CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Thursday night the Clearlake City Council gave consensus for pursuing a short-term construction moratorium on Lakeshore Drive in order to work on planning and design rules, and also approved the city's $10.7 million 2013-14 budget.
Mayor Jeri Spittler was absent from the Thursday meeting, which was led by Vice Mayor Denise Loustalot.
City Manager Joan Phillipe asked the council to consider a short-term moratorium on building and major remodeling on Lakeshore Drive between Olympic Drive and Old Highway 53, which will give her and city staff an opportunity to work on getting compatible planning requirements in place and a corridor plan adopted.
While the area has been studied and even was the focus of some of the Clearlake Vision Task Force's work, there are no design guidelines in place for the area, which prevents city staff and the planning commission from requiring design features compatible with the area, according to Phillipe.
At Thursday night's meeting, Phillipe said she was only asking for a moratorium for a short window of time.
“It could have an adverse economic impact” if it was long-term, she said.
While the Vision Task Force made recommendations on planning requirements for the area, they were never implemented, Phillipe explained, adding that she believed it was her obligation to bring forward to the council staff's difficulties in handling projects on that city corridor.
Recalling the Vision Task Force's work, county Supervisor Jeff Smith told the council, “It was amazing what we accomplished in really a short period of time.”
Smith said the Vision Task Force report “is a really good document.”
He asked if there were any major projects in the pipeline. Phillipe said there weren't big ones, mostly remodels. On one property they're getting questions about how it can be used, but Phillipe said by the time anything could happen at that site, updates to planning rules should be taken care of.
“I think the timing's perfect to do this,” said Smith, who anticipated seeing growth ahead.
Council member Joyce Overton said there are zoning issues along Lakeshore Drive, and suggested a short, three-month time frame.
Council member Gina Fortino Dickson said one of the biggest difficulties with moratoriums is the feeling of helplessness and having no say in the matter for people who are affected by it.
She said she didn't want to see anything implemented on Lakeshore Drive that was counter-intuitive to what the city was working toward. Instead of a moratorium, she suggested putting all projects through the planning commission.
Councilman Joey Luiz supported a moratorium of no longer than six months, and said he liked Overton's suggested three-month limit.
After receiving a series of emails from one property owner on Lakeshore Drive, “His concerns make me want to do this even more,” said Luiz.
Luiz appeared to be alluding to Ed Meyer, owner of the Wisedas Resort property, who this week exchanged a series of emails with Phillipe voicing his dissatisfaction over the proposed moratorium. He's now exploring projects for the property, where the main resort building – badly damaged by a February fire – recently was demolished.
Overton asked if the proposed moratorium Phillipe had in mind would include landscaping and painting.
“This would be for major remodels and new construction,” said Phillipe.
Loustalot said she believed the word “moratorium” itself frightens people. “It's very scary.”
However, she supported stepping back and reviewing city planning rules. “We have to do it right,” she said, adding that she wanted the shortest term possible.
Dickson was concerned about people wanting to pursue projects and being turned away by the city.
“We would never say, 'We have a moratorium, go away,'” said Phillipe, adding that staff would provide planning information as usual.
She added that if someone wanted to pursue new construction now, it would take much longer than three months.
Phillipe received consensus from the council to return next month with a draft moratorium document for consideration.
In other business, following two budget workshops earlier this month in which there were several hours of discussion and consideration, the council gave final approval to the new fiscal year's $10.7 million budget.
Council members lauded the document for being balanced, clear, well laid out and easy to read. They also indicated they were pleased with how easy the budgeting process had been under Phillipe's guidance. The council approved the budget 4-0.
The council also approved goals and objectives for the 2013-14 fiscal year and gave city staff direction to bring back a sales tax measure to consider for the ballot in an effort to fund improvements to city streets and code enforcement services.
Also on Thursday, the council awarded a contract for a long range property management for dissolving the Clearlake Redevelopment Agency, a process that is continuing; agreed to send a letter opposing SB7; and endorsed the legislative agenda of the League of California Cities Redwood Empire Division of the League of California Cities, the Public Agency Risk Sharing Authority of California, Area Planning Council, Local Agency Formation Commission and the Lake County Vector Control District.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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