The Caltrans Covenants

You may have heard of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Covenants, either from the Eureka Heritage Society, by a property owner, or by City of Eureka staff when inquiring about a project on your property. What is a Caltrans covenant? How did the covenants become affiliated with the Heritage Society? What do you do if you own a property with a covenant? The story began five decades ago.

In the early 1970s, Caltrans was proposing to bypass Eureka with a freeway system instead of the surface streets of Fifth and Fourth. This wasn’t too long after the freeway had been constructed through Arcata, so these types of projects were known to the community.

Caltrans developed four different options for the freeway: a route east of Eureka through what was mostly forested land; a route that used the jetties but would require a bridge over the mouth of Humboldt Bay; a route along the Eureka waterfront; and a route that was elevated (think the former Embarcadero Freeway in San Francisco) and was located in the heart of Eureka.

In 1971, Caltrans adopted the elevated route, known as the Eureka Freeway Route, and began purchasing the 91 parcels that were in the right-of-way of the proposed freeway. Some of the properties’ buildings were relocated prior to purchase, but many of them came under the ownership of Caltrans.

Construction on the freeway was slated to begin in 1975, but the project was suspended due to State funding shortages because of an oil embargo and reduced gas tax revenues. The freeway project was put on hold indefinitely with no movement until the early 1990s.

In 1993, the City of Eureka requested that Caltrans determine the feasibility and desirability of the freeway along the adopted route. Caltrans and other agencies met and determined that, indeed, the project as proposed in 1971 was no longer feasible nor desirable; the project was formally rescinded by the California Transportation Commission in March 1995.

Forty-six historical properties were at risk.

The proposed freeway route would have started at the Eureka Slough and Sixth Street and cut a southwestern swath through Eureka until it reached Broadway around Grant Street.

  1. 539 T Street APN: 002-112-004 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7941-01-03
  2. 615 Myrtle APN: 002-114-001 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7946
  3. 1576 6th Street APN: 001-253-009 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7920-01-01
  4. 1510 6th Street APN: 001-253-002 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7912-01-01
  5. 1504 6th Street APN: 001-253-001 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7911-01-01
  6. 1224 6th Street APN: 001-235-003 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7869-01-01
  7. 600 P Street APN: 001-254-004 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7896-01-01
  8. 623 P Street (water tower) APN: 001-253-019 Internal covenant: No External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7922-01-01
  9. 1505 7th Street APN: 001-253-019 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7922-01-01
  10. 1435 7th Street APN: 001-254-005 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7899-01-01
  11. 1331 7th Street APN: 001-234-006 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7887-01-01
  12. 1625 7th Street APN: 001-253-014 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7928-01-01/DE6924-01-07
  13. 904 J Street APN: 005-014-011 Internal covenant: No External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7822-01-01
  14. 918 J Street APN: 005-014-004 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7824-01-01
  15. 933 I Street APN: 005-014-006 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7821-01-01
  16. 921 I Street APN: 005-014-007 Internal covenant: No External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7820-01-01
  17. 901-903 I Street APN: 005-014-001 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7817-01-01
  18. 835 I Street APN: 005-011-004 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7812-01-01
  19. 805 I Street APN: 005-011-001 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7809
  20. 725 10th Street APN: 005-015-007 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7807-01-01
  21. 935 H Street APN: 005-015-008 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7801-01-01
  22. 903 H Street APN: 005-015-001 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: D7798-01-01
  23. 718 9th Street APN: 005-015-001 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7798-01-01
  24. 915 G Street APN: 005-016-008 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7786-01-01
  25. 924-926 G Street APN: 004-221-003 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7779-01-01
  26. 934 G Street APN: 004-221-004 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7780-01-01
  27. 942 G Street APN: 004-221-005 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7781-01-01
  28. 1000 G Street APN: - Internal covenant: - External covenant: - Caltrans reference: DD7782-01-01
  29. 1008-1010 G Street APN: 004-221-006 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7782-01-01
  30. 915 F Street APN: 004-221-017 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7773-01-01
  31. 939 F Street APN: 004-221-020 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7775-01-01
  32. 944 F Street APN: 004-222-018 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7765-01-02
  33. 1000 F Street APN: 004-222-017 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7765
  34. 929-933 E Street APN: 004-222-010 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7764-01-01/DE7762-01-03/DE7763-01-02
  35. 917-919 E Street APN: 004-222-011 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7763-01-01/DE7762-01-02
  36. 905 E Street APN: 004-222-001 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7762-01-01
  37. 325 Grant Street APN: 004-151-012 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7760-01-01
  38. 932 C Street APN: 004-093-005 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7739-01-01
  39. 914 B Street APN: 004-094-003 Internal covenant: No External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7728-01-01
  40. 824 B Street (formerly included 35 Washington) APN: 004-092-004 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7724
  41. 903 A Street APN: 004-094-001 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7725-01-01
  42. 5 W. Washington Street APN: 004-095-004 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7715-01-01
  43. 15-15 1/2 W. Washington Street APN: 004-095-003 Internal covenant: No External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7714-01-01
  44. 17 W. Washington Street APN: 004-095-003 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7714-01-01
  45. 25-1/2 W. Washington Street APN: 004-095-012 Internal covenant: No External covenant: No Caltrans reference: DD7713-01-01
  46. 815 California (formerly included 34 W. Washington Street) APN: , 001-045-015 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7717-01-01
  47. 836 California APN: 001-046-006 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7705-01-01
  48. 836 California (Carriage House) APN: - Internal covenant: - External covenant: - Caltrans reference: -
  49. 137 W. Washington APN: 004-011-001 Internal covenant: Yes External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7706-01-01
  50. 235 W. Washington APN: 004-012-001 Internal covenant: - External covenant: Yes Caltrans reference: DD7691-01-01