LAKE COUNTY – Lake County”s newest planning commissioner sat through his first meeting Thursday in Lake County Board of Supervisors chambers.
District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock appointed Michael van der Boon as his planning commissioner Tuesday. Van der Boon, whose name literally translated as “son of Boon,” immigrated to the United States from Holland in 1954 and has lived in Hidden Valley Lake for five years. A retiree of 11 years, van der Boon said he was surprised when Comstock selected him from a pool of nine applicants for the job.
“He called me up on Monday, and he said, ”I”ve got good news and bad news. The good news is I picked you as my planning commissioner, the bad news is that I picked you as a planning commissioner,” van der Boon said.
Van der Boon owned a wholesale meat company in Healdsburg for 22 years. His planning experience includes work on a planning commission committee in Healdsburg, and then on the planning commission, approximately 20 years ago.
“I agree with a lot of his (Comstock”s) views on development in south Lake County. I”d like to see more commercial and more development in that area so that our people can stay here, and buy here and work here, rather than having to go to Santa Rosa or Napa,” van der Boon said.
Regarding the Valley Oaks subdivision and commercial development proposed adjacent to Hidden Valley Lakes – one of his first hearings on Thursday”s agenda – van der Boon said he doesn”t believe new commercial development will leach business from the existing storefronts in Middletown proper.
“It all depends on if Middletown adds more smaller businesses – boutiques, wine-related businesses, that type of thing – which will totally not be any competition, or vice versa, with what goes up in this Valley Oaks project,” van der Boon said.
He said his interest in the project was one of the factors in his decision to apply for appointment as District 1 Planning Commissioner. No vote was taken on the Valley Oaks project Thursday, and the public hearing was continued for further discussion on a date to be announced.
“I”m glad that I come in on the beginning of that I can go out there and take a look for myself. I like to do that. One thing that worries me, too, is I think there are 400-some homes in Hidden Valley Lake that are for sale or in foreclosure,” van der Boon said.
Van der Boon said he did a lot of listening on his first day on the job.
“I had only two days since I was sworn in. In the last two days, I must have read about eight hours. I did a lot of listening today, I don”t think I asked one question or opened my mouth at all. That will come eventually,” van der Boon said.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
