The state's Administrative Office of the Courts is seeking a location for a new courthouse, which is estimated to be more than 50,100 square feet in size at a cost of more than $70 million, as Lake County News has reported.
A Sonoma County firm, Keegan & Coppin, sent a letter to the city of Lakeport, seeking to find out the city's interest in possible negotiations over several city-owned parcels that could be potential courthouse locations.
City Redevelopment Director Richard Knoll went to the council Tuesday night to urge them to indicate a willingness to talk with the firm, which he noted also is speaking with numerous private property owners around the city.
Knoll, who sits on a local committee that is working to identify potential sites, told Lake County News in an interview earlier this year that the city wants to make sure the courthouse stays in Lakeport.
He told the council Tuesday that Keegan & Coppin is looking at a number of city-owned sites, some of them very small – including the site of a sewer lift station on Fifth Street, which only measures a fourth of an acre – as well as a part of the Dutch Harbor property on the lakeshore.
The sites he listed in a report to the council included 910 N. Main St., 20 Fifth St., 15 Fifth St., 20 Third St., 860 N. Main St., 36 C St., 902 Bevins Court, 591 Martin St. and 910 Bevins St.
Some of the properties the firm proposed to look at are currently used by the city for parking lots along the shore of Clear Lake, Knoll said.
He said the firm simply was looking for the city to say if it's interested in talking about the sites. Knoll urged the city to indicate a willingness to talk, but he said the city doesn't need to give a price on any of the parcels.
Mayor Ron Bertsch said the letter asked if the city was interested in selling the properties. Knoll said they don't need to indicate an interest in selling, just in having a discussion. “If that's not good enough, I guess they need to move on,” said Knoll, noting, “It's very early in the process.”
He said he spoke with a Keegan & Coppin representative, and the firm is just looking for interest at this point.
“It's an invitation to negotiate. That really says it all. That's what they're looking for,” Knoll said.
One of the properties of interest is the city's seven-acre corporation yard site on Martin Street next to the Lake County Fairgrounds, and Bertsch worried about whether or not the city could give up that land.
That wasn't a concern for Councilman Bob Rumfelt, who said he's wanted to see Public Works Director Doug Grider and his crew move off of that property for a long time. He said that property is extremely valuable and there are other locations that would work for the city's corporation yard.
Kevin Burke, the city's police chief and interim city manager, said Keegan & Coppin has sent similar letters to property owners who own land adjacent to the city parcels, in an effort to assemble larger properties.
Like Knoll, he urged the council to indicate an interest to talk. “It commits the city to nothing and it leaves all the options open,” Burke said.
Council member Suzanne Lyons said she was not interested in talking about selling some of the lakeside parcels, which she was concerned about for the use of recreation and open space.
Knoll urged against saying no on any of the parcels out of concern of closing off options. He said he doesn't anticipate the state wanting to build a courthouse on parcels adjacent to the lake.
Rumfelt suggested that if the city turned down any possibilities, a courthouse location might end up being in Kelseyville. Knoll said the county also has property near the jail that it has offered.
Supervisor Anthony Farrington, who sits on the local courthouse site location committee, said the group is very early in the process, and he joined with Knoll and Burke in urging the council to be willing to broadly negotiate.
He said many private property owners are contacting him to gauge interest in their properties. “It doesn't mean they're committing themselves.”
Farrington said the county has property near the jail which looks promising from the standpoint of offering a cost effective solution for inmate transport.
But Farrington said he wanted to see the courthouse facility stay downtown, where it would comply with urban growth boundaries. He added that there is no discussion of eminent domain.
Bertsch said he had a problem with how Keegan & Coppin's letter was written, and Burke agreed. Burke said the letter only gave the city three days to respond, and wanted pricing and terms, which he said was a “ridiculous request.”
“We're interested in discussing but we're going to be vague,” said Burke, noting that if that's not good enough, the firm will likely move along.
He said that, while there's no way the city wants to sell the vacant lakeside Dutch Harbor property for the courthouse, the council should keep its options open, especially if the only thing that ends up holding up a courthouse location in Lakeport is shaving off a piece of property on a lakefront parcel.
Lyons said they could consider that later on, but Burke said if the city indicates it's not interested, the state might not come back in the future.
Noting she's concerned about the lakeshore, Lyons said it's one of the issues on which she ran for office, and said she represents many people who don't want to see a lot of building on lakeshore properties. She wanted those parcels taken out of consideration.
Rumfelt encouraged fellow council members to remain open to possibilities.
Knoll told the council that Keegan & Coppin was probably looking at 30 to 35 parcels. The local committee initially had identified 25 sites, but more which weren't on that list are also being considered. He said the owner of the Vista Point Shopping Center also received a letter, as did property owners along 11th Street.
“We've talked about the courthouse being a catalyst for growth, particularly downtown,” he said.
The city's downtown, Knoll noted, “has been the historic location for courthouse facilities for a very long time.”
He said he thinks such a development would be beneficial for downtown, and would spur additional growth, and generate sales and transient occupancy tax revenues.
“I don't think anyone is interested in promoting a project that builds a courthouse right on the lake,” said Knoll. “I don't think that makes a lot of sense.”
He said if the city can help facilitate a project that is in keeping with the city's redevelopment efforts and general plan, which preserves open space and encourages development of lakefront promenades, and preserves the Natural High School property on the lakefront, “then I think that's in the public's interest.”
Knoll said the city can control its negotiations by sending in a letter of interest, which doesn't make a commitment or a contract.
Councilman Jim Irwin moved to direct staff to respond to the letter with a confirmation of interest. The vote was 3-1, with Lyons voting no. Councilman Roy Parmentier was absent.
Farrington promised the council that he would help protect the lakefront.
Lake County Superior Court Executive Officer Mary Smith told Lake County News this week that Keegan & Coppin is working to narrow the field of potential sites.
The parcels in Lakeport, she said, haven't been specifically considered.
She said a site selection criteria will help rank the sites.
Smith noted that the selection committee is very excited about the process moving forward.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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