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Valley Oaks final EIR approved; project next set to go before supervisors
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A south county housing development first proposed nearly a decade ago received approval from the Lake County Planning Commission on Thursday for its final environmental impact report.
The commission gave the approval to the Valley Oaks development following a brief public hearing on Thursday morning at the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport. The hearing in the video above runs from 5:55 to 33:20.
Kimco Development is proposing to build Valley Oaks in six phases on 150 acres at 18196 and 18426 South State Highway 29, Middletown. It will consist of a total of 380 single-story homes for seniors, ages 55 and above.
The overall acreage also includes a senior housing/assisted living facility, 29 acres of public open space, trails and park facilities, a 31-acre commercial area fronting Highway 29 and a realignment of Coyote Creek, according to county planners.
The Lake County Planning Commission approved Valley Oaks' draft environmental impact report, or EIR, in 2009. However, developer Ken Porter sidelined the project for several years due to the recession.
County planners said the final EIR was finished last year, and since then the project has been put back on track.
Commissioners Bob Malley and Gladys Rosehill were absent for the discussion, which had been held over from two previous meetings in order to give commissioners time to consider the project, and for staff to work out additional details like the mitigation and monitoring plan.
Community Development Director Rick Coel and planner Keith Gronendyke presented the final EIR to the commission.
Coel said his staff was able to confirm with state water officials that, despite a hookup moratorium in Hidden Valley Lake, Valley Oaks can connect to the Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District and use the riparian rights associated with its own acreage. That means there will be no issues with supplying sewer and water services.
The project also can begin moving through the Lake Local Agency Formation Commission process, Coel said.
Commission Chair Joe Sullivan asked about the need for another fire station to serve Valley Oaks.
Porter said he's had numerous meetings with the fire department and Cal Fire, and reached an agreement for an additional assessment that should generate as much as $80,000 a year for the fire district.
During the brief public hearing, only two people spoke – Larry and Lorene Chandler of Hidden Valley Lake. Larry Chandler had spoken against the project at a previous meeting and opposition was the Chandlers' perspective at this meeting as well.
He said he considered the project negative, calling it densely built and unsecured, and they questioned if it could legally be kept to seniors 55 and above.
Larry Chandler also questioned the timeframe for the six stages of buildout.
For both of the Chandlers, traffic was another major concern. Lorene Chandler worried about increasing traffic over Highway 29, which she said already is a “treacherous.”
“High density in that area is a big mistake,” she said.
In answer to the questioning of project details, Jean Kapolchok, Kimco Development's land use planning consultant, said that what was before the commission was the master plan. When Kimco returned to pursue the use permit, more details would be available.
“We didn't look at this, overall, as being high density,” said Coel.
Rather, he said his department viewed it as smart growth, with infill development, open space and an average of three units per acre, which is typical for single family development. The county general plan, he said, allows for up to five units per acre in residential zoning.
During the discussion, Porter told the commission that Valley Oaks does not have an agreement with Hidden Valley Lake for golf course access, as Community Development staff previously had reported.
Coel said that, for comparison, Valley Oaks is proposed to have 380 homes, compared to the estimated 4,000 homes in Hidden Valley Lake – the population of which he estimated at 6,500 – with another 400 undeveloped lots.
He said peak traffic flows in morning and evening hours have been an issue, and Caltrans is designing a roundabout for the intersection of Highway 29 and Hartmann Road to deal with that traffic flow.
Overall, Coel said Valley Oaks is not expected to add much in the way of traffic to the area.
At the discussion's end, the three present commissioners – Don Deuchar, Gil Schoux and Sullivan – voted unanimously to certify Valley Oaks' final EIR, and approve its general plan amendment, rezone and general plan of development.
The project now will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for consideration. Coel estimated that was likely to be scheduled before the board about six weeks out.
In a followup interview with Lake County News on Thursday afternoon, Gronendyke said the project would move into its next stages if the supervisors give their approval.
After that approval, the next steps would include Kimco applying for a use permit for a specific plan of development and submitting tentative maps, which Gronendyke said would go to the planning commission.
So far, Kimco hasn't submitted any specific plans or details in terms of house or commercial designs, Gronendyke said.
Gronendyke said the specific plan of development and tentative map will offer much more detailed analysis of the plan and require additional time for consideration.
In addition to time, the cost will be significant, he said. “It's going to take a lot of money to get anything rolling in that big of a development.”
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Clearlake City Council to consider adopting final budget, discuss solar installations ordinance
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council on Thursday will consider adopting the city's proposed 2015-16 fiscal year budget and discuss an ordinance to streamline residential solar installations.
The public portion of the meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 25, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. for a closed session to discuss a case of existing litigation against the city by its former mayor, Jeri Spittler, her husband Anthony and another marijuana patient, Robin Farnham, over a now-rescinded marijuana ordinance.
