We wish to express our concerns in regards to the Major Use Permit Application (UP 20-28) by Gustafson Farms LLC to be heard by the Lake County Planning Commission on Thursday, April 22, at 9:15 am.

The location(s) of the proposed project(s) are 4440, 4460, 4520 and 4550 George Road in Lakeport.

We along with our neighbors on George Road have many concerns about the negative impacts this project will create in our daily lives, for our quality of life and the environment both locally and county-wide.

Some of our concerns include:
● Increased traffic and congestion;
● Groundwater contamination and potential for pollution into surrounding lands;
● Depletion of water table, current drought conditions;
● Storage of pesticides, fertilizers, phosphates and other hazardous materials in close proximity to homes;
● Odor pollution;
● Light pollution;
● Noise pollution;
● Increased risk for crime;
● Potential to lower home and property values;
● Impacts to the lake from groundwater discharge leaching into nearby streams, creeks and waterways; 
● Potential for increased greenhouse gases; 
● Obstruction of rural countryside views.

This project is literally in our backyard. How we conduct our daily lives will be impacted and changed. Our neighborhood is residential with a mixture of small vineyards, walnut trees and home fruit and vegetable gardens.

George Road was never engineered nor designed to support large volume industry and manufacturing. This is why we chose to purchase property and raise our family here; where our children ride their bicycles up and down the street, where they take their dogs and horses for walks and rides.

If this project were to move forward it would forever change the face of our neighborhood, and not for the better. I ask you to please put yourself in our shoes. Backyard summer barbecues will not be the same with the obnoxious smell that this project brings. Our children will no longer be able to enjoy the freedoms that they do now with increased traffic, congestion and potential for increased crime that can come with these types of projects. The problems associated with the possibility of contamination and depletion to our wells.

This is not the place for an operation of this magnitude. Please support us in our concern and opposition to this project.

Chad and Brandi Parlee live in Lakeport, California.