CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The community had a chance to ask questions and get more details about the proposed expansion of Clearlake Walmart at a meeting hosted by the city of Clearlake last week.

The open house on Oct. 6 at Clearlake City Hall was held for the purpose of soliciting comments from public agencies and the community in regard to the scope of the draft environmental impact report, or EIR, which is currently being prepared.

Walmart representatives and project professionals were on hand to answer questions about the proposed expansion as well as highlight details of the project.

Walmart is planning an approximately 40,000-square-foot expansion of its Clearlake store, which is currently about 105,000 square feet.

According to contracted city planner Gary Price, the project will increase store size by about 40-percent.

Walmart proposes its expansion on the north side of its existing building, which is adjacent to the Clear Lake Community College campus on Dam Road.

“One of the benefits of expanding the store is that we have an opportunity to bring new jobs to Clearlake,” Clearlake Walmart Manager Travis Peck said. “Since we'll be expanding our services, we'll need to hire additional associates to serve our customers.”

Peck said the remodeled store will create 85 new jobs opportunities for the community as well as construction jobs.

“For current associates, (the expansion) means an opportunity to potentially do something different and work in a different department and for prospective associates it's an opportunity to build a meaningful career in retail,” he said.

Peck said the expansion also will provide opportunities for Clearlake residents to find quality jobs closer to where they live.

According to a flier provided at the open house, in 2015, Walmart announced new associate opportunity initiatives to help associates earn higher pay and advance their careers based on the skills they learn and the customer service they provide.

As of May, the average wage for regular full-time hourly associates in California is $13.32 per hour, the flier states.

The project includes removal of an existing loading dock and demolition of the tire and lube center.

According to the city of Clearlake's Web site at www.clearlake.ca.us , the existing garden center, which is approximately 5,800 square feet, and located along the southwest section of the building, will be removed and replaced with interior building area and new, smaller garden center.

Approximately 3,000 square feet will be added to the northeast portion of the building. The expansion is to include additional food and general merchandise sales floor area; food sales support area, stockroom/receiving area; ancillary space; food tenant space, a new grocery/merchandise pickup service; an additional entry and vestibule (for a total of two entry/vestibule areas; and a four-bay truck dock with one additional striped loading berth (for a total of five truck loading berths).

The expanded store will operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The expanded store may also include alcohol sales for off-site consumption, a medical and/or vision clinic use; and other retail tenants. The additions of a deli and bakery also are planned.

“The goal of expanding the store is to better serve our customers' needs,” Peck said. “We are making changes to some our departments to provide more of the products and services customers want when they shop our store.”

Adding a full line of groceries, including fresh produce, meat and dairy products, frozen food, and a full assortment of dry groceries, Peck said, will help customers save time and money when they shop at Walmart.

“Customers tell us they want the convenience of one-stop shopping that the expansion will provide. In addition, to new jobs, the expanded store will help generate additional sales tax revenue for important community services, and provide convenient access to affordable merchandise and fresh groceries closer to home,” he said.

Parking lot improvements including additional lighting also are planned. Truck lanes are to be added the east side of the building as well as additional entry ways. Facade and signage changes are also included in the project.

Sustainability features to reduce the demand on resources that will utilize non-toxic materials and promote waste reductions are included in the expansion plan.

Such features include energy-efficient lighting and refrigeration, water-conserving technologies and practices, ozone-friendly refrigerants and hot water supplied by reclaimed heat from refrigeration units.

“We are committed to making our building design and operations more sustainable. It's good for our business and it's good for the environment,” Peck said. “In fact, the Clearlake Walmart already has rooftop solar, which helps power some of the store's operation, reducing its energy consumption.”

Other sustainability features customers will notice, Peck said, include skylights, LED lights in refrigerated cases throughout the store and in the parking lot, and water-strategies such as low flow faucets and toilets.

“These features help us reduce our energy and water usage, which is good for the environment and helps us save money so we can pass on the savings to our customers and help our mission to provide everyday low prices,” Peck said.

Giving back to the communities its serves, Peck said, is a core principle at Walmart. He said since its opening in 1994, the Clearlake Walmart has contributed thousands of dollars in cash donations and in-kind support to local non-profits.

He said in the last four years, Clearlake Walmart awarded more than $36,000 in grants to local schools and charities including United Veterans Council of Lake County, Lower Lake Elementary and California Highway Patrol Explorer Program Post No. 151.

“Most recently, the Clearlake Walmart served as an evacuation point during the wildfires and we contributed thousands of dollars in cash and in-kind support to the relief efforts,” Peck said. “Our store remained open 24 hours so that emergency responders and the community would have access to needed supplies and our store associates went above and beyond in responding to the need, including cooking breakfast for evacuees and responders.”

The draft EIR will be circulated for public review once it is completed, which is expected to between 90 and 180 days, according to the city.

Once the EIR is certified the use permit may be considered by the Clearlake Planning Commission.

The city anticipates the project to be ready for commission review by late spring 2016.

Comments may be submitted to City of Clearlake Planning Department, 14050 Olympic Drive, Clearlake, CA 95422; or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Deadline to submit comments for the draft EIR is 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.

Additional opportunities for public comment will be presented as the project continues through the review process by both the Clearlake Planning Commission and Clearlake City Council.

Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .