LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Planning Commission on Wednesday gave its unanimous approval to a rezone and general plan amendment for the Lakeport Police Department's new headquarters building.

The 4,400-square-foot building was constructed on half an acre in 2002 at 2025 S. Main St., next to Kmart. The city purchased it for $875,000, with escrow closing March 10.

To help outfit the new headquarters, the Lakeport Police Officers Association received a donation of newer, surplus furniture – including bookcases and desks – from the Sacramento Peace Officers Association.

Community Development Director Kevin Ingram and Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen were on hand Wednesday evening to go over the request for the general plan amendment and zone change for the property.

The building is now zoned for major retail. To make it consistent with the city's general plan, Ingram said the city was seeking the rezone to public and civic uses.

Ingram said the property was created in 1992 as part of the subdivision that established the Kmart shopping center. For several years it housed the Social Security Administration, which was its only tenant, before the agency moved to a location on Parallel Drive.

The Lakeport Police Department has, since July 1, 1999, been housed in a building at 916 N. Forbes St., at the corner of N. Forbes and Ninth streets.

Rasmussen told Lake County News that before it was Lakeport Police's headquarters, the 3,000-square-foot building served as a court annex and offices for the Lake County Sheriff's administration.

Ingram said Lakeport Police's current building is limited in size, which is an issue for future department growth. It also has technology and safety shortcomings.

Regarding the latter, Ingram said the building – originally designed as a multi-unit office building – lacks appropriate safety features, and concerns for officer safety led the council to direct staff last year to explore alternatives for the police headquarters.

Very few upgrades – limited to a slight interior remodel, fencing for police vehicles and an emergency generator – are needed for the 2025 S. Main St. location, Ingram said.

His report also noted that the S. Main Street building is equipped with wiring capable of handling the most up-to-date technology, provides safety features including security devices on doors, has separate access for police personnel and the general public, there's a large lobby that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, plus customer service windows and restrooms for use by the public.

Ingram said the city has had inquiries from the public about why the building wasn't already zoned for public and civic uses if it had housed the Social Security Administration. He said the building previously had been privately owned, with Social Security holding a short-term lease.

With the property now under the city's ownership – and intended to be used by the Lakeport Police Department for the next 20 to 30 years – the public and civic use zoning is the more fitting designation, Ingram said.

Ingram said planning staff also prepared an environmental analysis to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act. As the site's new uses will be similar to the previous uses, and with the proposed general plan amendment complying with CEQA, staff proposed a negative declaration.

Commissioners asked a number of questions, regarding the exact height of the security fence – which Rasmussen estimated will be about 7 feet high – as well as the Lake Transit bus stop that's located there.

Since the building has been vacant, there has been an issue with a large amount of litter, along with people bringing over shopping carts from Kmart that they turn over to use as benches, Rasmussen said.

Ingram said he would speak to Lake Transit Authority about its future plans for the location, and if the bus stop should be moved. If the stop is to stay there, Ingram said he will ask if there is grant money still available for a bench or bus shelter.

Commissioner Ken Wicks Jr. asked Ingram if the city had considered the impact on the nearby commercial retail establishments if, in the future, the police department vacates the property that's been rezoned for public and civic uses.

Ingram said he believed that if that were to happen at some point in the future, that the commission might consider a zone change for another use. He said the city had not analyzed the potential impact on other properties, but said Kmart had contacted the city to express its enthusiasm about having the police station there, as police already have to respond to a lot of shoplifting calls at the store.

Commissioner Suzanne Russell said she wanted a lot of landscaping and trees installed so that it wouldn't look so much like a police station.

Chairman Tom Gayner asked Rasmussen if he thought the agency would need to expand in 15 years. Rasmussen said he thought the 20- to 30-year timeline for the agency's growth was accurate, noting that he doesn't expect the department to grow so large by that time that they outgrow the building.

Commissioner Harold Taylor said it also will depend on the size of the city. “It's grown a lot since I've been here.”

Wicks pointed out that the new building was built to federal standards. “It's a small tank.”

Rasmussen said his department's current location is an office building.

“It's not a safe building at all,” said Russell. “Not even close.”

Replied Rasmussen, “We deal with different people than an office would deal with.”

There was no public comment before Taylor moved to accept the project, with Russell seconding and the commission approving the request 5-0.

The commission's next meeting is scheduled for May 13.

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