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Lakeport Police logs: Saturday, Jan. 10
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
00:00 EXTRA PATROL 2601100001
Occurred at Lake County Law Library on 3D....
Lake County Planning Commission gives approval to updated Cristallago project plans
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Planning Commission has approved updates to plans for the mixed use residential, resort and winegrape growing project known as Cristallago, slated to be located on hundreds of acres in the north Lakeport area.
The project update went before the commission at its Thursday meeting.
Cristallago Development Corp. of Gridley, headed by President Matt Boeger, requested the certification of addendum to the project's environmental impact report, an amendment to the general plan of development and a time extension to the project's general plan of development, all of which the commission would grant in unanimous votes.
In 2010, the project was the focus of a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club Lake Group against the county of Lake and Cristallago Development Corp. following the Board of Supervisors' decision to give the project the go-ahead.
In particular, the lawsuit had alleged that the county had violated the California Environmental Quality Act by certifying the project's environmental impact report, which the suit claimed had failed to thoroughly address environmental issues and project impacts.
The lawsuit, which was settled in August 2010, called for additional mitigations and studies, and included the addition of new language to the general plan regarding mixed use resort proposals outside of community growth boundaries.
Planning staffers Josh Dorris, Audrey Knight and Peggy Barthel presented the report on the project to the commission on Thursday.
They explained that, as originally submitted, the project was to have included a 187-acre, 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course; 587 acres of open space; 650 single family homes; 325 resort units; a 25,000-square-foot clubhouse/Tuscan Hillside Village; and an entryway commercial center.
The project's plan has been altered and Boeger now proposes to remove the golf course and replace it with a 292-acre Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard.
The revamped Cristallago also would have 624 acres of open space, of which 292 acres would be the sustainably farmed vineyard and 300 acres would be dedicated in perpetuity as a nature preserve. A 15-acre parcel at the project's main entrance, to be situated at Park Way and Highway 29, would preserve the fields with oak trees where the vineyard is not planted, according to planning documents.
Other project aspects include 475 residential lots in the project's northern portion; 325 resort units, a count which encompasses a 65-unit hotel; a vista spa atop one of the project's highest points; a community center and staffed “kid's club”; fitness center; swimming pool; a 17,000-square-foot commercial wine village that would include 7,000 square feet of wine tasting, 10,000 square feet of retail space – including a 75-seat restaurant – and a visitor center, with the commercial center relocated to the southern end of the project footprint.
Cristallago as now envisioned would be built in three phases. Phase one entails preparing, planting and farming the vineyard only over a 15- to 20-year period.
Dorris said main concerns were hydrology and water quality, and a preliminary assessment on water supply showed that the wells that would supply the project would be independent from the Scotts Valley aquifer. Those wells would meet the vineyard's required peak month irrigation flow rate, with subsequent phases needing to annex to County Service Area 21 in order to obtain the necessary water supply.
Barthel said Cristallago's original environmental impact report looked at impacts when a golf course was still part of the plan.
Regarding grading, a vineyard is not much different than a golf course in terms of environmental impact, she said, thus staff felt an addendum to the environmental impact report was appropriate.
It was noted during the meeting that the county's agricultural commissioner was not necessarily a proponent of the project due to the proximity of the wine crush facility to homes.
As in the past, neighbors raised objections to the project, including one man who said he and his wife recently retired to the area and had bought land adjacent to the project, but had no idea that Cristallago was proposed next door.
Other neighbors to the project, John Lee and Brad Peters – both of whom have been vocal opponents of Cristallago since its inception more than a decade ago – were on hand to once against lodge their protests.
Lee called Cristallago “just the same old mudball” wrapped up in a new ribbon, while Peters said he felt a standalone vineyard was the better option, and pointed out that the valley floor in that area is sinking.
Sierra Club Lake Group representative Victoria Brandon said that the area remains in a very serious drought situation.
“There is tremendous justifiable concern throughout the community about water,” she said, adding, “This is a great big project, they can afford to do a new evaluation of the water.”
