If Humboldt had any rail transit or BRT, the land within a mile or so of that line and especially the stops would be granted special status under EXISTING state law, exempting it from nearly all environmental and local zoning laws. If the developer can finagle the numbers to promise (delivery may be optional) "affordable" housing at certain levels in the project, density bonuses can apply that allow essentially high-rise apartments in otherwise single-family zones. But Humboldt doesn't have that kind of transit, so existing zoning and CEQA mostly apply. Tough luck Rob. Throw a little money at NWP or whoever to activate the tracks around the bay for transit purposes and you might get what you want.