How to resolve AdBlock issue? Project increases visibility, safety of crosswalk at 20th and High streets
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A project completed this fall has increased safety at one of the city of Lakeport's intersections.
The 20th Street crosswalk project introduced lights and a radio-controlled system to make the crossing safer where 20th and High streets meet.
The area, a few blocks over from the Lakeport Unified School District campus, is frequented by children walking to and from school.
The Lakeport City Council had been concerned about the site, said city Public Works Director Mark Brannigan.
“It was one of the council's projects that they wanted to see done,” he said.
Brannigan explained that the intersection has a sweep which reduces visibility. High Street goes around a corner where it meets 20th Street – which has a stop sign – before turning into Lakeshore Boulevard.
The council in May approved the project, and authorized the purchase of the push button-activated, solar-powered blinking pedestrian warning sign.
Particularly of concern to the council was the increase in children walking to school. That's the result of new district rules requiring that children live at least two miles away from school to qualify for bus service.
Initially, the sign was to be hard-wired, which would have required digging up the street and sidewalks in order to install the utilities for it, Brannigan said.
However, once school began this fall, Brannigan said the city didn't want to take on such a project and tear up the streets and sidewalks.
“It just turned out to be too much of a project,” he said.
As a result, Brannigan said the council authorized additional funds to make it a radio-controlled system, so no digging was necessary.
City Public Works staff installed the equipment to save money, with Brannigan reporting that the total cost came out to $6,200, which was paid for by the city's general fund. No grant funds were used.
The project was finished around mid-October, and so far appears to be working well, Brannigan said.
“It's brighter than I thought it would be,” he said, noting that the system uses LED lights.
In the early morning when children are walking in the area to get to school, “That's really when you want to get people’s attention,” Brannigan said.
Council members appear pleased with the outcome of the project.
Councilman Tom Engstrom noted at this week's city council meeting that the crosswalk lights can be seen from a half-mile away.
“That is a real lifesaver,” he said.
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Lakeshore Drive Downtown Corridor Plan proposes variety of improvements for Clearlake
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council at its Dec. 12 meeting received a detailed presentation on the recently completed Lakeshore Drive Downtown Corridor Plan, which looks at a host of options to improve the city's safety, appearance and accessibility.
The plan, which is to be brought back to the council at a later date, identifies specific improvements to improve access, pedestrian safety, economic vitality and circulation with the corridor, which is designated on Lakeshore Drive between Olympic Drive and Old Highway 53.
Josh Meyer of the Local Government Commission said the plan identifies seven prominent points of interest; seeks to manage speed on Lakeshore Drive; provides safe places to walk, bike, catch the bus and cross the street; fixes problem intersections; organizes parking; improves the corridor's look; develops points of interest; and enhances waterfront views and access.
Meyer provided the council with a PowerPoint presentation that identified the process, goals and recommendations for the plan. Conceptual drawings illustrated ideas for beautifying city parks, developing business fronts and curb, gutter and sidewalk options.
Illustrations also depicted recommendations for mitigating parking concerns, public safety and managing speed such as narrowing travel lanes, roundabouts, bicycle lanes and raised, extended and high-visibility pedestrian crosswalk options.
Establishing back-in parking to allow the driver better visibility while entering traffic was also among the suggestions.
Meyer said there exists about 40 feet of right-of-way to work with in mitigating traffic safety concerns.
He said standard freeway lanes are built to 12 feet, which is the current width of lanes on Lakeshore Drive. He said research shows city lanes can be reduced to 11 feet safely.
Councilwoman Gina Fortino Dickson mentioned findings of a current traffic study conducted by City Engineer Bob Galusha and Phil Dow, traffic engineer for the Area Planning Council, that indicate narrower lanes of travel create a perception that typically results in slower traffic speeds.
The intersection on Lakeshore Drive at Mullen Avenue, which presents a blind corner, was identified as a priority among traffic safety concerns.
Mitigation recommendations included restricting lefthand turns, installing curb extensions and narrowing lanes.
Councilwoman Jeri Spittler said she has owned a business at that intersection for more than 20 years and has witnessed every traffic collision scenario possible.
She said that people sometimes travel at speeds up to 50 miles per hour in the morning and that she doesn't think narrowing lanes and other mitigations will fully address the situation.
“As long as that blind curve exists, we have a problem,” she said.
Mayor Joyce Overton opposed the recommendation for a roundabout at the Olympic Drive intersection but said she supported the ideas of narrowing travel lanes and back-in parking.
She also said she appreciates the inclusion of an implementation plan in the document. “I love the tree (beautification plan) and that is something we can implement right away,” she said.
City resident Lisa Wilson said she participated in the plan development process, which included public workshops and discussions. She urged the council's immediate action on parts of the plan that can be easily accomplished.