Brandon added that she believed the updated plan was a “major improvement” over the previous one.
Boeger told the commission that he started working on the project in 2004, and spent six years and almost $3 million to get the project through the proper studies, including the 2,500-page environmental impact report.
He said no one before this project or since it was proposed has conducted this level of study.
Boeger noted that the project's layout has been reconfigured to place the core commercial center closer to the main access point off of Highway 29 and Park Way.
The main change, he said, was to remove the golf course, which was going to cost $20 million to build.
“It became economically unsustainable in today's marketplace,” he said, explaining that adding the vineyard was more in keeping with the county and will offer cash flow.
He said the revised Cristallago concept is modeled after the Napa Valley Reserve project, which is a small boutique community facility vineyard.
While there will be some label making and design, that will account for 5 percent of the vineyard's production, with Boeger adding that they are not proposing to conduct a full-scale winemaking operation at the site.
He estimated 1,000 construction jobs will be created and said $20 million in advertising will promote the new Cristallago.
The revised project also will have reduced water usage, with the vineyard estimated to use one third of the water the the golf course would have needed, Boeger said.
Reducing the residential density and removing the golf course also reduces traffic, said Boeger, explaining that 40,000 rounds of golf per year had been estimated under the previous plan.
Commission Chair Joe Sullivan asked Boeger about how many cases of wine would be produced by the boutique winery. Boeger said he didn't have a specific number.
When Sullivan asked if he already had contracts for the winegrapes, Boeger said he hasn't made commitments yet.
Commissioner Don Deuchar asked about setbacks for homes from the agricultural operations. Boeger said he has developed such projects before and knows how to orient them. When Deuchar asked if people would understand that they would be living within 100 feet of the agricultural work, Boeger said yes, adding that they'll be part owners in it.
Sullivan said he liked the project overall, but had questions about the phasing. Knight said it was hard to be specific about that much acreage.
Commissioner Bob Malley questioned the hydrology reports, with Knight noting recent water and well testing has been done.
Deuchar said that while the project requires a certain leap of faith, he believed the risk-reward ratio tilted toward the reward side.
Commissioner Gladys Rosehill was concerned about how the project has changed, and also
considered the winegrape growing project a leap of faith. Otherwise, she said she thought it was a great idea for the county.
Deuchar offered all three motions – certifying the environmental impact report addendum, the general plan of development amendment and extending by two years the time for the project's general plan of development – each of which the commissioners approved 5-0.
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Supervisors to reconsider community choice aggregation, discuss Behavioral Health issues
LAKEPORT, Calif. – This week the Board of Supervisors will consider a request from the new county administrative officer regarding the community choice aggregation program and hold a discussion on Behavioral Health matters related to Alcohol and Other Drug Services.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 3, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Board_of_Supervisors/calendar.htm . Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
In an untimed agenda item, County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson is asking the board to reconsider the consensus given to staff March 22 to create a modified selection panel to vet several proposals submitted to create a community choice aggregation program.
The program is meant to lower energy costs and allow local customers to determine the source of their power needs. It also offers the opportunity for the county to build a portfolio that includes renewable energy sources like solar and geothermal, as Lake County News has reported.
In her report to the board on the subject, Huchingson – who took over as county administrative officer on April 2 – said she is “very concerned about the timing of this project” and, as a result, she is asking for the board to reconsider it.
She said her office does not have the necessary expertise to evaluate the highly technical proposals in the specialized community choice aggregation field, and a contractor who assisted staff in developing the request for proposals has estimated that it could cost between $17,000 to $40,000 to support the review panel.
In addition, Huchingson raised concerns about the need to create, recruit and fund a new community choice aggregation program coordinator should the program be established.
“As I am learning about CCA, I have come to understand that the margin of savings originally anticipated from implementation, has been reduced, now casting serious doubt on the advantages of such a project,” Huchingson wrote. “Finally, I am aware of no small local government, like Lake County, that has successfully implemented on its own. Thus far in California, the 8 projects that exist or are being developed are limited to large metropolitan areas and/or grouped jurisdictions.”
