LAKE COUNTY >> The time frame to repair flood-damaged docks and do other work on Clear Lake will soon open. But with many residents still looking to get permits, one individual has had to face unanticipated hurdles.
Lauri Dohring from the Bell Haven Homeowners Association put in an application for a Lakebed Encroachment Permit to get the dock repaired at the Bell Haven Resort in Soda Bay. She had two appeals against her application entered by neighbors.
With the first appeal, the project was considered Class 2 Categorical Exempt from a CEQA study, leading it to be heard by the Planning Commission. The county felt the project was exempt because there was no great impact on the lake. However, the appellant felt this project would have a significant effect on the environment.
The appeal was denied by the Planning Commission and she again pushed forward. But the project went to the Board of Supervisors after a second appeal, this time against the commission’s decision.
The second appeal claimed the dock project threatened species in the lake. It called for completion of an Initial Study and Environmental Checklist before a permit could be issued.
“My family has been going to the Bell Haven Resort in Soda Bay for over 25 years,” Dohring said. “I am here because I am simply trying to rebuild a dock. It is unsafe, it is full of brittle exposed fiber glass and it is not in keeping with the purpose of the property of a high-end rental resort.”
Dohring said she has put in work all over the resort rebuilding and restoring the area at a cost of almost $5 million.
“Time is of the essence. There is a short window coming up that I had lots of time to get finished for the pilings to comply with the department of Fish and Wildlife measures regarding the Hitch,” Dohring said. “Not making this window pushes it into the 2018 window.”
Associate Planner for Lake County Mireya Turner said the Department of Fish and Wildlife decided the Clear Lake Hitch is a Threatened Species and developed a Clear Lake Hitch Conservation Strategy in 2015 to benefit the species. As of 2016, Fish and Wildlife recommended Initial Studies be done before permits are given out, leading the county to make it a requirement and Dohring to have one completed, regardless of the appeal.
“They gave Lauri Dohring and the Bell Haven Resort the opportunity to either have Fish and Wildlife to act as lead agency for an Initial Study or to request the county to take lead agency status for the Initial Study,” Turner said. “So the county agreed to do so.”
The dock is currently in a review period for the Initial Studies.
“Should some of the comments coming back be significant, once they are integrated into to county’s Initial Study it may be sent out again for re-review. If not we will compile the list of conditions and mitigations,” Turner said.
Board Chair and District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith said dock owners are trying to repair their docks and retain the beauty of the county and should not have to face obstacles like this.
“This is ridiculous that this went this far. We have docks out there that need to be replaced and repaired. We shouldn’t be stopping people from replacing and repairing docks for a number of reasons,” Smith said. “This should be a stream line process as absolutely possible.”
There are docks all around the lake to be repaired Smith said, and slowing it down does not help the improvement of the lake or image of the county.
