County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox, who also serves as executive director of the Redevelopment Agency, and Deputy Redevelopment Director Eric Seely will go to the board Tuesday regarding the request from Dominic Affinito of Fort Bragg.
Affinito owns the dilapidated motel properties, the Lucerne Motel and Lake Sands Resort, located at 6339 and 6335 E. Highway 20, respectively.
Both properties also are for sale: Affinito is asking $650,000 for the Lucerne Motel and $850,000 for the Lake Sands.
In June the Board of Supervisors ordered Affinito to abate the motels, where he has been renting rooms in substandard conditions in violation of county zoning ordinances. For the last few years the motels have been the basis of numerous code violations and complaints, according to county records.
A staff report from Cox and Seely explains that Affinito has presented plans to develop new lodging facilities at those motel sites. He approached county staff last year to request that the site of the Lucerne Clubhouse be made available for parking for his motel developments.
A Lucerne community survey from earlier this spring indicated town residents didn't want the club house demolished to make way for Affinito's plans, but instead wanted to see the building remodeled and restored for a public use, Cox and Seely's report explained.
However, Redevelopment Agency staff are looking for a middle ground as they seek to help boost the town's economy by having the motels replaced by newer facilities.
The report from Cox and Seely states, “ ... the redevelopment of this property may be one of the single most important actions that can be taken at this time to advance Lucerne's attractiveness to residents and visitors alike.”
Staff met two weeks ago with Affinito and Patrick Brennan, director of franchise development for Choice Hotels International, who is working with Affinito on developing the properties, according to the staff report. Affinito and Brennan asked for a written outline of what the agency is able to do to help the project move forward.
The consistent request from Affinito, according to the staff report, is for assistance in providing parking spaces.
The club house needs a new foundation and structural improvements, and the report from Cox and Seely suggests that the building could be placed on a new foundation on the property's east end, which could leave room for as many as 27 parking spaces.
In addition to those spaces, Affinito is asking for more off-street parking facilities on the north side of Highway 20, close to the hotels and the club house, the report states. That parking – an estimated 30 spaces – would be available to the public – including hotel users, and visitors to the club house and the community beach.
The staff report explains that the off-street parking is supported by the Lucerne opinion survey.
“While this would involve a substantial financial commitment by the Redevelopment Agency, we believe it would be a smart economic development investment, with long-term and significant returns to the Agency and the community,” write Cox and Seely.
A draft letter to Affinito and Brennan that accompanies the staff report explains the Redevelopment Agency's willingness to provide additional parking, as well as $10,000 in financial assistance for demolition that would come from the Resort Revitalization Program. However, Affinito would have to act quickly, because that funding expires Oct. 15.
The letter also encourages Affinito to get moving on the projects, because “our conceptual agreement to assist as outlined above is conditioned upon your ability to move forward with this project in an expeditious manner.”
The Board of Supervisors will hear the matter at 2:30 p.m.
The meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the board chambers at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes, Lakeport.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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