She added, “With the recent wildfire disasters of summer 2015, we are facing the most challenging fiscal year, perhaps ever, in Lake County. In addition, considerable staff focus continues on Recovery Efforts, which will be a priority for months to come.”
Also untimed for Tuesday is the board's discussion and consideration of the future practices of Behavioral Health for contracting Alcohol and Other Drug Services or providing services directly.
There is no staff report for the discussion, but issues with how the agency is handling these services is being raised by local primary care providers.
A letter sent to the Board of Supervisors for the meeting from primary care providers at Adventist Health that also was shared with Lake County News said that AODS has already made decisions – “without public or private treatment provider input” – to force patients with substance abuse problems “to first connect with their department for a referral, then possibly be referred to the specialized program I would like them to attend, and then have to go back to AODS for their aftercare.”
The letter calls that process “not a strong path to recovery” and one that that it's believed will deter some from starting a program and have “a detrimental impact on the failure and relapse rates for our already fragile addict population.”
Rather that this forced referral process, which the letter said creates additional obstacles, it suggests that “AODS could adopt a cooperative relationship with the already existing and flourishing substance abuse treatment providers in the county,” with checks and balances in place to ensure that regulations set forth in the upcoming 1115 Medi-Cal waiver are met, and provide AODS the desired oversight while not impeding treatment access.
In addition to lobbying for patients to be able to determine their own treatment options, the providers state in their letter that they are in support of a substance abuse recovery network that “would not only help to improve the lives of many of our residents in Lake County, it would also save the county money in the long run.”
In other business, at 9:15 a.m., the board will consider continuing the proclamation of a local health emergency issued in September by Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait regarding the Valley fire.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Adopt proclamation designating the week of May 1-7, 2016, as Correctional Officers Week in Lake County.
7.2: Adopt proclamation designating the month of May 2016, as Mental Health Awareness Month in Lake County.
7.3: Adopt proclamation designating the week of May 1-7, 2016, as National Travel and Tourism Week, in Lake County.
7.4: Adopt proclamation designating the month of May 2016 as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in Lake County.
7.5: Adopt proclamation recognizing and honoring Wanda Gray, manager of Paratransit Services, Lake Transit Authority.
7.6: Approve Amendment No. 1 to agreement for legal representation between county of Lake and Ellison, Schneider & Harris L.L.P., an increase of $582 for a new contract maximum of $10,582, and authorize the chair to sign.
7.7: Approve the first amendment to the agreement between the county of Lake and Rebekah Children's Services for specialty mental health services for fiscal year 2015-16, a decrease of $10,000 for a new contract maximum of $15,000, and authorize the chair to sign.
7.8: Approve the first amendment to the agreement between Crestwood Behavioral Health and the county of Lake for adult residential support and specialty mental health services for fiscal year 2015-16, an increase of $125,000 for a new contract maximum of $550,000, and authorize the chair to sign.
7.9: Approve amendment one to the consultant agreement between the county of Lake and SCS Engineers for design engineering services for Eastlake Landfill expansion, an increase of $12,510 for a new contract maximum of $141,120, and authorize the chair to sign.
7.10: Adopt resolution changing mileage in county maintained road system to 615.58 miles for 2015.
7.11: (a) Waive the competitive bidding process as allowed under Ordinance #2406, Section 38.2 and (b) approve the contract with High Country Security for three years at an annual cost of $7,976 and authorize chair to sign.
7.12: Adopt resolution declaring intent to sell surplus real property – APN 031-173-68-00 (6825 Floyd Way, Nice, CA) owned by the county of Lake, for a minimum sales price of $30,000.
7.13: Sitting as the Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors, approve grant agreement between Lake County Watershed Protection District and Solano County Water Agency for quagga mussel boat display for costs up to $24,500 and authorize the director of Water Resources to sign the agreement.
