The historic Lucerne Hotel is the focus of renovations and plans for its future. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lucerne Hotel's history, the current project to improve it and its future were part of two morning presentations to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning.
The 82-year-old, 75,000-square-foot building, purchased last year by the Lake County Redevelopment Agency, sits at the center of the little town, which was designed around it, according to the Tuesday report.
The county took the action to save the building because officials believe that the building is as critical to Lucerne's future as to its past.
Redevelopment Deputy Director Eric Seely gave the board the update on the building's physical improvements, with his presentation putting the hotel – known as “the Castle” in the town – into its historical context.
Seely explained that Lucerne had been developed in a high-end manner in the 1920s, with curb, gutter and sidewalk, carefully laid out avenues, public space and a dance pavilion along the beach front, and a commercial district along the wide 13th Avenue that connected the public spaces on the lake and the hotel.
The original subdivision was done in 1925, and building on the hotel started in 1928, said Seely, who said the county was able to draw on historical documents, including contractor plans, to reveal the original ideas behind the town's planning.
Today, the redevelopment agency is implementing the goals of its master plan, Seely said. That plan hearkens in many ways back to the town's original planning, with emphasis on public space along the lakefront and commercial development of a town center on 13th Avenue.
He showed historical pictures of the hotel, one taken in 1932 with it covered in winter snow, followed by a picture taken in 1945 that showed Lucerne's layout, with the hotel and other of the town's main planning features – along with a golf course and tennis courts near the hotel – but few homes.
Seely then switched gears to report on the county's efforts since purchasing the building last year. “The past six months have been very busy,” he said.
Prior to buying the building ofr $1,350,000, the county had a structural assessment prepared on the building. Seely said he also, literally, crawled through the entire structure to gauge its condition.
“The building is very structurally sound and in remarkable condition,” he said.
Nonetheless, there were still considerable issues needing repair, and Seely said more than 20 local contractors have assisted the redevelopment agency in making those repairs during the past six months – everything from pest control to painting, gutters to roofing.
The agency has bought materials from another 30 local vendors, with 850 gallons of paint from Plaza Paint being the most recent purchase, he said.
The biggest completed repair so far was the roof. “Time really was of the essence,” he said, explaining that the roof's poor condition was one reason why the church group that sold the building was willing to let it go for less than the appraised value.
Showing a picture of the roof being torn off, with worn out and disintegrated composition tiles, Seely said, “They got the full lifespan out of that,” which caused the board and audience members to laugh.
They're now in the process of completing the installation of new gutters and downspouts, and areas of damaged stucco are being repaired, he said.
Seely explained that stucco was damaged when moisture got into wood joints surrounding windows and doors. Those areas were stripped off and have since been repaired by Mark Hopkins of Lakeport. Seely said the stucco is now ready for the finish coat. The building's rear entrance also is being repaired, as it, too, needed stucco replacement.
One of the building's outstanding historical features is its number of fire sprinklers. Seely said they're so numerous that there are even sprinklers in some of the building's bathroom showers. Supervisor Denise Rushing quoted the fire marshal as saying a person was more likely to drown than burn in the Lucerne Hotel.
Seely showed pictures of the hotel's grandest rooms, its dining room and lobby, and he thanked Supervisor Rob Brown who brought over the Kelseyville High School wrestling team last fall to help clean out the lobby of old materials.
“It's safe to say this project has been an economic stimulus for Lake County,” Seely said.
He added, “No matter what the future is for redevelopment, I'm confident this will be a tremendous asset for the county of Lake.”
County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox said that over the last six months the redevelopment agency has committed in excess of $500,000 for building repairs and improvements. Board Chair Jim Comstock called the project “a tremendous boon” for the local economy.
“We've also saved a landmark,” said Rushing, with Cox agreeing that they did so in “the nick of time.”
Waiting any longer to repair the building, Rushing suggested, “would have made the economic equation of that building a lot tougher.”
Task force presents update to board
The status report on the building's repairs was the prelude to a presentation to the board from members of the Lucerne Hotel Education Task Force.
Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook, who pledged his support and resources to the effort last year, chairs the group, and he and task force member Barbara Johnson shared their work so far with the supervisors.