“I am really energized by this,” she said, adding that she hopes the council gets started.
Citizen Mike Vandiver voiced concern regarding back-in parking, suggesting people have difficulties pulling forward to a parking spot now. He also questioned the need for traffic to stop to allow vehicles to back into parking spots.
Councilman Joey Luiz recognized Vandiver's concern, however, said he has seen the option succeed in other cities.
Resident Rick Mayo said he supports the idea of back-in parking in that it may make people using mobile medical devices more visible to motorists.
However, he said he wanted to see attention given to the Americans with Disabilities Act in the plan. Meyer said the plan is ADA compliant; however, he apologized for not including a specific report, which he said will be added.
Hiram Dukes asked if narrower streets will impact emergency service vehicles. Police Chief Craig Clausen said it was his understanding that it would not be an issue.
The plan was developed through a Community Based Transportation Planning Grant the city was awarded in partnership with the Area Planning Council. The Local Government Commission is a nonprofit organization that works with California communities to develop community plans through extensive community involvement.
Meyer said the project's existing framework is ideal with the lake on one side, hills on the other, three parks and three activity areas that are easy to walk.
The plan describes how it was developed and specific design recommendations and potential projects for Lakeshore Drive. It provides demographic information, the project area and discusses key issues and opportunities including the need for a cohesive identity, lack of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, deteriorated properties and natural environment.
Design proposals are the core of the plan, Meyer said. Four goals are identified that form the guiding principles for a cohesive design approach, which is presented for both the overall corridor and by segments along the corridor, centered primarily on the three community parks.
Specific recommendations are presented and include parking options, intersection improvements, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, landscaping and signage, designs for enhancing parks and ideas for infill development.
The implementation plan is presented in three phases: one to three years, four to 10 years and 10 to 20 years. Each phase includes specific recommendations and policies and programs to support the recommendation.
The plan also identifies potential federal, state and local funding resources.
The council commended Meyer, the public, staff and all who contributed to the development of the plan.
“I think this addresses a lot of our concerns and gives us a pleasurable picture to look at,” Fortino Dickson said.
According to City Manager Joan Phillipe, acceptance of the plan does not commit the city to constructing any of the projects identified.
The plan is available for public review at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
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STATE: Medical marijuana patient to challenge cultivation ruling
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – In an action supported by California NORML, medical marijuana patient James Maral will file a petition with the California Supreme Court to review the recent Third District Appellate Court decision upholding the city of Live Oak’s ban on medical marijuana cultivation.
San Francisco Attorney Joe Elford will draft and file the petition.
“If you ban dispensaries and you ban cultivation, you’re ripping the heart out of California's medical marijuana laws,” said Elford. “This decision conflicts with the intent of the electorate and Legislature and should not be allowed to stand.”
The announcement comes a day after Fresno County took steps to enact a total cultivation ban on first reading at its Board of Supervisors meeting. A second reading on the ordinance will take place on Jan. 7.
Also on Tuesday, the Lake County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a medical marijuana cultivation ordinance prohibiting outdoor grows in residential neighborhoods but allowing them on larger parcels, with small indoor grows allowed, as Lake County News has reported.
Maral, 42, suffers from compartment syndrome, a painful life- and limb-threatening condition caused by insufficient blood supply to muscles and nerves.
In addition, he has six damaged discs in his back, the result of his work as a heavy equipment driver. He and his family have lived in Live Oak for 15 years.
Maral is also a caretaker for his mother Donneda Maral, who has severe diverticulitis and Crohn's disease, for which she is frequently hospitalized.
“The only thing I'm fighting for is the patients who just want a couple of plants in their backyard,” said Maral. “I'm not willing to let my mother die or live out the rest of her time in a hospital.”
The Marals live at least two hours away from any medical marijuana dispensary.
Cultivation is exempted from state law for medical marijuana patients by Proposition 215, passed by the voters in 1996.
State law SB420 established a “floor” of six mature or 12 immature plants as allowable per patient, permitting cities and counties to pass ordinances allowing for greater, not lesser, amounts.
The California Supreme Court threw out SB420's limits in People v. Kelly (2010), opting instead for allowing whatever a patient needs to grow. That decision can be seen at http://www.canorml.org/news/supremekelly.html .
Live Oak’s ban on medical marijuana cultivation took effect in January 2012, over the objections of local citizens. The only other known jurisdiction currently banning all medical marijuana cultivation is Tracy.
Sacramento County has passed an ordinance zoning out anything federally illegal, and Sacramento sheriffs were out this year enforcing it by taking out gardens.
The city of Selma rolled back their cultivation ban on Oct. 16, voting to allow permitted, indoor gardens.
