CLEARLAKE – The Clearlake City Council will hold a public hearing Thursday for consideration of several aspects concerning the Provinsalia Project. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at Clearlake City Hall.
The public hearing is scheduled as the sixth item on the agenda, following public comment, consent calendar and an item seeking authorization for the execution of a Subdivision Construction
Agreement for the Clearlake Crossing Subdivision located at the State Route 53 and Old Highway 53 intersection.
Four topics will be addressed during the public hearing including certification of the draft and final Environmental Impact Report
(EIR), amending the General Plan land use designation from managed development-resource protection area to specific plan, adoption of the draft Provinsalia Specific Plan and rezoning the property from resource protection to specific plan. The purpose of the public hearing is to allow members of the public an opportunity to comment on the draft and final EIRs.
The Provinsalia project proposes construction of several single family and multifamily housing units, a golf course, trail system, clubhouse and interpretive center. The project site, which is located east of Dam Road, is 292 acres and has approximately 1.4 acres of waterways, 45.8 acres of land over 30 percent slope, 2.8 acres of valley oak woodland, 18.5 acres of blue oak habitat, 9.2 acres of known cultural resource sites and 31.2 acres comprised of wetlands or Cache Creek. The net developable acreage is 183.1 acres.
The project has been in the draft stage for several years. The Final EIR was presented in April 2008. The Planning Commission has reviewed the information contained in those documents and is recommending that the city council certify the EIR as adequate, amend the General Plan, adopt the draft Specific Plan and rezone the property.
Throughout the past five months, several changes have been made to improve the project, benefit the community and clarify the gray areas. In part, those changes encompassed the establishment of minimum lot size; specifications for construction requirements
according to phases of the project; material requirements; and requirements related to infrastructure; and mitigation of oak trees and “Heritage Trees” designation.
According to city staff, an EIR is required to be re-circulated under the California Code of Regulations (CEQA guidelines) only when significant new information is added to the EIR. Significant new information includes evidence of new significant environmental impact r an increase in the severity of an impact already described in the EIR. While the draft and final EIR have been revised to address new information or to provide additional detail and analysis, reportedly no information has been submitted to the city which indicates any new or more severe environmental impacts than those already analyzed in the draft EIR. Therefore, according to staff, re-circulation of the EIR is not required.
Documents related to the Provinsalia project are available for public review at Clearlake City Hall during regular business hours.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
