LAKEPORT, Calif. – Three Northshore businessman are asking the Board of Supervisors to overturn the Lake County Planning Commission's approval last month of a new Dollar General store in Nice.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport. TV8 will broadcast the meeting live.
At 9:30 a.m., the board will hold a public hearing to consider the appeal of the planning commission's May 8 approval of a major use permit for a Dollar General Store at 3539 and 3577 Highway 20 in Nice.
Businessmen Avtar Singh, Jagtar Singh and Mohammed Sadiq have filed an appeal of the Nice store's approval.
The planning commission at the same May 8 meeting also had approved plans for a second Dollar General store at 13090 E. Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks. That store's plan is not under appeal in this case.
Dollar General is a “small box” retailer that sells health, beauty cleaning, supplies, apparel, household items, pet supplies and more.
Based in Tennessee, the company has 11,000 stores in 40 states, and began opening stores in California in 2012. It plans to open 700 new stores in California this year, company spokeswoman Jaclyn Dees told Lake County News in a previous interview.
Avtar Singh owns Nice Market, while Jagtar Singh owns Marina Market and Sadiq the Nice Tower Mart.
The three men have filed the appeal based on their belief that the Dollar General will have a negative impact on their businesses in an already “bad economy,” according to the report to the board from Community Development Director Rick Coel and Senior Planner Michalyn DelValle.
The report noted that the Nice Dollar General store will employ seven to 10 employees on average, with two to four of those being employed full-time. Store operating hours typically will be between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
“Staff feels that this project will provide increased opportunities for local residents to shop locally and help to reduce vehicle use and greenhouse gas emissions required to travel to other locations to obtain general retail services,” the report said.
The project, Coel and DelValle noted, is consistent with county general plan policy language encouraging the development of small neighborhood convenience facilities that do not exceed 15,000 total square feet of floor space. The local Dollar General stores are not to exceed 10,000 square feet.
“The project is also consistent with the Upper Lake-Nice Area Plan which states that a high priority should be given to providing services and employment opportunities locally,” the report said.
The Lake County Community Development Department is recommending that the board deny the appeal.
Also on Tuesday, in an untimed item, the board will consider actions to address drought conditions in County Service Area No. 22, Mt Hannah.
County staff is proposing amending the current fiscal year budget to transfer an unreserved fund balance in the Building And Infrastructure Reserve Fund to provide interim financing to provide for a new well in the Mount Hannah Water System.
The board also will consider authorizing Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger to sign the contract with a well driller.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Approve minutes from the Board of Supervisors meetings held on May 13, 2014, May 20, 2014 and May 27, 2014.
7.2: Approve termination of Maria Valadez as interim registrar of voters effective June 9, 2014 (Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley is returning from medical leave).
7.3: Approve side letter agreement with Lake County Correctional Officer Association regarding temporary correctional aide shift change, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
8.2, 9:15 a.m.: Public hearing, discussion/consideration of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program for funding of a special victims/vulnerable persons investigator.
8.3, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of appeal (AB 14-02) of the Planning Commission's approval of major use permit (UP 13-09) for Dollar General Store, 3539 & 3577 State Highway 20, Nice (APNs 032-262-30 & 31); appellants are Avtar Singh, Jagtar Singh and Mohammed Sadiq.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.3: Consideration of actions to address drought conditions in County Service Area #22, Mt Hannah: a) A resolution amending Resolution No. 2013-95 to amend the Adopted Budget For FY 2013-14 by transferring unreserved fund balance in the Building And Infrastructure Reserve Fund to provide interim financing to provide for a new well in the Mount Hannah Water System (CSA #22); and b) authorize Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger to sign contract with contractor to drill the well.
CLOSED SESSION
10.1: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) county negotiators: A. Grant, , S. Harry, M. Perry, A. Flora and C. Shaver; and (b) employee organizations, Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association, Lake County Correctional Officers Association and Lake County Safety Employees Association.
10.2: Conference with Legal counsel: Existing Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d) (1) - Fowler and Ford v. County of Lake.
10.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(1): Mateu v. County of Lake, et al.
10.4: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) – Patten v. County of Lake, et al.
10.5: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9 (d)(1): Morshed v. County of Lake, et al.
10.6: Employee evaluations Title: County Administrative Officer Matt Perry and County Librarian Christopher Veach.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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