How to resolve AdBlock issue? LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Despite legal setbacks that will require more environmental studies and Adventist Health backing out of a major clinic project, the city of Clearlake is forging ahead with plans for a major commercial project.
The project encompasses the former Pearce Field airport property, totaling about 40 acres along Highway 53.
At its Oct. 2 meeting, the Clearlake City Council voted unanimously to rescind environmental review and project entitlements for construction of the 18th Avenue Road Project and development of a hotel granted by the Clearlake Planning Commission in December 2022.
The Koi Nation appealed those project approvals to the City Council, which upheld the approvals. The tribe then filed a writ of mandate with the Lake County Superior Court, claiming a violation of required consultation with them.
The following December, Judge Michael Lunas of the Lake County Superior Court denied the Koi’s request. The Koi then appealed the ruling to the State Appellate Court, which eventually ordered the city to set aside the project approvals and environmental review.
The council’s action on Oct. 2 adhered to the order in that ruling.
Despite that setback, as well as Adventist Health’s withdrawal of its plans for a $50 million clinic as an anchor tenant at the site, City Manager Alan Flora — when asked about what’s next for the commercial project — said the city is still moving ahead.
Flora said that, technically, the city has to redo its environmental and permit process for the hotel and 18th Avenue.
“While this is the action required by the court now, we have expected this for some time. We have included the 18th Avenue and hotel projects into the environmental review and entitlement package for the overall airport redevelopment,” Flora said in an email.
He said the city’s environmental impact report, or EIR, is almost ready for public release. “The EIR and entitlements are designed in a way to allow significant flexibility of uses.”
Despite the lawsuit and the need to rework the EIR, Flora said the hotel developer “is aware of the plan and remains committed to the project.”
As for the withdrawal of Adventist Health, Flora said there remain several scenarios related to the medical clinic and the possibility of it still being built.
“We could find a developer to build a clinic that Adventist could lease rather than build, we could identify a different healthcare partner to build a clinic there, or we could develop the site entirely with retail uses,” Flora said. “All of these scenarios will be allowed through the entitlement process.”
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