LAKEPORT — A Lake County Sanitation District project proposing wastewater treatment improvements in Clearlake got the necessary support of the Lake County Planning Commission on Thursday.
The commission decided the project would be in conformity with the Lake County General Plan and recommended the district”s board of directors approve a mitigated negative declaration for the project.
The decisions came during a 90-minute commission meeting at the Lake County Courthouse.
The project proposes to increase the service capacity of the Southeast Regional Wastewater Collection System by creating a new 1,570-gallon-per-minute lift station and installing nearly 4.9 miles of new sewer pipeline, a majority of which would run through city streets.
The city of Clearlake has already approved that the project would be in conformity with its general plan, according to county assistant resource planner Peggy Barthel.
The county supervisors, who sit as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, will have final say about whether to approve the recommended mitigated negative declaration.
The commission later considered another general plan conformity report, which addressed a proposed county acquisition of donated land.
The nearly 3,000-square-foot lot sits adjacent to the proposed Clearlake Oaks Senior Center project area. The current owner seeks to donate the property for tax purposes, according to associate planner Alan Flora.
The commission voted unanimously that the proposed acquisition would be in conformity with the county”s general plan.
The commission also decided to extend the use permits for three existing billboards located in the county, provided the sign owners make required lighting improvements.
The first billboard, owned by La Monica Signs, is located on South Main Street in Lakeport and can continue to be used for outdoor advertising until mid-February 2016, at which time the owner could apply for another five-year extension.
The second billboard is located in Lower Lake and is owned by Stott Outdoor Advertising. The commission approved an extension through early November 2015.
For the final billboard, also owned by Stott, the commission amended the proposed agreement, granting an extension through early November 2014 in an attempt to synchronize the extension dates with that of the original 1994 use permit approval date.
The commission considered each billboard extension separately, voting 4-1 each time that no additional environmental review would be necessary and to approve the extension.
District 4 Commissioner Cliff Swetnam dissented each time, continuing his consistent disapproval of any billboard, the main goal of which, he argues, is to distract drivers.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