Holbrook said the task force, formed last year at the board's direction, is to create an educational component that will be incorporated into the castle's operation as a hotel, dining facility and conference center.
The group meets at 7 a.m. on Tuesdays. “Thanks to a lot of coffee we're a pretty energetic group,” he said.
They've focused on four areas: career/technical education, higher education opportunities, community based training opportunities, and entrepreneurship and business support. Holbrook said they've also identified future partners and drafted a proposed mission statement.
“This was really a wonderful community effort,” said Johnson, noting that the goal is for the hotel to be a community based and economically sound facility that promotes economic sustainability.
They're exploring key areas such as career training and workforce development, entrepreneurial training, having the building be a satellite location for higher education with work-based learning opportunities, and a place for community-based educational activities and events, she said.
With the governor proposing to abolish redevelopment, Johnson said the group has looked at impacts on the building's rehabilitation, suggesting the improvements could be phased. The ultimate vision, she added, is that 13th Avenue – also known as “the Strand” – be a part of the building's development.
Once the building is in full operation, Johnson said the group foresaw opportunities for classroom training, hands-on learning such as horticultural and culinary training, work experience and business to business opportunities. They wanted it to be a place for healthy leisure and learning experiences which would raise the standard for everyone in the county.
That led to the next question, which Johnson said is, “What are the next steps?”
As a task force, she said, the group has an end, and they wanted the board's feedback on their work.
“From my perspective, the bottom line is, we need to check with you to see if we're on the right track,” said Holbrook.
“I don't know where to begin,” said Supervisor Rob Brown, noting that the work was done “at lightning speed” compared to some projects the board has seen.
He said many of the ideas the report contained were things he and Holbrook had worked on 20 years ago when Holbrook was superintendent of the Kelseyville Unified School District. Having Holbrook's help on the hotel was like having all the stars align, Brown said.
Although Brown said he's never been a big fan of redevelopment, he said he was confident that the work on the building would move forward regardless of what happens with the state redevelopment vote.
“It's going to be one of the best things to happen to Lake County in a long time,” and will help offer young people training and job possibilities so they don't have to leave the county, he said.
Added Rushing, “This is an excellent example of the kind of talent we have in Lake County in terms of strategic thinking.”
Giving new life and purpose to the castle, she said, “is one of those game changing events” that will put Lake County on the map as a leader in economic development.
Pointing to the report's reference to “asset-based economical revitalization,” Rushing explained that the asset – the hotel itself – “doesn't exist anywhere else,” and it's a unique property that people will have to come and see.
She said what's missing in the report is how they go forward, and Johnson said that's the next part they need to address.
During the discussion, Supervisor Anthony Farrington raised the question of how to address blighted parcels in the area. Cox said that was one of the motivations for the county pursuing the construction of a new administrative office for Lake County Mental Health on 13th Avenue, which he said is key to the hotel.
“If redevelopment goes away we have a lot of challenges,” Cox said.
The loss of redevelopment would mean that the county would lose all funding to continue the hotel's renovation, said Cox, although Brown said he still believed it would go forward.
But Cox pointed out that the proposed legislation to end redevelopment “would require us to dispose of this building.”
The building has come full circle. Comstock said the building was built during the Great Depression and is now being revitalized during the Great Recession.
Another task force member and Lucerne resident, Rosamaria Zayas, saluted the board for its vision and courage in hard times. During her eight years in Lucerne Zayas said she's seen the magic that's taken place thanks to redevelopment.
Sue Goff, dean of career and technical education at Mendocino College, told the board they were very excited about the project and were invested in the county, noting they see it being complementary with their hospitality, business and sustainability programs.
Cox thanked Holbrook and the group. “We couldn't have handpicked a better group to be on this task force,” he said, also thanking Seely and Deputy Administrative Officer Debra Sommerfield for their work.
He also offered the supervisors his personal thanks. The building, Cox said, “presents a great opportunity to Lake County.”
Comstock asked all the task force members to stand for a round of applause. He thanked them for what they had done, saying it's a tremendous vision for the county and generations to come.
Rushing asked about the next logical step. Cox said the county was continuing to work with institutions of higher education on using the building. He said board members also were welcome to sit in on the task force meetings.
The task force will work on bringing back specific recommendations to the board in May on what are the next steps to take, with the group refining and finalizing a draft action plan.
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