TIMED ITEMS
8.2, 9:10 a.m.: (a) Presentation of proclamation designating the week of May 1 to 7, 2016, as Correctional Officers Week in Lake County; (b) presentation of proclamation designating the month of May 2016 as Mental Health Awareness Month in Lake County; (c) presentation of proclamation designating the week of May 1 to 7 as National Travel and Tourism Week in Lake County; (d) presentation of proclamation designating the month of May 2016 as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month in Lake County; and (e) presentation of proclamation recognizing and honoring Wanda Gray, manager of Paratransit Services, Lake Transit Authority.
8.3, 9:15 a.m.: Consideration of continuing the proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer.
8.4, 9:30 a.m.: Hearing, nuisance abatement assessment confirmation and proposed recordation of notice of lien in the amount of $4,481.34, for 3495 Spring Valley Road, Clearlake Oaks, CA (APN 062-111-02 - Armando Alvarez).
8.5, 9:35 a.m.: Hearing, nuisance abatement assessment confirmation and proposed recordation of notice of lien in the amount of $1,103.98, for 6385 11th. Ave, Lucerne, CA (APN 034-171-10 - Anand and Subhashni Vinod).
8.6, 9:40 a.m.: Hearing, nuisance abatement assessment confirmation and proposed recordation of notice of lien in the amount of $1,745.14, for 5060 Gaddy Lane, CA (APN024-153-08 - Lajuana Jeanne Wilde).
8.7, 9:45 a.m.: Continued from April 26, consideration of letter of opposition to AB 2395, which provides a framework for telecommunication providers to relinquish landline phone service; and authorize chair to sign.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.2: Recovery update from staff, assisting agencies and/or community groups, consequent to 2015 wildland fires.
9.3: Reconsideration of direction given by consensus to staff regarding community choice aggregation request for proposals.
9.4: Discussion/Consideration of the future practices of Behavioral Health for contracting AODS Services or providing services directly.
9.5: Consideration of request to defer enforcement of Lake County Zoning Ordinance 59.9 - Major destruction of a non-conforming building or structure or use for Valley Fire reconstruction projects under specified conditions.
9.6: Second reading, consideration of proposed ordinance amending certain provisions of Ordinance No. 2776 Establishing the First Five Lake Commission and Trust Fund Pursuant to Proposition 10, the California Children and Families First Act of 1998.
CLOSED SESSION
10.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(1) – Sevilla v. County of Lake, et al.
10.3: Continued from April 26, employee disciplinary appeal (EDA-16-02), pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54957.
10.4: Public employment pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54957 – interviews with Community Development Department director candidates.
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Downtown Improvement Project work set to begin; public meeting planned
LAKEPORT, Calif. – With the Lakeport City Council having awarded the project bid, the city is now gearing up to move forward with the second phase of the Downtown Improvement Project.
The council voted unanimously to award a contract for $2.9 million to Granite Construction at its April 19 meeting.
However, at the same meeting, the total contract amount was revised to approximately $2,790,804.30 as a result of the council's approval of change order No. 1, which reduced the contract's scope of work by approximately $209,160.
Community Development Director Kevin Ingram reported that this second phase of the project will stretch along three blocks of North Main Street from First to Fourth streets.
Under the contract the council awarded, Granite Construction will reconstruct and restripe North Main Street, demolish the existing sidewalks and widen them to 12 feet, install new handicap ramps at intersections, and place new sewer and water infrastructure.
Other improvements will include planting new street trees, the installation of new sidewalk tree grates and decorative sidewalk surfaces, relocating of existing decorative street lights and their power supply, and placement of new storm drainage inlets and lines.
The first phase of the project, completed in the 2007-08 fiscal year, took place in the area of
Third Street and Park Street east of Main Street. It included new sidewalks, street trees and grates, and the construction of a public parking lot north of Lakeport City Hall, as Lake County News has reported.
This current phase of the project was delayed due to – among other things – the end of redevelopment, which had helped fund the improvements. The original, much larger scope of work also was reduced to the current area.
