The Board of Supervisors met at 6 p.m. in a special evening session to discuss the county's draft general plan update.
The Planning Commission has held three hearings on the plan and certified the environmental impact report, according to Community Development Director Rick Coel.
This is the board's first hearing on the plan which, along with its draft environmental impact report, is composed of several hundred pages of policies and regulations covering everything from development to resource protection.
"It's supposed to provide an overall framework for where we're going in the future," said planning consultant Rick Rust.
Building a general plan isn't a quick process; Coel said the plan update has stretched across six years. It includes two new elements for agricultural and water resources, as well as new policies related to community design, energy and sustainability.
Rust said a series of public workshops have been held, along with meetings of geothermal, housing and agriculture element committees.
A citizens advisory group also worked with the county for several years to identify important issues, said Rust.
There are three defining features of the plan, said Rust: the general guidance it provides for future decision making; the document's comprehensive nature, covering a wide range of topics; and the framework for long-range planning.
Coel said the plan also is meant to protect the county's extraordinary natural beauty from the negative impacts of development. As such it includes measures to protect groundwater and other resources, and requires new development be based on such smart growth principles.
Growth boundaries and maintaining them will be key in the plan, said Coel, so they've been planned so there is enough land available to allow for the county's growth needs over the next two to three decades. Growth, Coel added, is estimated at 3 percent annually.
There's emphasis on infrastructure availability in relation to residential and commercial development, said Coel. The plan encourages upscale development, and promotes key industries such as recreation and eco-tourism.
Public suggests addition, areas of improvement
Because Board Chair Ed Robey was absent, Vice Chair Denise Rushing had the gavel for the meeting.
As she opened the public hearing, Rushing said that Robey had requested that the public bring specific comments about the plan to a second, upcoming general plan hearing. At Tuesday's meeting Rushing they were seeking more general feedback.
Public comment was largely positive, with many community members stepping up to point out areas where the plan could be tightened up or additions made.
Sierra Club Lake Group Chair Victoria Brandon said the Sierra Club has been participating in the plan update process over the last three to four years, and she'd seen the plan improve substantially.
"But nothing is ever perfect," she said.
For Brandon, the worst omissions related to archaeology and tribal communities. However, she said she understood Community Development staff was adding tribal descriptions to the plan.
She said that climate change and energy use also needs to be monitored, and said she had suggested a separate climate change element, because she sees those increasingly influencing growth and development.
Brandon also suggested appointing a citizens advisory committee or blue ribbon panel to monitor the county's energy use and carbon footprint.
One particularly weak point in the plan involved mixed use resorts, which she said is too vague and could be an unintended loophole for sprawl.
Brandon also questioned the 3-percent growth rate called for in the plan, saying that the last figures she had seen put the county's growth at half of 1 percent, which is in line with Northern California. While that may pick up if the housing market adjusts, she doubts they'll hit 3 percent, and thinks that might give too much slack to the growth boundaries.
Supervisor Anthony Farrington asked Brandon to elaborate more on her concerns about including tribal communities.
Brandon said a description of the tribal communities should be included. While those communities aren't subject to the county's development rules, neither are Lakeport and Clearlake, she said, but collaborations with the cities is encouraged. Tribal resort developments also figure importantly in the county.
Middletown resident Fletcher Thornton said the committee that is working on the Middletown Area Plan doesn't agree with Community Development's proposed boundaries for Middletown. He wanted to know if there was going to be an opportunity to work out those differences.
Rushing said there would be more time for discussion about those boundaries once the Middletown Area Plan is completed.
Judy Barnes of Clearlake Oaks echoed Brandon's concerns about the mixed use resorts, and also asked the county to tighten up the plan to stop big box stores.
"Other than that I think it's an excellent plan," she said.
Coel said the big box debate was a hot topic several years ago, but in order to make it work the county and cities needed to work together.
Supervisor Rob Brown felt the big box issue needed to be addressed. "This is a big one for us," he said, suggesting not doing anything sends the message that the county doesn't mind if big box stores are allowed in the cities.
Barnes said she had spoke to a Clearlake City Council member, who she didn't name, who said the city hadn't taken a position on the matter because the county hadn't.
Farrington suggested the county could act unilaterally in creating and implementing a policy. "It is a complete fallacy that we've derailed any of the jurisdictions from taking action."
Rushing said she also wanted to see the county take the leadership role, not just with big box stores but with "formula" businesses, like fast food chains.
Finley resident Phil Murphy told the board, "I appreciate all the good work that has been put into this document so far."
Murphy said he was concerned about protection of scenic areas, and suggested ridgeline protection should be expanded to hilltops.
He added that he wasn't suggesting that they should ban development in those areas, but that the county should set guidelines to protect natural beauty. Murphy noted that areas like Lake Tahoe have managed development in scenic areas in a way that has low visual impact.
Murphy urged the county to make a commitment to phase out all billboards in the unincorporated areas. When the permits come up for renewal, they should be denied.
The plan's transportation section relating to bicycles also is lacking, said Murphy, who wants to see a commitment by the board included in the plan to develop a system of bike paths that are useful and which connect communities.
"That's how you make bicycles a viable transportation form," he said, adding that it can help tourism.
Following the close of public comment, the board had a continued discussion about points in the plan. Farrington had numerous points to discuss on water, including groundwater exportation, with Rushing focusing on land use issues.
The board's consideration of the general plan update will continue at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2.
The full draft plan can be found online at the county's Web site, www.co.lake.ca.us.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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