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Dear Kym,
I have a major update on the Samoa block situation that proves public pressure is working, and I have the internal County documents to back it up.
After a Public Records Act (PRA) request, I received the official Humboldt County DHHS Environmental Health Complaint Report (#EH-CMP-26-00026). This document reveals a massive disconnect between what the Planning Department tells the public and what their own inspectors found on the ground.
While Planning Director John Ford told me in January that there were “no enforceable violations,” this newly released report shows that a team of County inspectors and a CUPA inspector descended on the site on February 3, 2026. Furthermore, on February 18, 2026, the US EPA stepped in with a formal complaint referral (CalEPA Portal No. COMP-66702).
That federal and environmental health pressure is the real reason the developer suddenly threw up a perimeter fence and “Lead Hazard Area” signs.
The Standoff and the Loophole
According to the report, the County has hesitated to issue standard code enforcement citations because the developer’s overarching permit allows them to defer lead remediation until the actual “restoration” phase of each structure. However, because the structures are currently sitting entirely stagnant, with widespread community speculation pointing to unresolved design or access issues holding up progress, the developer is letting the homes rot in place, using the future permit as a legal shield to avoid basic, immediate maintenance laws like IPMC §304.6.
The County’s own visual inspection confirmed the hazard is real, yet they admitted they have taken zero soil or dust samples, claiming they lack the funds to test the environment unless a local resident is actively diagnosed with lead poisoning. Waiting for a child to be poisoned before testing a self-identified “Lead Hazard Area” is a failure of proactive public safety.
Internal Recourse
Recognizing the ongoing danger, Environmental Health staff noted in the report that the best immediate recourse is to have County Health Officer Dr. Candy Stockton write a formal letter to the Board of Supervisors recommending emergency code enforcement to break the bureaucratic stalemate.
Call to Action for the Community
A chain-link fence stops trespassers, but it does absolutely nothing to prevent toxic lead dust from blowing through the neighborhood, nor does it address the open windows and doors welcoming disease vectors.
Since Environmental Health staff indicated their hands are tied by planning permits, the single most effective thing the public can do right now is urge our Health Officer to act.
Please take 60 seconds to email County Health Officer Dr. Candy Stockton at [email protected] and urge her to protect public safety:
The Demand: Ask Dr. Stockton to immediately write and submit her formal letter to the Board of Supervisors recommending emergency code enforcement for the Cadman Street block in Samoa.
The Message: Remind her that the County’s own inspectors documented broken windows inviting bat infestations, an open rear door, and standing water breeding mosquitoes on an old fuel pad. A fence is a legal shield for the developer, not an abatement. Urge her to use her authority to recommend that the Board override the stalled permit timeline and force the immediate boarding and stabilization of these structures.
Best regards, Dan Shahin
