centers
3) Law enforcement folks concerned about crime associated with marijuana coops and distribution centers
4) Youth/Education folks concerned about access for young people

So if you or someone you know falls into one of these categories, either pass this blog's link on to them or send me their name and contact info so I can contact them directly.

Also, if you have strong feelings on this issue, show up at the City Council Chambers in City Hall on Tuesday, June 1 at 2:00 to voice your concerns.