LAKEPORT >> The Lake County Planning Commission held the first of four public hearings regarding Wild Diamond Vineyards’ drafted environmental impact report at its regular meeting Thursday.
As expected, many Hidden Valley Residents voiced their concerns with the document, arguing that it didn’t properly address issues like water resources, air quality and noise. Some even said that they did not want the development at all.
“It’s my opinion that most of the large vineyard developers who have descended or will descend on this county are nothing more than out-of-county, out-of-state, out-of-country carpetbaggers here to exploit our cheap land, our water and our lax environmental controls while residing elsewhere with no sincere concerns for this county—just their pocketbooks,” a resident said, eliciting applause from the moderately-sized audience.
Of course, a majority of winemakers in the area have a large stake — and personal presence — in the county. Gregory Graham, for example, lives on 27 acres near Lower Lake. The Fults Family live on a small plot near Hidden Valley, and Dustin Fults plays a big role with Langtry Estate. The massive Six Sigma Ranch, near Hidden Valley, is owned and operated by a family now living in Lake County. On Cobb Mountain, Beau Moore of Moore Family Winery lost his home to the Valley Fire and was one of the first to rebuild.
A few residents have opposed the development from the beginning, disputing the county on every point.
For those not ideologically opposed to the project, a majority of complaints dealt with the hydrology analysis in the EIR. Although its authors, SHN Consulting and Engineers Inc., found the project to have no impact on the wells, they felt the analysis was insufficient.
According to HVL resident and Mendocino College geology teacher David Adam, the lack of knowledge on the surrounding groundwater — between Spruce Grove Road and State Highway 29 — should prevent the developers from going forward with project.
Claiming to have studied Lake County’s geology for more than 42 years, he also hypothesized that rainwater doesn’t take very long to show up in the flows from the aquifers.”
“I am concerned that the development of a large vineyard could lead to a sharp reduction in spring discharge and streamflow into Hidden Valley Lake, with a potentially significant on our property values,” Adams wrote in a letter to the county, which he echoed at the hearing. “Springs along Highway 29 below Snows Lake have gone dry and I anticipate that Thurston Lake will soon experience water shortages. We do not want Hidden Valley Lake to disappear.”
Of course, drought conditions over the past five years have pressured many wells. And a review performed by NRCM, an environmental consulting firm, agreed with the EIR findings and approved the procedure.
Some Hidden Valley Lake residents still dug in their heels.
The Planning Commission took time on Thursday to hear every concern.
“We have received a large stack of comments,” said Community Development Director Bob Massarelli. “I want to make sure the public knows that are taking theirs into consideration.”
The planning commission will consider the approval of the drafted environmental impact report at its next meeting on Aug. 25.
If that is approved, they will direct staff to prepare a final report with the hearing taking place on Sept. 8. Its final approval will be on Sept. 22.