To lessen the impact on local businesses, the city has arranged to have the majority of the construction work carried out at night, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Officials said the loudest work will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. or, at the latest, 11 p.m.
“This is a project that's been long in the making. It's been over 10 years since this project started in its original phase,” Ingram told the council at its April 19 meeting, adding that it was exciting for him to be able to present the actual bid award for construction.
He said the project is a very complicated one. When it was put out to bid in February, the city received only two bids, the one from Granite Construction and another that was nearly twice as much.
City staff worked with Granite Construction to reduce the costs, which led to the change order. The cost-saving measures included bringing some of the work in-house, including having city staff plant the new street trees and finish the relocation of the city's decorative lampposts.
As he has done at other public meetings on the project, businessman Ron Campos argued against it on several points, from its impact on business owners to his belief that narrowing the street – which Ingram said is a traffic-calming measure – actually will lead to serious safety concerns.
Despite those issues, the council members gave their unanimous support and voiced their belief that the project will, in fact, improve the downtown.
“I'm excited about what's going to happen,” said Councilwoman Mireya Turner, adding that they were honoring the public input they've gotten for the past decade.
Councilwoman Stacey Mattina also said she was excited the project is moving forward.
Turner moved to approve both the contract bid award and the change order, which got a 5-0 vote by the council.
Ingram is scheduled to give the council an update on the project at its meeting Tuesday evening.
He told Lake County News that the city will host a project kick-off meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The meeting's purpose, Ingram said, is to allow businesses and residents to come and meet the construction team and ask questions.
Construction will begin on May 11, with the the first two weeks of work to be “pretty minor,” and consist of potholing and work on the location of underground utilities, with no street closures, Ingram said.
“The real demolition and night-work activities will begin after Memorial Day with paving and major construction work completed prior to Labor Day,” he said.
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Lakeport City Council to discuss Traffic Safety Advisory Committee, downtown project update
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will discuss changes to an ordinance regarding a city committee and get an update on the city's Downtown Improvement Project.
The council will meet at 5 p.m. for a closed session to discuss labor negotiations and a utility easement at 818 Lakeport Blvd. before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
On Tuesday, the council will present a proclamation honoring Ginny Craven for her contributions to
the community, and specifically her work with Operation Tango Mike, and will get an update from Mike Adams regarding the Soper Reese Theatre.
On the agenda is a public hearing on an ordinance regarding the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee, which is introducing “changes aimed at removing recruitment barriers, recruitment inefficiencies and operational inefficiencies,” according to City Clerk Kelly Buendia's report.
Buendia's report explains that at the April 5 and 19 meetings, the council introduced and took public testimony on the ordinance.
As a result, the council requested two amendments: that meetings take place every other month and that membership be opened to a maximum of two nonresidents. Those changes have been worked into the ordinance to be presented on Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, Community Development Director Kevin Ingram will give the city on the Downtown Improvement Project's progress.
In other business, Public Works Superintendent Doug Grider will present to the council a bid award to Granite Construction Co. for the Bevins Street Pavement Rehabilitation Project.
The council also will present proclamations designating May 15 to 21 as Police Week and the month of May 2016 as Military Appreciation Month in the city of Lakeport.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on April 19; the April 27 warrant register; approve Application No. 2016-011 with staff recommendations for the Lakeport Main Street Association’s for the annual Lakeport Cleanup (May 14), July 4 Arts and Craft Fair (July 4), Trick or Treat Main Street (Oct. 30); Taste of Lakeport (Aug. 27), Shipwreck Days (Oct. 15) and Trick or Treat Main Street (Oct. 31); approve Application 2016-012 with staff recommendations for a Quagga Prevention Outreach Booth to be set up in Library Park during select events throughout the summer; approve the proposed MOU between the city and the Bicoastal NorCal Media to present the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Summer Concert series in Library Park; receive and file the Annual Report on Housing Division Activities and Annual Housing Element Progress Report for 2014 and 2015; receive and file the Planning Department 2015 Year-end Report.
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