MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall on Thursday heard updates on a large development project in the Guenoc Valley, got an update from the sheriff on his plans for a National Night Out event and accepted the 2017 projects list.

Community Development Director Bob Massarelli returned to the meeting this month, as he had said he would, for a monthly update on the Guenoc Valley resort development project, proposed by Lotusland Investment Holdings of San Francisco.

In describing the project to MATH at its meeting last month, Massarelli said it’s expected to be “a high-end, low-density development consisting of boutique-style hotels, space, sporting facilitates, town centers, cultural facilities and residential components.”

This month, Massarelli said that there wasn’t a lot of new information to report, as the developer has not yet submitted an application.

He said his department has been in talks with the developer about procedures and other parts of the complex project.

“We do expect things to start happening in the next month or two,” he said.

Massarelli said he is in the process of hiring two people to be assigned to managing the project, which he expects will be completed within the month.

When asked about if the project will be required to develop parks, Massarelli said yes, that there are open space and recreational requirements in the county code that call for developers to contribute to parks.

He said he expects at the end of process there will be a developer's agreement laying out what is required and how it will be paid for.

The county Web site is being updated, Massarelli reported, and he said he expects to have a place on that site for information on the project.

A company representative at the meeting confirmed to the group that the developer is still in the process of working on the application.

Massarelli said there is a lot of information needed, and many different parts to the project. “There's a lot of work being done,” he said, from recreation to transportation, water, roads and buildings.

Sheriff Brian Martin also was on hand on Thursday to speak to MATH members about his plans to hold a National Night Out event in Middletown in August.

He said the event, which will be free and open to the public, will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, at the Calpine Visitor Center, 15500 Central Park Road.

“This is a great time to get out and meet your first responders and for us to meet you,” he said.

Martin invited people to come with questions and bring their children to meet first responders. He said other agencies and organizations also are being invited to attend, including Cal Fire, the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts.

The event also will be the kickoff for the sheriff’s office’s pink patch sales. Martin said he’s authorized deputies to wear pink versions of their uniform patches to bring attention to breast cancer. Proceeds from sales of the patches will go toward the Sutter Foundation’s cancer coach position.

Anyone who would like to donate to the event is encouraged to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Martin said.

The other main agenda item on Thursday was the consideration and acceptance of a final 2017 MATH project list.

The final approved list includes five projects: A Valley fire memorial, an arch at Middletown Square Park, painting town curbs, getting crosswalks that have push buttons that activate flashing lights, and flashing lights for traffic calming at both ends of town.

In other business on Thursday, MATH Chair Claude Brown explained the process for getting on the agenda and for asking for MATH to represent certain views at public meetings, and Vice Chair Linda Diehl-Darms offered suggested guidelines for interactions at the meetings to ensure civility.

The group also will bring back an action item in July on creating a Facebook page, and held over a discussion to next month on a proposed Valley fire memorial.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.