CLEARLAKE — The City of Clearlake is currently entertaining a public review period and accepting comments pertaining to a mitigated negative declaration of environmental impact related to a project proposed for development on the former Pearce Airport property. The public review period opened Dec. 1 and will close at 5 p.m. Dec. 31.
A special joint meeting of the Clearlake City Council and Redevelopment Agency (RDA) is scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 7 at Clearlake City Hall for the purpose of considering the adoption of the mitigated negative declaration.
City Administrator Dale Neiman said other areas to be included in the Jan. 7 discussion consist of a decision as to whether or not to sale the airport property, which is located within an RDA project area; whether or not to do a land exchange with the property owner to the south of the project area; and whether the city abandons or relocates right-of-way for Airport Road.
The project consists of the development of seven parcels of land, the largest being 9.68 acres in size, which is expected to accommodate a Lowe”s home improvement store. In 2006, the RDA solicited proposals for development of a commercial complex and Katz Kirkpatrick Properties (KKP) was awarded an exclusive negotiation agreement (ENA) in April 2007.
“We”ve been negotiating ever since,” Neiman said. “We were all squared away to take Home Depot to public hearing and they pulled the plug and Lowe”s stepped in.”
Neiman said that the ENA was finalized the third week in November.
The negative mitigated declaration finds that as mitigated, no significant environmental impact will occur as a result of the project. It also finds that potential significant environmental impacts are mitigated to a less than significant level by the mitigation measures determined in the initial study and mitigated negative declaration.
Neiman said there were 43 measures analyzed and mitigated in the initial study, some of which included fire flows, aesthetics, landscaping, signage, elevations, agriculture resources, air quality, traffic, drainage and sewer.
Neiman said in relation to solving the problems that exist within sewer collection system in the area, there are three options. He said the regional board could chose to impose a moratorium on new development or expansions for commercial and residential projects or raise rates by 140 percent. “The other option is to do what we are recommending,” he said. “We would put in $2.5 million in improvements. That would free up 3,000 new connections.”
Neiman said the city would then adopt a developer impact fee, which by calculation would amount to $833 for each new connection. “That fee that we get paid back would be adjusted for inflation. Most of the money that we would spend would come back to the agency in time. As new development happens they would pay the city, which would then reimburse the agency.”
Neiman said this project is an effort aimed at retaining sales tax revenues. “The bottom line is we are not capturing our fair share of retail sales,” he said. “Another thing going on is there is a lot of retail sales going over the hill. What we”re trying to do with this is keep that money local.”
Neiman said in his opinion if this sale of the airport property does not go through, the city is looking at about a $3.8 million loss in relation to the costs associated with the agency”s purchase of the property.
The initial study and draft mitigated negative declaration are available for public review during regular business hours at Clearlake City Hall. All written comments must be submitted in writing by 5 p.m. Dec. 31 to Dale Neiman, executive director Clearlake Redevelopment Agency, 14050 Olympic Drive, Clearlake, CA 95422. Comments may be submitted by e-mail at dneiman@clearlake.ca.us.
Any member of the public may also present oral comments and submit written comments regarding this project at the joint public hearing scheduled for Jan. 7.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
