Kelseyville >> After years of operating with a skeleton crew, Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa has received some new life.
President and general manager Greg Bennett said on Wednesday 56 rooms at the resort were occupied by families displaced by the Valley fire, and more rooms are still available for those who need them.
“People have been going through this traumatic time, we hope we can give them a home away from home and a roof over their heads,” he said.
The resort has lodged up to 70 families affected by the fire in suites and haven apartments equipped with bedrooms and kitchenettes since it re-opened its doors on Sept. 24.
In the nearly two months it has operated as a shelter, some people have found alternates including short- and long-term housing, Bennett said, comparing it somewhat to guests in and out of resorts or hotels.
He said the owners initially agreed to a six-month commitment for lodging displaced residents, but “it’s hard to say how long it will take people to get back on their feet,” and they are looking to stay open as long as necessary.
It’s the first time since 2009 that the resort has had any significant activity, and Bennett said before that could happen, all infrastructure had to be jump started.
From the air conditioning to sewer lines, structural issues had to be addressed before displaced residents could move in.
“Now we know they all work because we’ve invested the money to make them work,” Bennett said. “The guests are the proof.”
How much money, he didn’t want to specify. A “very small portion” of the funds came from FEMA as well as the county, but Bennett said the “vast majority” came from owners Local 38 of the United Association of Plumbers.
“We have such a deep connection with Lake County,” Bennett said. Adding that the union wanted to step in and support the community despite having been closed fore more than half a decade.
The 90-acre resort first opened in 1959 as a vacation spot for union members. After Bennett’s arrival in 1990, Konocti Harbor became host to a slew of national and international acts too long to name, but ask a Lake County resident who lived here during that era and chances are he or she will still remember a list of performers.
However, after a federal lawsuit claimed an estimated $36 million had been diverted from benefit plans into renovation and operating costs for the facility, Konocti Harbor was forced to shut down.
In the years since, about 20 people have remained on the grounds as employees. Staff is still limited, even with guests only five more people are currently employed which includes security. With no housekeeping or laundry services offered, Bennett said they could function with the small staff.
Resort owners are still hoping to sell the property and re-open it as the premiere concert venue and vacation destination in Northern California it once was.
Bennett said the recent investments and activity at the resort give life to the property, and “we feel like it’s a nice step to aiding the process” of selling.
In the meantime, residents who need the temporary housing can call Bennett at 279-6601.
