CLEARLAKE ? The Community Development and Engineering departments for the City of Clearlake recently provided an activity update for the month of April. Highlights of the update include progress on amending the General Plan as well as the Redevelopment Plan, a building trends report and progress on capital projects and programs. The update also includes a report regarding the pending sale of the airport property.
According to City Administrator Dale Neiman”s report, a draft of the General Plan”s Introduction (Chapter 1) has been reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission. The final draft of the Community Profile (Chapter 2) section has been completed and awaits review by the commission. The Land Use (Chapter 3) section was reviewed by the commission at five workshops and staff is currently refining the land use designations and preparing the associated map.
Neiman further reported that work is continuing on the Housing Element portion of the document. State law requires that it be completed by August 2009 and must be done prior to amending the Redevelopment Plan.
Building trends are considerably down according to Neiman”s report. Fees collected are reportedly 56 percent less than the 2006 to 2008 average. The number of permits issued for single family homes is 89 percent lower than the 2006 to 2008 average.
“It”s the economy. That”s what it”s all related to. It”s the conditions of the banks. The banks have changed the financing requirements,” Neiman said. “I think that is why we are seeing a decline in building trends.”
The TRAC Committee is reportedly working on guidelines for establishing a program to provide residents an opportunity to create street maintenance districts to improve the residential streets in the community. Final guidelines will be come before the council for consideration and approval.
A project on Lakeshore at San Joaquin Drive is currently awaiting CalTrans approval in order to go out to bid. Coastland Civil Engineering is reportedly preparing the construction plans for the widening of Lakeshore at San Joaquin and stabilization of the area. Coastland has reportedly completed the biological study, which has been accepted by CalTrans.
Sale of the airport property to Katz Kilpatrick is reportedly moving along. Staff has reviewed several proposals and conceptual site plans throughout the last 14 months. Katz Kilpatrick has completed its due diligence, which involved conducting a geotechnical study, site survey and developing the site plan. A public hearing for sale of the property is expected to be conducted late May or early June.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
