The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
On Jan. 7 the council held a public hearing on the project that lasted nearly six hours. The council's consideration of the project has been delayed several times as city staff worked to write responses to all of the community members who commented on the plan both verbally and in writing.
After several years of negotiations, the plan to develop the 15-acre portion the Pearce Field site on Highway 53 emerged in December, as Lake County News has reported.
Danville-based developer KK Raphel Properties LLC would purchase the 15 acres from the city's redevelopment agency to build a shopping center with 154,179 square feet, including about 137,000 square feet for a Lowe's home improvement center. Other commercial tenants – still yet to be determined – would include sitdown and fast food restaurants.
City Administrator Dale Neiman's report to the council for the Thursday meeting urges council members to approve the plan and the property sale, which he said is necessary to bring in more revenue for the city.
The city's redevelopment agency would use up to $7 million in bond proceeds to support infrastructure development on the property, which KK Raphel Properties would purchase for $2.6 million, with $1.2 million credited back for work on the land plus a $500,000 contingency if hazardous materials are found on the site.
Many community members have spoken against using bond funds for the project, pointing instead to the need to make improvements along Lakeshore Drive.
Neiman stated in his report to the council, “In the staff's view, the bond proceeds should be invested in a project that provides the greatest return on investment to the Agency and the City. We believe the proposed project provides substantially greater benefits to the community than any other potential project.”
Neiman added that, “We believe Lakeshore Drive is important. In our view it would be the second priority for investing money of the Agency.”
He also included in the 35-page report to the council a community opinion survey conducted by Supervisor Jeff Smith, who presented the information to the council at its Feb. 11 meeting.
Smith had his wife call 400 people out of a list of 2,300 of his constituents – taken from a voter registration list – to survey their opinions on the plan. Out of the 400 called, 100 responses were received.
The survey included four questions:
1. Would you like to see a regional shopping center in the city of Clearlake at the old airport property on Highway 53? Yes, 79 percent; undecided, 5 percent; no, 16 percent.
2. Would you like to see a Lowe's home improvement store in that center? Yes, 69 percent; undecided, 2 percent; no, 29 percent.
3. Are you for or against big box or super stores? For, 69 percent; undecided, 5 percent; against, 26 percent.
4. Do you feel competition is good or bad? Good, 89 percent; undecided, 1 percent; bad, 10 percent.
Other items on the meeting's agenda include a presentation by Caltrans District 1 Chief Traffic Safety Officer Ralph Martinelli on the planned improvements at the intersection of Olympic Drive and Highway 53.
Caltrans is planning on putting stop signs at the intersection, to be followed by a traffic signal project that is not expected to be completed until 2012 or 2013, as Lake County News has reported.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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