Labor negotiations with the Clearlake Police Officers Association also will be discussed during the closed session.
At the start of the public portion of the meeting, the council will offer a proclamation declaring June 2015 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.
One of the meeting's main items is the adoption of the proposed 2015-16 fiscal year budget.
City documents show that the operational and capital projects budgets total $9.2 million – $6.08 million for operational costs, $3.12 million for capital projects.
The 2015-16 fiscal year budget also includes 54.86 positions – up 3.86 positions from last year – with $100,000 to go into the city’s reserve, according to budget documents.
In other business, the council will hold its first reading of a proposed ordinance to streamline the permitting process for small residential rooftop solar energy systems.
City Manager Joan Phillipe's report to the council explains that in September Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 2188, which mandates that cities adopt ordinances to expedite and streamline the residential solar permitting process by Sept. 30.
“One of the purposes of the bill is to discourage local agencies from creating unreasonable barriers to the installation of solar energy systems,” Phillipe explained. “This means that cities are prohibited from imposing local regulations that go beyond those necessary to ensure that the solar energy system does not have a specific, adverse impact on public health or safety.”
The kinds of small, residential rooftop installations that would be covered under the ordinance are no larger than 10 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating or 30 kilowatts thermal, Phillipe reported.
Also on Thursday, the council will consider naming the Redbud Park softball field in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Valentine.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the May 28, June 4, June 11 and June 18 council meetings; minutes of the May 13 Lake County Vector Control District meeting; award of a contract for drainage and stormwater system survey services for the city's Community Development Block Grant Planning and Technical Assistance Grant to LACO Associates for an amount not to exceed $52,000; and a report on moving the Clearlake Police Department exterior door.
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Lake County Planning Commission to discuss Valley Oaks, age limits on manufactured home installations
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Planning Commission this week is set to discuss the final environmental impact report for a south county development and consider age limits on used manufactured home installations in the county.
The commission will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday, June 25, in the Board of Supervisors' chambers at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
At 9:05 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing on the final environmental impact report for the Valley Oaks senior subdivision development, and consider making a recommendation on the project to the Board of Supervisors.
Ken Porter of Kimco Development proposes to build the project on 150 acres located at 18196 and 18426 South State Highway 29, Middletown.
The 380 homes Porter plans to build in six phases would be single story and for residents ages 55 and up, one of the main changes from the development's previous plans, which had no age restriction.
Plans also call for a senior housing/assisted living facility, 29 acres of public open space, trails and park facilities, a 31-acre commercial area fronting Highway 29 and a realignment of Coyote Creek.
At the commission's May 28 meeting, Porter and his team presented an update on the project, the draft environmental impact report, or EIR, for which the commission approved in 2009.
Community Development Director Rick Coel at the May meeting urged the commission to take extra time to review the project, since only one member – Gil Schoux – was a commissioner in 2009 when the project's draft EIR was approved.
Valley Oaks' EIR consideration was then rescheduled for the June 11 meeting, but Coel said at that time that he and his staff hadn't been able to get the commission all of the information it needed, so the item was held over again, to the June 25 meeting.
As part of the proposal, Kimco Development is seeking a general plan amendment from Agricultural and Resource Conservation to Community Commercial, High Density Residential, Low Density Residential and Resource Conservation, a rezone from “A” Agriculture, to “PDC-DR”, Planned Development Commercial-Design Review Combining District, “PDR-RD” Planned Development Residential-Residential Design Combining District and “O” Open Space; and General Plan of Development.
Also on Thursday, at 10:15 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider proposed amendments to the Lake County Zoning Ordinance pertaining to age limits for installation of used manufactured homes on private property throughout Lake County.
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Lakeport Planning Commission to meet on senior housing project
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Planning Commission will hold a special meeting this week to review a proposal for a new affordable senior housing project.
The meeting will take place beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The main item on the agenda is the architectural and design review and California Environmental Quality Act environmental review of a proposed 32-unit senior affordable housing apartment project proposed by AMG & Associates of Encino.
The firm proposes to build the project on a portion of a 10.5-acre parcel owned by Lakeport Christian Center and located at 1255 Martin St., near the Lake County Sheriff's Office administration building.
AMG & Associates has one other senior housing project under its belt in Lakeport so far – the 48-unit Bella Vista senior apartment complex just down the road at 1075 Martin St.
Company officials told the Lakeport City Council on May 5 that the Bella Vista project has been so well-received that it has a waiting list of more than a year.
The council on May 5 approved staff undertaking an expedited review process to help the project's developer pursue a state grant to fund the complex. The council last week supported the submission of that $4.6 million state HOME grant application.
The commission also will discuss scheduling its next meeting for July 8.
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