Prop. 215 co-author and CalNORML director Dale Gieringer, who sat on the state committee that wrote SB420, said, “The right of patients to grow their own medicine is fundamental to Prop. 215's stated purpose of ensuring that 'seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes.' The city of Live Oak has no legitimate business prohibiting Mr. Maral from growing the medicine he needs at his own private residence.”
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Lakeport City Council selects new mayor, mayor pro tem
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday evening selected the new mayor and mayor pro tem for 2014.
Kenny Parlet was elected mayor, with Martin Scheel selected as mayor pro tem.
“That was the last thing I expected to have happen tonight,” said Parlet following his nomination, explaining that he had believed Mayor Pro Tem Stacey Mattina would be mayor.
Before the council reorganization, outgoing Mayor Tom Engstrom said it had been an honor to represent the city as mayor over the past year, and thanked City Manager Margaret Silveira and Kelly Buendia the city's human resources/administrative services director, for their help.
“Someone's life is going to get a whole lot busier,” he said.
Engstrom added, “This is a great city council. I have loved serving with all of them.”
Councilman Marc Spillman nominated both Parlet and Scheel for the new jobs.
Despite his initial surprise at the nomination, Parlet said he would accept. “I'm here to serve, absolutely.”
Both Parlet and Scheel were elected in unanimous votes.
Following the votes, Engstrom and Mattina exchanged seats with Parlet and Scheel, respectively.
“That's one step closer to the door,” Engstrom quipped.
One of the council's main items of discussion was time limits for temporary commercial signs, such as banners and feather signs.
Planning Services Manager Andrew Britton took the matter to the council, explaining that it was a matter of aesthetics and community character.
The Lakeport Planning Commission had discussed the issue in November. It recommended sending out a form letter to businesses in January asking for voluntary compliance with the 30-day display
limit and advising business owners who use temporary signs as their permanent signage that they must install a permanent sign by May 1.
Britton wanted to know if the council approved of this direction or wanted to pursue other measures.
Lakeport businesswoman Nancy Ruzicka supported enforcing city signage rules, telling the council, “We really need to clean up our signage around town.”
Britton said city staff was more than willing to work with new businesses that want to use banners for short periods of time. However, some businesses had been using such temporary signs for years.
“We should be aiming for something a little bit better,” Britton said.
Engstrom liked the strategy that the planning commission recommended, noting that at first he had mixed emotions when the matter came up.
“We lose so many businesses every year,” said Engstrom, adding that he was in favor of doing everything possible to help them stay in business.
Parlet said he has a very serious problem with most of the city's business signage, but mostly because of signs that were in disrepair or otherwise not maintained. “People don't even realize how they're hurting their own business.”
He suggested they needed a broad plan on how to educate people about how important signs are.
Mattina moved to direct staff to send out the letter to business owners as recommended by the planning commission, with the council voting 5-0.
In other news, the council awarded a water tank repair and recoating project – which City Engineer Scott Harter said was one component of a larger multifaceted US Department of Agriculture-funded project – to Farr Construction of Sparks Nev. The bid was $948,262.
The council also awarded a bid for two new Public Works utility vehicles to Corning Ford for just over $82,500.
The winners of the annual holiday light contests were honored, and the council reappointed George Spurr to the Lake County Vector Control District Board; appointed Paula Duggan, Christine Hutt, Taira St. John and George Linn to the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Council; and appointed Suzanne Russell, Ann Blue and Cindy Ustrud to the Parks and Recreation Commission.
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Supervisors approve marijuana cultivation ordinance, direct staff to work on new dispensary rules
LAKEPORT, Calif. – In its final meeting of the year, the Lake County Board of Supervisors voted to accept a new medical marijuana cultivation ordinance that will tighten growing rules in communities and also impose limits on indoor grows.
In a unanimous vote, the board approved the ordinance, which they acknowledged wasn't perfect. However, they wanted to have a body of law in place to address concerns including nuisance complaints in neighborhoods, increased crime and environmental damage.
“We have struggled with this for years,” Board Chair Jeff Smith said of the marijuana issue, with Supervisor Denise Rushing adding that the matter is “impossible” to deal with.
The new ordinance, which goes into effect in 30 days and applies only to the unincorporated areas of the county, bans outdoor cultivation in community growth boundaries, maps of which can be found at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Community_Development/documents/2008FinGP.htm?PageMode=Print .
It also places limits on indoor cultivation, which under the interim ordinance isn't regulated. Such grows now must be 100 square feet or less, with lighting limited to 1,200 watts.
Outdoor cultivation cannot take place within 1,000 feet of any school, playground, drug or alcohol rehabilitation facility, child care facility or nursery school, church or youth-oriented facility, or within 100 feet of any spring, top of the bank of any creek or seasonal stream, edge of lake, delineated wetland or vernal pool.
