Arcata, CA · Daily edition

Arcata news for Thursday, October 15, 2026

2 stories from Arcata and Humboldt County, in about three minutes.

Transportation · Arcata, CA

Arcata Cap Over Highway 101 Not Current Top Priority, City Says

Arcata officials say the proposed Arcata Cap—a five-acre platform over Highway 101 intended to add housing, retail, and recreation space—is not currently a top priority due to budget constraints and delayed state funding. The city received a $700,000 Caltrans grant for the next planning phase, which costs approximately $2.5 million, while the larger $148 million Reconnecting Communities grant awarded in 2024 remains undistributed amid California's budget shortfall. City engineer Khatri confirmed the cap remains within the Reconnecting Arcata project scope and said the city is pursuing additional federal funding.

Source: Lost Coast Outpost Read the full story ↗

Local Business · Arcata, CA

Arcata Planning Commission Approves City's First Cannabis Smoking Lounge

The Arcata Planning Commission unanimously granted Pacific Paradise, a dispensary on H Street, a permit amendment to open Arcata's first cannabis smoking lounge adjacent to its storefront. The approval, the first under city code legalized in April, requires the business to prevent smoke and odor from leaving the building and allows complaint-triggered city inspections. Owner Michael Bettencourt said the lounge will feature ventilation exceeding state minimum standards and staff N95 masks, but opening could take more than a year pending state approval and construction. City staff indicated they are using this project as a test case, with another applicant already expressing interest in a standalone smoke lounge.

Source: Lost Coast Outpost Read the full story ↗