Plant numbers on parcels larger than one acre outside of community growth boundaries are limited to six mature or 12 immature plants, and quicker abatements – in some cases within five days, or less in an emergency – are possible, with the Lake County Sheriff's Office responsible for enforcement.
Community Development Director Rick Coel said the more stringent measures were in response to an increase in community complaints and damage to property.
The board held a special evening meeting at the Lake County Fairgrounds on Dec. 10, receiving three hours of public input before closing the public hearing.
As such, at Tuesday's meeting the board did not entertain more public comment, instead focusing on deliberations and getting additional information from staff.
In a rare action, the board approved the ordinance after one reading, rather than two, which usually is required for ordinances.
However, County Counsel Anita Grant said that because the document is a zoning ordinance, it could be approved in just one reading following a noticed public hearing.
The supervisors expect that the new ordinance will be challenged by a referendum, which opponents of the measure already have indicated they are preparing.
“Whatever we create is going to be challenged,” said Supervisor Anthony Farrington, adding, “I think this is the soul of the county that we're fighting for here.”
In 2011, a previous medical marijuana cultivation ordinance and an ordinance governing dispensaries were challenged by referendums. The board later withdrew both ordinances.
As a result, today no dispensaries continue to operate in the unincorporated county because, according to county officials, if the use is not specifically included in the zoning ordinance, it's not legal.
However, along with approving the new cultivation ordinance, the board directed staff to bring back a dispensaries ordinance – a suggestion also made in November by the Lake County Planning Commission when it recommended the cultivation ordinance to the board.
Supervisor Rob Brown proposed using the dispensaries ordinance that the board had accepted but later withdrew due to the referendum as a starting point.
Coel told the board he believed he could integrate a dispensaries ordinance with the new cultivation ordinance.
Staff urges strengthening rules
During the meeting, Coel urged the board to accept the tightened guidelines. “We have a very relaxed cultivation ordinance,” he said, noting many other governments are making their own rules more stringent.
“The more they tighten up and the less we do, the more influx of people you are going to have,” Coel said, adding those newcomers don't care about the environmental damage they are causing.
“It's like gold mining, it's resource extraction,” and creating massive enforcement challenges for Community Development and the sheriff's office, Coel said.
Brown suggested the available land in Lake County is enough to supply the legitimate medical need for the drug.
Rushing called the environmental devastation that's resulted from marijuana growing “tragic” and something the county will be dealing with for generations. She said this damage would be an event in Clear Lake's environmental history that they would look back on and ask, “How did we let that continue?”
Coel said there is such a disconnect between the state and federal governments on the marijuana issue that it isn't an option for the county to offer a variance or permitting process for legitimate growers.
Grant added that a number of jurisdictions have been threatened by the federal government for attempting to establish permitting processes. The federals agencies, she said, “won't work for the inevitable outcome of simply legalizing it,” adding that Mendocino County has run into problems with the federal government regarding marijuana.
Smith said that if people who voted for Proposition 215 knew what it would end up being, they would never have voted for it.
Supervisor Jim Comstock said growing as it currently is taking place in the county is taking away the rights of those who don't grow marijuana to enjoy their property.
He also observed that some people who had called the interim ordinance “draconian” when it was adopted last year have since urged the board to keep it in place rather than adopting the new regulations.
Referring to the gathering at the fairgrounds last week, Brown said the marijuana advocates there represented people who have come to Lake County only to grow marijuana.
“I wish they wouldn't have come. I wish they would leave,” he said. “I'm not here for them.”
Responding to advocates' arguments about the money marijuana can bring to the county, Brown raised the issue of all of the money needed to mitigate the environmental problems.
Marijuana, Brown pointed out, has been grown in Lake County forever, but people didn't start complaining about it until it was being grown in town.
“It brings with it a culture that we don't want in Lake County,” he said.
In response to criticism marijuana advocates offered at previous meetings regarding the winegrape industry, Brown said that industry is heavily regulated. Winegrapes also have contributed a lot to Lake County, he added.
He reminded his colleagues that he hadn't supported the interim ordinance because it allows marijuana grows in residential areas.
Brown said the board's options included accepting the proposed rules or just giving up, adding he wasn't going to concede. “I'm not going to sell Lake County out.”
He asked his colleagues to all support the ordinance. “For me, Lake County is not for sale.”
Rushing said she believed the ordinance could be a whole lot better than it is. However, she said she was horrified by the growing activities taking place in neighborhoods and the watershed, and so she didn't want to see no regulation at all.
To get her vote, Rushing said she wanted to see an ordinance to allow dispensaries to be reopened, which Brown said he was open to considering as he had been previously.
Brown moved to accept the ordinance, which the board accepted 5-0.
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121013 Board of Supervisors - Proposed Marijuana Cultivation Ordinance
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